Access and treatment catheters for endovascular procedures
A catheter and a method of advancing the catheter within a human vessel are provided. The catheter has a shaft that has a distal end and a proximal end, a hub provided at the proximal end, and a first piezoelectric element provided at the hub. A second piezoelectric element is provided at a location on the shaft that is distal to the hub, and a conductive wire connects the first piezoelectric element and the second piezoelectric element. Electrical energy is applied from the first piezoelectric element towards the second piezoelectric element to cause the distal end of the shaft to move.
1 . A method of advancing a catheter within a human vessel, comprising:
providing a catheter having:
a shaft that has a distal end and a proximal end;
a hub provided at the proximal end, with a first piezoelectric element provided at the hub;
a second piezoelectric element provided at a location on the shaft that is distal to the hub; and
a conductive wire connecting the first piezoelectric element and the second piezoelectric element; and
applying electrical energy from the first piezoelectric element towards the second piezoelectric element to cause the distal end of the shaft to move.
2 . The method of claim 1 , further including providing the first piezoelectric element and the second piezoelectric element from either a piezo-electric ceramic material, or a ferroelectric material, or a piezo-electric polymer material, or a composite material made from piezo-electric ceramic material and piezo-electric polymer material.
3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein each of the first piezoelectric element and the second piezoelectric element provides a source of electric energy.
4 . The method of claim 1 , further providing a third piezoelectric element positioned along the shaft between the first piezoelectric element and the second piezoelectric element.