Steerable coaxial cable systems for cardiac ablation

Claim 2

A steerable coaxial antenna assembly for a catheter comprising a coaxial cable having a proximal region for connection to a source of energy and a distal region connected to an antenna carried on said distal region for propagating energy, the coaxial cable having an intermediate region between the distal and proximal regions that has a greater degree of flexibility than the proximal region, and a support wire connected directly to the intermediate region of the coaxial cable to bend the intermediate cable region in response to bending force applied to the support wire, a steering wire attached to the support wire and extending from there to a mechanism located at the proximal region of the coaxial cable, the mechanism being operative by the user to apply bending force to the support wire to bend the intermediate region and, with it, the distal region of the coaxial cable relative to its proximal region.

Claim 3

An assembly according to claim 1 and further including a guide tube having a distal region joined to the support wire for positioning the support wire and for holding the support wire while it bends in response to external forces, and wherein the steering wire extends through the guide tube for attachment to the support wire to apply bending force.

Claim 4

An assembly according to claim 2 wherein the coaxial extends along the exterior of the guide tube.

Claim 5

An assembly according to claim 1 and further including solder joining the support wire directly to the intermediate region of the coaxial cable.

Claim 6

An assembly according to claim 1 and further including material wrapped about the center support wire and the intermediate cable region joining the support wire directly to the intermediate region of the coaxial cable.

Claim 7

An assembly according to claim 5 wherein the material includes shrink fit tubing.

Claim 8

An assembly according to claim 1 and further including material wrapped around the steering wire to hold the steering wire against the support wire.

Claim 9

An assembly according to claim 1 wherein the intermediate region includes an electroplastic conforming coating.

Claim 10

A catheter comprising a guide tube having a distal end, a center support wire that is bendable in response to external forces and having a proximal end that is joined to the guide tube for holding the center support wire while it bends in response to external forces, a steering wire attached to the distal end of the center support wire for applying a bending force, a coaxial cable having a first region that extends along the guide tube, a second region that extends beyond the guide tube, and a intermediate region that extends beyond the second region and includes antenna means for propagating energy, the second cable region having a greater degree of flexibility than the first cable region, and means connecting the distal end of the center support directly to the second cable region for bending the second cable region in response to the bending force applied by the steering wire to the center support wire.

Claim 11

A catheter comprising a guide tube having a distal end, a center support wire that is bendable in response to external forces and having a proximal end that is joined to the guide tube for holding the center support wire while it bends in response to external forces, a steering wire attached to the distal end of the center support wire for applying a bending force, a coaxial cable having a first region that extends along the guide tube, a second region that extends beyond the guide tube, and a intermediate region that extends beyond the second region and includes antenna means for propagating energy, the second cable region having a greater degree of flexibility than the first cable region, and means connecting the distal end of the center support directly to the second cable region for bending the second cable region in response to the bending force applied by the steering wire to the center support wire.

Claim 12

An assembly according to claim 9 wherein the means for joining the center support wire directly to the second cable region includes means wrapped around the center support wire and the intermediate cable region.

Claim 13

An assembly according to claim 10 wherein the wrapped means includes shrink fit tubing.

Claim 14

An assembly according to claim 9 wherein the attachment between the steering wire and the center support wire includes means wrapped around the steering wire to hold the steering wire against the center support wire.

Claim 15

An assembly according to claim 9 wherein the intermediate cable region includes an electroplastic conforming coating.

Claim 16

A steerable microwave antenna assembly for a catheter comprising a microwave antenna, a coaxial cable having a proximal region for connection to a source of energy and a distal region connected to the microwave antenna for propagating energy, the coaxial cable having an intermediate region between the distal and proximal regions that has a greater degree of flexibility than the proximal region, and a support wire connected directly to the intermediate region of the coaxial cable to bend the intermediate cable region in response to bending force applied to the support wire, a steering wire attached to the support wire and extending from there to a mechanism located at the proximal region of the coaxial cable, the mechanism being operative by the user to apply bending force to the support wire to bend the intermediate region and, with it, the microwave antenna relative to the proximal region of the cable.

Claim 17

A steerable microwave antenna assembly for a catheter comprising a microwave antenna, a coaxial cable having a proximal region for connection to a source of energy and a distal region connected to the microwave antenna for propagating energy, the coaxial cable having an intermediate region between the distal and proximal regions that has a greater degree of flexibility than the proximal region, and a support wire connected directly to the intermediate region of the coaxial cable to bend the intermediate cable region in response to bending force applied to the support wire, a steering wire attached to the support wire and extending from there to a mechanism located at the proximal region of the coaxial cable, the mechanism being operative by the user to apply bending force to the support wire to bend the intermediate region and, with it, the microwave antenna relative to the proximal region of the cable.

Claim 18

An assembly according to claim 14 and further including a guide tube having a distal region joined to the support wire for positioning the support wire and for holding the support wire while it bends in response to external forces, and wherein the steering wire extends through the guide tube for attachment to the support wire to apply bending force.

Claim 19

An assembly according to claim 15 wherein the coaxial cable extends along the exterior of the guide tube.

Claim 20

An assembly according to claim 14 and further including solder joining the support wire directly to the intermediate region of the coaxial cable.

Claim 21

An assembly according to claim 14 and further including material wrapped about the center support wire and the intermediate cable region joining the support wire directly to the intermediate region of the coaxial cable.

Claim 22

An assembly according to claim 18 wherein the material includes shrink fit tubing.

Claim 23

An assembly according to claim 14 and further including the material wrapped around the steering wire to hold the steering wire against the center support wire against the support wire.

Claim 24

A steerable coaxial cable assembly for a catheter comprising a coaxial cable having a proximal region for connection to a source of energy and a distal region connected to an energy transmitting element carried on said distal region, the coaxial cable having an intermediate region between the distal and proximal regions that has a greater degree of flexibility than the proximal region, and a support wire connected directly to the intermediate region of the coaxial cable to bend the intermediate cable region in response to bending force applied to the support wire, a steering wire attached to the support wire and extending from there to a mechanism located at the proximal region of the coaxial cable, the mechanism being operative by the user to apply bending force to the support wire to bend the intermediate region and, with it, the distal region of the coaxial cable relative to its proximal region.

Claim 25

A steerable coaxial cable assembly for a catheter comprising a coaxial cable having a proximal region for connection to a source of energy and a distal region connected to an energy transmitting element carried on said distal region, the coaxial cable having an intermediate region between the distal and proximal regions that has a greater degree of flexibility than the proximal region, and a support wire connected directly to the intermediate region of the coaxial cable to bend the intermediate cable region in response to bending force applied to the support wire, a steering wire attached to the support wire and extending from there to a mechanism located at the proximal region of the coaxial cable, the mechanism being operative by the user to apply bending force to the support wire to bend the intermediate region and, with it, the distal region of the coaxial cable relative to its proximal region.

Claim 26

An assembly according to claim 21 and further including a guide tube having a distal region joined to the support wire for positioning the support wire and for holding the support wire while it bends in response to external forces, and wherein the steering wire extends through the guide tube for attachment to the support wire to apply bending force.

Claim 27

An assembly according to claim 22 wherein the coaxial cable extends along the exterior of the guide tube.

Claim 28

An assembly according to claim 21 and further including solder joining the support wire directly to the intermediate region of the coaxial cable.

Claim 29

An assembly according to claim 21 and further including material wrapped about the center support wire and the intermediate cable region joining the support wire directly to the intermediate region of the coaxial cable.

Claim 30

An assembly according to claim 25 wherein the material includes shrink fit tubing.

Claim 31

An assembly according to claim 21 and further including material wrapped around the steering wire to hold the steering wire against the support wire.

Claim 32

An assembly according to claim 21 wherein the intermediate region includes an electroplastic conforming coating.

Claim 33

A catheter comprising guide tube having a distal end, a center support wire that is bendable in response to external forces and having a proximal end that is joined to the guide tube for holding the center support wire while it bends in response to external forces, a steering wire attached to a distal end of the center support wire for applying a bending force, a coaxial cable having a first region that extends along the guide tube, a second region that extends beyond the guide tube, and an intermediate region that extends beyond the second region and includes an energy transmitting element, the second region having a greater degree of flexibility than the first region, and means connecting the distal end of the center support wire directly to the second region for bonding the second region in response to the bending force applied by the steering wire to the center support wire.

Claim 34

A catheter comprising guide tube having a distal end, a center support wire that is bendable in response to external forces and having a proximal end that is joined to the guide tube for holding the center support wire while it bends in response to external forces, a steering wire attached to a distal end of the center support wire for applying a bending force, a coaxial cable having a first region that extends along the guide tube, a second region that extends beyond the guide tube, and an intermediate region that extends beyond the second region and includes an energy transmitting element, the second region having a greater degree of flexibility than the first region, and means connecting the distal end of the center support wire directly to the second region for bonding the second region in response to the bending force applied by the steering wire to the center support wire.

Claim 35

An assembly according 29 wherein the means for connecting the center support wire directly to the second region includes means wrapped around the center support wire and the intermediate region.

Claim 36

An assembly according 29 wherein the means for connecting the center support wire directly to the second region includes means wrapped around the center support wire and the intermediate region.

Claim 37

An assembly according to claim 30 wherein the wrapped means includes shrink fit tubing.

Claim 38

An assembly according to claim 29 wherein the attachment between the steering wire and the center support wire includes means wrapped around the steering wire to hold the steering wire against the center support wire.

Claim 39

An assembly according to claim 29 wherein the intermediate region includes an electroplastic conforming coating.