KNITTED CATHETER

1 . A medical device, comprising:

an elongate tubular knitted catheter comprising at least one biocompatible, electrically non-conductive filament arranged in longitudinally adjacent substantially parallel rows each stitched to an adjacent row.

2 . The medical device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one non-conductive filament consists of a single non-conductive filament.

3 . The medical device of claim 1 , further comprising:

at least one biocompatible, electrically conductive filament intertwined with a row of the at least one non-conductive filament.

4 . The medical device of claim 3 , wherein the at least one conductive filament comprises a plurality of conductive filaments each intertwined with one or more of the rows of the at least one non-conductive filament.

5 . The medical device of claim 3 , wherein a section of the at least one conductive filament is wound around a section of the at least one non-conductive filament, and wherein the knitted catheter consists of:

a plurality of rows of the least non-conductive filament having the conductive filament wound there around arranged in substantially parallel rows each stitched to an adjacent row.

6 . The medical device of claim 3 , wherein the at least one conductive filament follows the same course as a section of the at least one non-conductive filament.

7 . The medical device of claim 6 , wherein the at least one conductive filament is positioned on the exterior surface of the catheter.

8 . The medical device of claim 3 , wherein the conductive filament is electrically connected to an electronics module, and wherein a section of the conductive filament between the intertwined portion of the filament and the electronics module provides strain relief.

9 . The medical device of claim 8 , wherein a section of the conductive filament between the intertwined portion and the electronics module is woven into a plurality of the rows.

10 . The medical device of claim 1 , further comprising:

a steering element positioned in a distal end of the knitted catheter mechanically connected to one more externally positioned controls, wherein the controls are configured to actuate the steering element to alter the orientation of the distal end of the catheter.

11 . The medical device of claim 10 , wherein the steering element comprises:

a spring having coils of a diameter approximately equal to the inner diameter of the knitted catheter, and wherein one or more coils are coupled to the one or more control knobs.

12 . The medical device of claim 10 , wherein the steering element comprises:

a substantially planar element positioned in the knitted catheter having two or more points each configured to mate with rows of the catheter, and each mechanically coupled to at least one of the one or more control knobs.

13 . The medical device of claim 12 , wherein the substantially planar element is star-shaped.

14 . The medical device of claim 10 , wherein the steering element has an aperture extending there through.

15 . The medical device of claim 1 , further comprising:

one or more temperature activated shape memory components positioned in the knitted catheter; and

one or more heating elements positioned adjacent to the shape memory components, the one or more heating elements configured to alter the shape of the shape memory components.

16 . The medical device of claim 1 , further comprising:

an agent delivery tube extending through the knitted catheter.

17 . The medical device of claim 16 , wherein the distal end of the agent delivery tube comprises one or more agent delivery ports.

18 . The medical device of claim 1 , further comprising:

a biopsy device positioned in the catheter, the biopsy device extendable from the distal end of the catheter.

19 . The medical device of claim 13 , further comprising:

a removable stylet extending at least partially through the knitted catheter.

20 . The medical device of claim 1 , wherein the knitted catheter is at least partially filled with a gel to prevent growth of fiburous tissue into the knitted catheter.

21 . The medical device of claim 1 , further comprising:

at least one active component positioned in the knitted catheter.

22 . The medical device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one non-conductive filament comprises a drug-eluting polymer.

23 . The medical device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one non-conductive filament comprises a thermo-softening plastic material.

24 . The medical device of claim 1 , further comprising:

a second elongate tubular knitted catheter formed from at least one biocompatible, electrically non-conductive filament arranged in longitudinally adjacent substantially parallel rows, each row stitched to an adjacent row, wherein the second tubular knitted catheter is positioned in the tubular catheter.

25 . The medical device of claim 1 , wherein the tubular catheter has an inner diameter that is sufficient to receive at least one instrument.

26 . A method for manufacturing a knitted tubular catheter comprising:

providing at least one biocompatible, electrically non-conductive filament; and

knitting the at least one non-conductive filament into an elongate tube of longitudinally adjacent substantially parallel rows, each row stitched to an adjacent row

27 . The method of claim 26 , wherein the at least one non-conductive filament consists of a single non-conductive filament, and wherein the method comprises:

knitting the single non-conductive filament into a plurality of parallel rows each stitched to an adjacent row.

28 . The method claim 26 , wherein knitting the at least one non-conductive filament further includes:

intertwining at least one conductive filament with one or more of the rows.

29 . The method of claim 28 , further comprising:

winding the at least one conductive filament around a section of the at least one non-conductive filament prior to knitting; and

knitting the least non-conductive filament having the conductive filament wound there around into substantially parallel rows each stitched to an adjacent row.

30 . The method of claim 28 , further comprising:

concurrently knitting the at least one conductive filament with a section of the at least one non-conductive filament such that the at least one conductive filament follows the same course as the section of at least one non-conductive filament.

31 . The method of claim 28 , wherein the conductive filament is configured to be electrically connected to an electronics module, and wherein the method further comprises:

forming a section of the at least one conductive filament between the intertwined portion and the electronics module into a helical shape.

32 . The method of claim 31 , wherein the catheter is circular knitted, and wherein forming the section of the conductive filament into a helical shape comprises:

forming the helical shape during the circular knitting process.

33 . The method of claim 31 , further comprising:

weaving the section of the at least one conductive filament between the intertwined portion and the electronics module into a plurality of the rows.

34 . The method of claim 26 , further comprising:

positioning a steering element in a distal region of the knitted catheter mechanically connected to one more externally positioned controls, wherein the controls are configured to actuate the steering element to alter the orientation of the distal end of the catheter.

35 . The method of claim 34 , wherein the steering element comprises:

a spring having coils of a diameter approximately equal to the inner diameter of the knitted catheter, wherein one or more of the coils are coupled to the one or more control knobs.

36 . The method of claim 34 , wherein the steering element comprises:

a substantially planar element positioned in the knitted catheter having two or more points each configured to mate with stitches of the catheter, and each mechanically coupled to the one or more control knobs.

37 . The method of claim 26 , further comprising:

positioning one or more temperature activated shape memory components in the knitted catheter; and

positioning one or more heating elements adjacent to the shape memory components, the one or more heating elements configured to alter the shape of the shape memory components.

38 . The method of claim 26 , further comprising:

positioning an agent delivery tube in the knitted catheter.

39 . The method of claim 26 , further comprising:

positioning a biopsy device in the knitted catheter, wherein the biopsy device is extendable from the distal end of the catheter.

40 . The method of claim 26 , further comprising:

positioning a removable stylet at least partially in the knitted catheter.

41 . The method of claim 26 , further comprising:

filling at least the stitches of the knitted structure with a gel to prevent growth of fiburous tissue into the knitted catheter.

42 . The method of claim 26 , further comprising:

positioning at least one active component in the knitted catheter.

43 . The method of claim 26 , wherein providing the one or more non-conductive filaments comprises:

providing at least one non-conductive filament comprising a drug-eluting polymer.

44 . The method of claim 26 , wherein providing the one or more electrically non-conductive filaments comprises:

providing at least one non-conductive filament comprising a thermosoftening plastic material.

45 . The method of claim 26 , wherein the tube has an inner diameter that is sufficient to receive at least one instrument.

46 . An implantable medical device, comprising:

a non-conductive tubular carrier member; and

a knitted conductive tube mounted on the carrier member comprising at least one biocompatible, electrically conductive filament arranged in longitudinally adjacent parallel rows, each row stitched to an adjacent row.

47 . The medical device of claim 46 , further comprising:

a plurality of knitted conductive tubes each formed from separate conductive filaments and each mounted on the carrier member.

48 . The medical device of claim 46 , wherein the at least one conductive filament consists of a single conductive filament.

49 . The medical device of claim 46 , wherein the at least one conductive filament is electrically connected to an electronics module, and wherein a section of the conductive filament between the knitted tubular member and the electronics module has a helical shape.