Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 29
Claim 1
Independent Claim
56 words
A catheter comprising a tip portion, and an elongated body portion having a distal and medial section for insertion in vivo, and a proximal section for extension external of the body being treated, said body portion having at least one lumen wherein said tip portion is distally bonded to the body portion to minimize tip dissociation,
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
56 words
A catheter comprising a tip portion, and an elongated body portion having a distal and medial section for insertion in vivo, and a proximal section for extension external of the body being treated, said body portion having at least one lumen wherein said tip portion is distally bonded to the body portion to minimize tip dissociation,
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
21 words
A catheter comprising an elongated body portion having at least one central lumen, wherein said body portion is made of metal.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
21 words
A catheter comprising an elongated body portion having at least one central lumen, wherein said body portion is made of metal.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
20 words
A catheter according to claim 2 and wherein said catheter includes a tip portion distally bonded to said body portion.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
27 words
A catheter according to claim 1, 2 or 3 and wherein the tip and the body are made of material having a melting point above about 200°C.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
22 words
A catheter according to claim 4 and wherein the tip and body are made from material selected from metals, ceramics, polyamides, carbon.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
20 words
A catheter according to claim 5 and wherein the tip and the body are made of metal and welded together.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
27 words
A catheter according to claim 6 and wherein the metal is stainless steel, and the catheter further includes a means for creating heat at the tip portion.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
31 words
A catheter according to claim 7 and wherein the heat-creating means includes a gas inlet, vacuum outlet, and a catalyst adjacent the tip adapted for self-ignition in the presence of gas.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
16 words
A catheter according to claim 8 further including means for controlling the temperature of the tip.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
28 words
A catheter according to claim 9 and wherein said temperature controlling means includes tip-temperature measuring means and means for changing gas input in response to the tip temperature.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
75 words
A catheter according to claim 10 and wherein said means for changing gas input includes: a) a main gas input pathway and a parallel gas input pathway from a gas source to the catheter; b) means for variably controlling gas input to the main pathway; c) means for periodically opening and closing said parallel gas pathway; d) means for closing all gas pathways to the catheter; and e) means for purging the pathways of gas.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
14 words
A catheter according to any preceding claim and wherein the body portion is spirally-wound.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
31 words
A catheter according to claim 12 and wherein the body portion is formed of relatively flat wire, each spiral substantially adjacent the next, whereby column strength of the catheter is increased.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
29 words
A catheter according to claim 13 and wherein the body portion includes sealing means along its length and at the distal tip to minimize leakage through the catheter body.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
60 words
Apparatus comprising: a metal tip portion; an elongated body portion with at least one central lumen, said body portion consisting essentially of spirally wound metal wire sufficiently flat and sufficiently tightly wound to maximize column strength; means for heating the tip portion, and wherein said body portion is welded to said tip portion whereby dissociation of the tip is minimized.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
60 words
Apparatus comprising: a metal tip portion; an elongated body portion with at least one central lumen, said body portion consisting essentially of spirally wound metal wire sufficiently flat and sufficiently tightly wound to maximize column strength; means for heating the tip portion, and wherein said body portion is welded to said tip portion whereby dissociation of the tip is minimized.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
49 words
Apparatus according to claim 15 and wherein the tip heating means comprises a gas inlet lumen, a catalyst adjacent the tip for heating the tip portion by catalyzing a heat-producing reaction of the gas, a vacuum outlet lumen for removing by-products of the reaction, and a temperature control loop.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
13 words
Apparatus according to claim 16 and including sealing means for said body portion.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
28 words
Apparatus according to claim 17 and wherein said sealing means includes a polytetrafluoroethylene jacket for the body portion and a collar adjacent the tip and surrounding said jacket.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
98 words
Apparatus according to claim 16, 17 or 18 and wherein said temperature control loop includes: a) a tip-temperature reading means; b) a gas generator and a main and a parallel pathway from the generator to the gas inlet lumen; c) means for variably controlling the gas in one of said pathways; d) means for periodically opening and closing the other of said pathways; e) means for stopping the flow of gas to said catheter; f) means for purging the pathways of gas; and g) means for controlling means c), d), e) and f) in response to tip temperature.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
50 words
A flow-control loop responsive to an external condition comprising: a) means for reading the external condition; b) a pathway between the flow source and the flow output; and c) means for variably controlling the flow through the pathway in response to readout of the external condition from the reading means.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
50 words
A flow-control loop responsive to an external condition comprising: a) means for reading the external condition; b) a pathway between the flow source and the flow output; and c) means for variably controlling the flow through the pathway in response to readout of the external condition from the reading means.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
18 words
A flow-control loop according to claim 20 and wherein the external condition is a condition of a catheter.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
29 words
A flow-control loop according to claim 21 and wherein the flow is of gas and the external condition is the temperature of the tip of a hot tip catheter.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
57 words
A flow-control loop according to any one of claims 20 to 22 and wherein said means for variably controlling the flow includes a needle valve, a stepper motor, and a controller for activating the motor to position the needle valve at a selected position in the pathway to control the flow in response to the external condition.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
62 words
A flow-control loop according to claim any one of claims 20 to 23 and wherein said loop includes: d) a second pathway parallel to said pathway; e) a valve for periodically opening and closing said second pathway to increase the flow in response to said external variable; and f) a controller for opening and closing said valve in response to said readout.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
49 words
A flow control loop according to claim 24 wherein said valve is a one-way solenoid valve pulsed to intermittently permit more gas in the system, and further including: g) a three-way solenoid valve for shutting said pathway; and h) a three-way solenoid valve for purging said pathway of gas.