Manipulatable delivery catheter for occlusive devices (II)

Abstract

This is in the general field of surgical instruments and is specifically a delivery catheter with a flexible, proximally-manipulated hinge or joint region. The inventive catheter may have a balloon region. The catheter may have a shaft of varying flexibility which contains several lumen. The inner, or delivery, lumen generally may be used with a guidewire to access target sites within the body via the flexible, small diameter vessels of the body. The delivery lumen may be also used for placement of occlusive materials, e.g., in an aneurysm. Inflation of the micro-balloon, located near the distal tip of the catheter, is effected using the inflation lumen. The push/pull wire lumen contains a wire, which when manipulated, flexes the catheter's distal tip. The push/pull wire tubing may have a variable thickness to aid in adjusting the degree of flexibility. Moreover, the delivery catheter may be capable of twisting in a helical or corkscrew-like manner for traversing certain vasculature. This may be accomplished by winding the push/pull wire within the catheter and fixedly attaching it. The catheter may further include an entry in the catheter wall to allow for the insertion of a guidewire; this may facilitate the rapid exchange of catheter devices as desired by the user.

1 - 24 . (canceled)  
     
     
         25 . A manipulatable delivery catheter for occlusive devices, comprising: 
 a catheter tube having a flexible joint region, said catheter tube defining a first longitudinal axis;    a guidewire delivery tube defining a lumen therethrough disposed within said catheter tube, said guidewire delivery tube extending distally of said flexible joint region;    a tubing member defining a lumen therethrough disposed within said catheter tube, said tubing member having a distal opening at a location proximal to said flexible joint region; and    a wire defining a second longitudinal axis, said wire being slidingly disposed within said tubing member and extending distally through said distal opening of said tubing member within said catheter tube, said wire having a distal end attached to said guidewire delivery tube at a location distal to said distal opening of said tubing member, such that imparting of a force to said wire longitudinally or rotation of said wire about said second longitudinal axis thereby causes flexing of said flexible joint region.    
     
     
         26 . The manipulatable delivery catheter of  claim 25 , wherein said catheter tube comprises a balloon region, and an inflatable member is disposed in said balloon region.  
     
     
         27 . The manipulatable delivery catheter of  claim 25 , wherein said wire extends linearly distal to said distal opening of said tubing member.  
     
     
         28 . The manipulatable delivery catheter of  claim 26 , wherein a portion of said wire is angularly disposed in relation to said first longitudinal axis.  
     
     
         29 . The manipulatable delivery catheter of  claim 28 , wherein said portion of said wire is partially wound about said first longitudinal axis.  
     
     
         30 . The manipulatable delivery catheter of  claim 28 , wherein said portion of said wire is wound about 180° about said first longitudinal axis.  
     
     
         31 . The manipulatable delivery catheter of  claim 25 , wherein said portion of said wire is configured such that imparting a force to said wire rotates said flexible joint region into a helical shape.  
     
     
         32 . The manipulatable delivery catheter of  claim 28 , wherein said portion of said wire is angularly disposed in a right-handed orientation about said longitudinal axis.  
     
     
         33 . The manipulatable delivery catheter of  claim 28 , wherein said portion of said wire is angularly disposed in a left-handed orientation about said longitudinal axis.