A catheter device for implanting a medical device comprises a steerable catheter, and a delivery catheter extending through the steerable catheter and being configured to interact with the medical device for implanting the medical device at an implantation site within a patient, wherein the delivery catheter is axially movable with respect to the steerable catheter. The steerable catheter comprises a first steering articulation zone and a second steering articulation zone arranged distally with respect to the first steering articulation zone, wherein the steerable catheter is steerable by a deflection in the first steering articulation zone and the second steering articulation zone.

Articulation devices, systems, methods for articulation, and methods for fabricating articulation structures will often include simple balloon arrays, with inflation of the balloons interacting with elongate skeletal support structures so as to locally alter articulation of the skeleton. The skeleton may comprise a simple helical coil or interlocking helical channels, and the array can be used to locally deflect or elongate an axis of the coil under control of a processor. Liquid inflation fluid may be directed so as to pressurize the balloons from an inflation fluid canister, and may vaporize within a plenum or the channels or balloons of the articulation system, with the inflation system preferably including valves controlled by the processor. The articulation structures can be employed in minimally invasive medical catheter systems, and also for industrial robotics, for supporting imaging systems, for entertainment and consumer products, and the like.

A conduit for creating a passage from a right atrium to a left atrium, through a mitral valve into the left ventricle, and to provide a passage from the left ventricle into the aortic valve. The conduit includes an elongate tubular member having a shaft with a proximal section and a distal loop section at a distal end of the proximal section. The distal loop section includes a proximal curve, a distal curve, a generally straight segment extending between the curves, and a distal tip. The shaft in the distal loop section curves back on itself so that proximal curve is formed by a part of the shaft that is closer along the length of the shaft to the distal tip. The shapes of the proximal and distal curves are selected to direct the distal tip into the mitral valve after it has crossed the inter-atrial septum from the right atrium to the left atrium of the heart, and to orient the distal opening of the distal tip towards the aortic valve when the proximal curve is in the mitral valve and the distal tip is in the left ventricle.

An intravascular device delivery system has an elongated member with a flexible hypotube. The hypotube can be rotationally keyed to a steerable catheter. The flexible hypotube includes one or more cuts to allow bending of the flexible hypotube within a first plane. The steerable catheter is steerable to bend the flexible hypotube within the first plane, and longitudinally movable relative to the flexible hypotube to allow distal movement of the steerable catheter relative to a distal end of the flexible hypotube.

A steerable elongated functional system, such as a catheter or an endoscope, for internally investigating a pipe, a duct or a tube. Especially, an elongated functional system configured to be advanced in the lumen of a pipe, a duct or a tube. The system includes an elongated flexible body, at least one of a first and a second actuator, each being arranged in or on the elongated flexible body, having proximal and distal extremities, and being connectable to an energy source and configured to convey or transform energy to the elongated flexible body to cause a reversible curvature of the elongated flexible body. The elongated body includes an overlapping region where at least the proximal extremity of the first actuator overlaps with at least the distal extremity of the second actuator, and the first and second actuators are mechanically independent from one another and longitudinally offset from one another.

Devices and methods for establishing trans-radial access for medical intervention are described. In particular, some embodiments are optimized for consistently safely achieving complete cerebral angiography via a single trans-radial access site. A system may include a catheter with at least two active steering sites. Some embodiments may include at least one balloon. The methods include using said steering mechanisms to help guide and support said catheter. In some embodiments, additional use is made of at least one vascular arch to provide further support and prevent kickback and prolapse of said catheter and any additional devices passed therethrough.

A catheter having a head with a head orifice and a head channel connected to the head orifice, a primary lumen wall that defines an internal primary lumen volume, an adjustable neck that connects the head channel to the internal primary lumen volume, an adjustment system partially enclosed in the primary lumen wall that provides an articulation of the adjustable neck between an extended position to a contracted position, wherein the articulation from the extended position to the contracted position provides a flexible tip catheter while the articulation from the contracted position to the extended position provides an ability to angulate toward a target.

A catheter having a head with a head orifice and a head channel connected to the head orifice, a primary lumen wall that defines an internal primary lumen volume, an adjustable neck that connects the head channel to the internal primary lumen volume, an adjustment system partially enclosed in the primary lumen wall that provides an articulation of the adjustable neck between an extended position to a contracted positon, wherein the articulation from the extended position to the contracted position provides a flexible tip catheter while the articulation from the contracted position to the extended position provides an ability to angulate toward a target.

An intravascular device comprises an elongated outer catheter body having a proximal catheter end, a distal catheter end, and an inner catheter lumen extending between the proximal catheter end and the distal catheter end. The intravascular device further comprises an elongated inner articulating member slidably disposed within the inner catheter lumen. The inner articulating member has a proximal member end and an articulatable distal member end. The intravascular device further comprises a control assembly mechanically coupled to the proximal catheter end and the proximal member end. The control assembly is configured for distally translating the outer catheter body over the inner articulating member, and for articulating the distal member end.

An intravascular device includes an elongated body having a proximal end and a distal end, and a plurality of energy transmitting conduits extending within the elongated body. The distal ends of the energy transmitting conduits terminate at different axial locations along the distal end of the elongated body. In one embodiment, the number of energy transmission conduits is only two, such that the number of bends in the compound curve assumed by the distal end of the elongated body is only two, although the number of energy transmission conduits may be any suitable number.