335 results about "Distal segment" patented technology

A steerable catheter and methods of fabrication including a catheter body formed of a continuous wire braid formed of wires braided over a delivery lumen liner and a pull wire lumen liner distal to a pull wire jacket port, braided around the pull wire jacket port to form a braid port, and over at least a portion of the delivery lumen liner proximal to the pull wire jacket port. A pull wire extends from a pull wire proximal end through the pull wire lumen port and through the pull wire lumen to a pull wire distal end. A band is attached to the pull wire distal end and fitted over a distal segment of the wire braid proximal to the catheter body distal end to fix the pull wire distal end to the catheter body and restrain the wire distal end from flaring away from the delivery lumen liner.

Methods and systems for transvenously accessing the pericardial space via the vascular system and atrial wall, particularly through the superior vena cava and right atrial wall, to deliver treatment in the pericardial space are disclosed. A steerable instrument is advanced transvenously into the right atrium of the heart, and a distal segment is deflected into the right atrial appendage. A fixation catheter is advanced employing the steerable instrument to affix a distal fixation mechanism to the atrial wall. A distal segment of an elongated medical device, e.g., a therapeutic catheter or an electrical medical lead, is advanced through the fixation catheter lumen, through the atrial wall, and into the pericardial space. The steerable guide catheter is removed, and the elongated medical device is coupled to an implantable medical device subcutaneously implanted in the thoracic region. The fixation catheter may be left in place.

A surgical robotic component comprising an articulated terminal portion, the terminal portion comprising: a distal segment having an attachment for a surgical tool; a basal segment for attaching the terminal portion to the remainder of the surgical robotic component; and an intermediate compound joint between the distal segment and the basal segment, the intermediate compound joint permitting relative rotation of the distal segment and the basal segment about first, second and third axes; the terminal portion being arranged such that, in at least one configuration of the intermediate compound joint: (i) the axial direction of the basal segment is parallel to the axial direction of the distal segment, and (ii) the first, second and third axes are transverse to the axial directions of the basal and distal segments.

A deflectable device, such as a catheter, is provided that includes a hinge that enhances the ability of the device to deflect or bend within a predetermined plane. The catheter comprises an elongated tubular catheter body having proximal and distal ends and at least one lumen extending therethrough. A distal segment is provided distal to the distal end of the catheter body. A tubular hinge is provided between the distal end of the catheter body and the proximal end of the distal segment. The hinge has an axis and at least one lumen extending therethrough. The tube includes at least one slot, and preferably a plurality of slots, extending part of the way through the hinge generally transverse to the axis of the hinge.

Methods for restoring blood flow in occluded blood vessels using an apparatus having a self expandable distal segment that is pre-formed to assume a superimposed structure in an unconstrained condition but can be made to take on a volume-reduced form making it possible to introduce it with a microcatheter and a push wire arranged at the proximal end, with the distal segment in its superimposed structure assuming the form of a longitudinally open tube and having a mesh structure of interconnected strings or filaments or struts. In a preferred embodiment, the distal segment has a tapering structure at its proximal end where the strings or filaments or struts converge at a connection point.

An improved insertion set is provided for transcutaneous placement of a sensor such as a glucose sensor at a selected site within the body of a patient. The insertion set comprises a mounting base defining an upwardly open channel for receiving and supporting a flexible thin film sensor, in combination with a cap assembled with said mounting base to capture and retain a proximal end of the sensor within said channel. The sensor further includes a distal segment with sensor electrodes thereon which protrudes from the mounting base for transcutaneous placement, wherein the sensor distal segment is slidably carried by a slotted insertion needle fitted through the assembled base and cap. Placement of the insertion set against the patient's skin causes the insertion needle to pierce the skin to carry the sensor electrodes to the desired subcutaneous site, after which the insertion needle can be slidably withdrawn from the insertion set. The mounting base further includes a fitting and related snap latch members for mated slide-fit releasable coupling of conductive contact pads on a proximal end of the sensor to a cable connector for transmitting sensor signals to a suitable monitoring device.

A trans-septal guide catheter for providing access through the septum separating a first heart chamber from a second heart chamber that includes an elongated guide catheter body extending between guide catheter proximal and distal ends. A distal segment of the guide catheter is adapted to be inserted through the septum to locate the distal segment of the guide catheter within one of the first heart chamber and the second heart chamber. The catheter body encloses a guide catheter lumen adapted to provide access into the one of the first heart chamber and the second heart chamber through a guide catheter lumen proximal end opening and a guide catheter lumen distal end opening. A retention mechanism engages the septum and maintains the distal segment of the guide catheter extending into the one of the first heart chamber and the second heart chamber

An aspiration catheter includes an aspiration shaft and a telescoping outer sheath which can be passed over a guidewire. The sheath includes “nesting” proximal and distal tubes. The distal tube slides within a proximal tube lumen, and the aspiration shaft slides within a distal tube lumen. The catheter can be placed in an expanded position by pushing the aspiration shaft, thereby causing the distal tube to be moved distally. The catheter can be retracted by pulling the aspiration shaft proximally so that a distal segment of the aspiration shaft is drawn into the distal tube lumen and the distal tube is drawn into the proximal tube lumen. Alternatively, a middle tube is slidingly disposed over the aspiration shaft between the proximal and distal tubes. In this embodiment, the middle tube nests within the proximal tube lumen and the distal tube nests within a middle tube lumen.

Elongated medical instruments adapted to be permanently or temporarily implanted in the mammalian body or used to access a site in the body to facilitate introduction of a further medical device, and methods and apparatus for deflecting the distal end and imparting curves in distal segments of such medical instruments within the body by manipulation of a proximal segment of the instrument outside the body are disclosed. Multiple portions of distal segments of a single one or distal segments of coaxially arranged distal segments of deflectable coiled wires are formed each having a line of spacers each functioning as a backbone along a side of the wire coil and formed in a variety of ways. One or more elongated movable wire extends through a coil lumen to one or more attachment point distal to each portion that can be pushed to widen and/or pulled to narrow the spacing of coil turns across the coil diameter from the line to induce a bend in all more proximal portions.

The invention provides an articulating mechanism useful, for example, for remote manipulation of various surgical instruments and diagnostic tools within, or to, regions of the body. Movement of segments at the proximal end of the mechanism results in a corresponding, relative movement of segments at the distal end of the mechanism. The proximal and distal segments are connected by a set of cables in such a fashion that each proximal segment forms a discrete pair with a distal segment. This configuration allows each segment pair to move independently of one another and also permits the articulating mechanism to undergo complex movements and adopt complex configurations.