A robotic catheter system including a first drive mechanism configured to interact with an elongated medical device to cause the elongated medical device to move along its longitudinal axis. A controller provides a signal to a motor to move the first wiping surface toward the longitudinal axis when the elongated device is being withdrawn from a patient.

A tubing assembly for use in conjunction with electronic catheter guidance systems is provided and includes a catheter and steering apparatus. The catheter has a proximal end and a distal end that define a lumen therebetween and extends in a longitudinal direction. The steering apparatus includes an electrical connection and a sheath. Further, the sheath includes an electroactive polymer layer, and the sheath's proximal end is coupled to the distal end of the electrical connection, where the steering apparatus is located within the lumen of the catheter. Activation of the electroactive polymer layer results in a change in dimension of the sheath, which initiates a change in a direction in which the catheter travels within a patient's body to assist in accurate placement of the catheter at a desired location. A catheter guidance system and a method for steering a catheter during its placement inside a body are also provided.

An invasive medical device (10) is disclosed comprising a flexible sheath (11) enveloping at least one lumen (17, 17) comprising an electrically conductive wire (20) including a deformable actuator (21) for deforming a section of the invasive medical device in response to an electric current provided through the electrically conductive wire, wherein the flexible sheath comprises a set of apertures (31) extending through the flexible sheath to the at least one lumen, said apertures being filled with an adhesive (33) anchoring the deformable actuator to the flexible sheath. A manufacturing method for such an invasive medical device (10) is also disclosed.

A steerable tube (100), comprising a hollow elongate tubular member (1) having a proximal end (2), distal end (3), a wall surface disposed between said proximal (2) and distal end (4), a bend-resistive zone (6) flanked by a proximal bendable zone (4) that forms a controller and a distal bendable zone (5) that forms an effector that moves responsive to movements of the controller, whereby the wall of the tubular member (1) in the bend-resistive zone (6) comprises a structure that is a plurality of longitudinal slits (7), forming a plurality of longitudinal strips (8, 8), the wall of the tubular member (1) in the proximal bendable zone (4) and the distal bendable zone (5) comprises a structure that is a plurality of longitudinal wires (9, 9, 10, 10), at least one strip (8) is in connection with a wire (9) in the proximal bendable zone (4) and a wire (10) in the distal bendable zone (5), such that translation by said wire (9) in the controller is transmitted via the strip (8) to said wire (10) in the effector, a proximal annular region (11) of the tubular member (1), proximal to the proximal bendable zone (4) to which the proximal wires (9) are anchored, a distal annular region (12) of the tubular member (1) distal to the distal bendable zone (5) to which the distal wires (10) are anchored.

Embodiments of a deployment system may include a catheter having a distal end and a proximal end. An actuator may be disposed at the distal end of the catheter and may be operatively connected to electrical connectors extending longitudinally along the catheter from the proximal end to the actuator. The electrical connectors may be configured for transmission of signals to the actuator. One or more connections may be coupled to the actuator and to a deployable medical device disposed at the distal end of the catheter.

A medical system comprises a catheter containing a mechanical system that is remotely operable to control a distal tip of the catheter. The medical system also comprises a sensor configured to at least partly measure a pose of the distal tip and a control system coupled to the mechanical system. The control system includes a memory operable to store parameters of a working configuration of the distal tip of the catheter and a plurality of operating modes including a holding mode in which the control system operates the mechanical system to actively maintain the working configuration of the distal tip based on feedback from the sensor. The control system also includes a plurality of modules. During activation of the holding mode, the plurality of modules is configured to sense a current pose of the distal tip and determine a difference between the current pose and the working configuration. The difference is due to an external disturbance. Without user input, the plurality of modules is also configured to operate the mechanical system to move the catheter to minimize the difference between the current pose and the working configuration.

A stylet for use in guiding a catheter to a predetermined location within the body of a patient. The stylet may include a continuous core member for transmitting an electrical signal from a distal section of the stylet to a proximal end. In some embodiments, the stylet includes a differing stiffness profile along its length. A differing stiffness characteristics can be achieved by varying the number of strands of a wire, the diameter of each individual strand, twisting or braiding the strands, or varying the number of turns per unit length of the twisted strands. The stiffness of the stylet may decrease from the proximal end to the distal section, for example, intermittently, continuously, or along continuous sections adjacent the distal end. By using multiple strands bundled together, the beneficial conductive and, optionally, magnetic properties can be maximized while at the same time the stiffness characteristics can be modified.

New devices and methods for deflecting a catheter progressing within a lumen, into a preferred direction, typically in order to accomplish ablative removal of obstructive material within that lumen without the danger of uncontrolled catheter deflection risking perforation of the lumen. The catheter may ride on a guide wire, or it may be free riding down the lumen, limited by the passages available in the obstructive material, and generating its own passage by debulking the material within the lumen. The types of deflection required may be radial or lateral. A number of novel configurations are described, including improvements to the slotted wall catheter, by selection of the shape, spacing and location of the slots. Other implementations include a catheter with a novel spring configuration, which can release itself from a situation in which the catheter becomes stuck when widening an initial narrow bore in an obstructed vessel.

The present invention discloses a steerable guidewire and a method for manufacturing the same, and a steerable catheter and a method for manufacturing the same. According to an aspect of the present invention, a steerable guidewire, which is inserted into a catheter and guides the catheter to a desired blood vessel, may include: a steerable tip part that can be bent in at least two stages due to a stimulus from the outside and that is steered in a predetermined direction; and a non-steerable tip part that is not steerable. The steerable tip part may include: a first steerable tip part having a first length and bent in a first angle with respect to the non-steerable tip part; and a second steerable tip part having one end connected to the first steerable tip part, having a second length, and bent and steered into a second angle with respect to the non-steerable tip part. The first steerable tip part may be positioned farther from the non-steerable tip part than the second steerable tip part. The first length of the first steerable tip part may be smaller than a sum of lengths of steerable tip parts other than the first steerable tip part, and the first angle may be steered so as to be larger than the second angle.

A catheter system utilizing one or more sensors is described. The catheter can be used as part of an embolic coil system, guidewire system, or combined embolic coil/guidewire system where the devices interact with the catheter system. A variable detachment embolic coil system and guidewire system are also described.