Fiber optic catheter with twistable tip

Abstract

Abstract The present invention is a catheter (10) with a twistable tip. The catheter having a flexible wall for use in complex twisting anatomy contains a torque wire (50) or a torquable guide wire lumen (20). The torque wire or torquable guide wire lumen extends through the length of the catheter and is attached to the catheter at or near the distal end thereof. The distal face of the catheter is angled to self align the catheter with an obstruction upon insertion. The proximal end of the torque wire protrudes from the proximal end of the catheter and is attached to a turn limiter (130). Rotation of the turn limiter imparts a torque to the torque wire or torquable guide wire lumen which is transmitted through the catheter to the distal end of the catheter where the applied torque twists the distal tip to manually align the tip with an obstruction.

Inventors

• 👤 Dan J. Hammersmark
• 👤 Timothy J. Wood
• 👤 Matthew S. Solar

Bibliographic Details