US 12,029,862 B2
Expandable assembly catheter
Assaf Govari, Haifa (IL); Christopher Thomas Beeckler, Brea, CA (US); Joseph Thomas Keyes, Sierra Madre, CA (US); Kevin Justin Herrera, West Covina, CA (US); and Alexander David Squires, Duarte, CA (US)
Assigned to Biosense Webster (Israel) Ltd., Yokneam (IL)
Filed by Biosense Webster (Israel) Ltd., Yokneam (IL)
Filed on Dec. 20, 2019, as Appl. No. 16/723,971.
Prior Publication US 2021/0187241 A1, Jun. 24, 2021
Int. Cl. A61M 25/00 (2006.01); A61B 5/00 (2006.01); A61B 5/287 (2021.01); A61B 5/367 (2021.01); A61M 25/01 (2006.01)
CPC A61M 25/0023 (2013.01) [A61B 5/287 (2021.01); A61B 5/6858 (2013.01); A61M 25/0141 (2013.01); A61M 25/0158 (2013.01); A61B 5/367 (2021.01); A61B 2562/00 (2013.01); A61B 2562/164 (2013.01); A61M 2025/0024 (2013.01)] 17 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A catheter apparatus, comprising:
(a) an elongated deflectable element including a distal end;
(b) a coupler connected to the distal end of the elongated deflectable element;
(c) a pusher including a distal portion, and being configured to be advanced and retracted through the deflectable element;
(d) a nose connector connected to the distal portion of the pusher, and including a distal receptacle including an inner surface and a distal facing opening;
(e) a position sensor coaxially located inside the nose connector; and
(f) an expandable assembly comprising:
a plurality of flat flexible polymer circuit strips, each flat flexible polymer circuit strip including multiple electrodes disposed thereon, the flat flexible polymer circuit strips being disposed circumferentially around the distal portion of the pusher, with first ends of the flat flexible polymer circuit strips being connected to the coupler and second ends of the flat flexible polymer circuit strips comprising respective hinges angled inwardly and proximally in entering the distal facing opening and connected to the inner surface of the distal receptacle of the nose connector, the flat flexible polymer circuit strips being configured to bow radially outward when the pusher is retracted expanding the expandable assembly from a collapsed form to an expanded form such that the flat flexible polymer circuit strips and the nose connector are configured to cooperate together to define a flat distal tissue contacting region when the expandable assembly is in the expanded form, and
a plurality of elongated resilient support elements, each extending along a respective one of the flat flexible polymer circuit strips and including a distal end proximal of a respective one of the hinges and a proximal end generally at a respective one of the first ends; and
(g) a flat nose cap covering the distal facing opening of the nose connector, the nose cap including a cover and a cylinder, distal portions of the respective hinges subjected to a pressure fit between the cylinder and a distal portion of the nose connector, the flat distal tissue contacting region including the cover of the flat nose cap.