Catheter with controllable tip

Kurzbeschreibung

The invention presented comprises a catheter whose tip can be bent or erected by means of force application. The catheter can be more easily turned into vascular branches as well as placed and secured.

Beschreibung/Hintergrund

For neurovascular diseases such as aneurysms or vascular occlusion, catheters are advanced through the vascular system to the site of the disease. To place a catheter, it is advanced alternately in combination with a guidewire. Guidance is provided by slightly pre-shaped tips of the wire and the catheter. In order not to injure the vessel wall, both systems are very flexible, which makes targeted control difficult. For larger calibres, control mechanisms via traction cables are sometimes used, which allow bending of the tip. However, these lead to increased stiffness and diameter and are therefore not suitable for neurovascular procedures.

Lösung

A steerable catheter developed by an inventor at Otto-von-Guericke-University Magdeburg offers a solution to the problem. The catheter features a smaller diameter and an easier control of the catheter tip. The presented catheter consists of a first and second tubular element arranged coaxially. A flexible element disposed in the distal region can be deformed by relative movement of the tubular elements along an axis and by the application of a force. This allows the tip of the catheter to be bent or straightened, allowing easier bending of the catheter into a vessel branch. Another feature is that a second flexible element in the distal region can be used to shorten a spring element by applying a tensile force. The catheter tube element can be slid over the second flexible element, allowing the catheter tip to be advanced beyond the catheter piece into a branching vessel. The catheter can thus be more easily placed in a vessel branches and can be secured in the branching vessel, preventing it from slipping out in the vessel.