Steerable delivery catheter

1. A delivery catheter for delivering a device to a native valve of a patient's heart, comprising:

a flexible tube having a main lumen and a control wire lumen;

a plurality of links disposed in a distal region of the flexible tube;

wherein each link is aligned with and connected to at least one adjacent link with a slot formed between each pair of adjacent links; and

wherein a top portion of each link is narrower than a bottom portion of each link and each link has a general shape of an acute trapezoid when the links are viewed from a side; and

a control wire in the control wire lumen that is connected to the plurality of links;

wherein applying tension to the control wire causes the distal region of the flexible tube to bend; and

wherein each of the plurality of links comprises at least two opposing side teeth and at least two grooves, and wherein each tooth is received by corresponding groove of an adjacent link when the distal region of the flexible tube is bent and the at least two opposing side teeth are at least partially inserted into the corresponding groove of the adjacent link when the distal region of the flexible tube is not bent; and

wherein each link further comprises a top tooth and a top groove, wherein the top tooth is received by a corresponding top groove of an adjacent link when the distal region of the flexible tube is bent and the top tooth is separated from the corresponding top groove of the adjacent link by a gap when the distal region of the flexible tube is not bent.

2. The delivery catheter of claim 1 wherein each link is connected to at least one adjacent link only at the bottom portion of the links.

3. The delivery catheter of claim 1 wherein the top portions of the links are drawn closer together when tension is applied to the control wire to bend the distal region.

4. The delivery catheter of claim 1 wherein the plurality of links are in a straight configuration when tension is removed from the control wire.

5. The delivery catheter of claim 1 wherein the flexible tube further comprises a polymer coating.

6. The delivery catheter of claim 1 wherein the flexible tube further comprises a polyether block amide coating.

7. The delivery catheter of claim 1 wherein the plurality of links are comprised of at least one of a shape memory material, stainless steel, or a polymer.

8. The delivery catheter of claim 1 , wherein a bottom of each link includes at least one slit to allow for more flexing of the links relative to one another.

9. The delivery catheter of claim 1 wherein the links are cut from a single tube.

10. The delivery catheter of claim 1 wherein the links are cut from a single flat sheet of material that is rolled to form the links.

11. The delivery catheter of claim 1 wherein the control wire extends distally past the links and is attached to the distal region by a ring.

12. The delivery catheter of claim 1 further comprising:

a first ring in a distal region of the flexible tube; and

a second ring in the distal region of the flexible tube that is spaced apart from the first ring;

wherein the plurality of links are disposed in the distal region of the flexible tube between the first ring and the second ring.

13. The delivery catheter of claim 12 wherein the control wire is moveably coupled to the second ring.

14. The delivery catheter of claim 1 further comprising a coil sleeve disposed in the control wire lumen around the control wire.

15. The delivery catheter of claim 14 wherein the coil sleeve extends proximally from the distal region of the flexible tube such that a portion of the control wire that extends from the second ring and to the first ring is not covered by the coil sleeve.

16. A delivery catheter for delivering a device to a native valve of a patient's heart, comprising:

a flexible tube having a main lumen and a control wire lumen;

a first ring in a distal region of the flexible tube;

a second ring in the distal region of the flexible tube that is spaced apart from the first ring;

a control wire in the control wire lumen that is connected to the first ring;

a plurality of links disposed in the distal region of the flexible tube between the first ring and the second ring, wherein each link has a general shape of an acute trapezoid when the links are viewed from a side; and

a coil sleeve disposed in the control wire lumen around the control wire;

wherein the coil sleeve extends proximally from the distal region of the flexible tube such that a portion of the control wire that extends from the second ring and to the first ring is not covered by the coil sleeve;

wherein applying tension to the control wire causes the distal region of the flexible tube to bend; and

wherein each of the plurality of links comprises at least two opposing side teeth and at least two grooves, and wherein each tooth is received by corresponding groove of an adjacent link when the distal region of the flexible tube is bent and the at least two opposing side teeth are at least partially inserted into the corresponding groove of the adjacent link when the distal region of the flexible tube is not bent; and

wherein each link further comprises a top tooth and a top groove, wherein the top tooth is received by a corresponding top groove of an adjacent link when the distal region of the flexible tube is bent and the top tooth is separated from the corresponding top groove of the adjacent link by a gap when the distal region of the flexible tube is not bent.

17. The delivery catheter of claim 16 wherein each link is connected to at least one adjacent link only at a bottom portion of the links.

18. The delivery catheter of claim 16 a top portion of each link is narrower than a bottom portion of each link when the links are viewed from a side.

19. The delivery catheter of claim 18 wherein the top portions of the links are drawn closer together when tension is applied to the control wire to bend the distal region.

20. The delivery catheter of claim 16 wherein the plurality of links are in a straight configuration when tension is removed from the control wire.

21. The delivery catheter of claim 16 wherein the flexible tube further comprises a polymer coating.

22. The delivery catheter of claim 16 wherein the flexible tube further comprises a polyether block amide coating.

23. The delivery catheter of claim 16 wherein the plurality of links are comprised of at least one of a shape memory material, stainless steel, or a polymer.

24. The delivery catheter of claim 16 wherein a bottom of each link includes at least one slit to allow for more flexing of the links relative to one another.

25. The delivery catheter of claim 16 wherein the control wire is moveably coupled to the second ring.

26. The delivery catheter of claim 16 wherein the plurality of links are cut from a single tube, such that each link is aligned with and connected to at least one adjacent link with a slot formed between each pair of adjacent links.

27. The delivery catheter of claim 16 wherein the plurality of links are cut from a single flat sheet and rolled, such that each link is aligned with and connected to at least one adjacent link with a slot formed between each pair of adjacent links.

28. The delivery catheter of claim 16 wherein the control wire can extend distally past the links and can be attached to the distal region by welding or other attachment means at least at one connection point in the distal region.

29. A delivery catheter for delivering a device to a native valve of a patient's heart, comprising:

a flexible tube having a centered main lumen and a control wire lumen;

a first ring in a distal region of the flexible tube;

a second ring in the distal region of the flexible tube that is spaced apart from the first ring;

a control wire in the control wire lumen that is connected to the first ring;

a plurality of links disposed in the distal region of the flexible tube between the first ring and the second ring, wherein each link has a general shape of an acute trapezoid when the links are viewed from a side;

wherein the plurality of links are cut from a single piece of material, such that each link is aligned with and connected to at least one adjacent link with a slot formed between each pair of adjacent links; and

a coil sleeve disposed in the control wire lumen around the control wire;

wherein the coil sleeve extends proximally from the distal region of the flexible tube such that a portion of the control wire that extends from the second ring and to the first ring is not covered by the coil sleeve;

wherein applying tension to the control wire causes the distal region of the flexible tube to bend, and each of the plurality of links comprises at least two opposing teeth and at least two grooves, and wherein each tooth is received by corresponding groove of an adjacent link when the distal region of the flexible tube is bent; and

wherein the device is advanced in a straightened configuration through the central lumen of the flexible tube while the distal region of the flexible tube is bent and assumes a coiled configuration outside of the delivery catheter.

30. The delivery catheter of claim 29 wherein each link is connected to at least one adjacent link only at a bottom portion of the links.

31. The delivery catheter of claim 29 wherein a top portion of each link is narrower than a bottom portion of each link when the links are viewed from a side.

32. The delivery catheter of claim 31 wherein the top portions of the links are drawn closer together when tension is applied to the control wire to bend the distal region.

33. The delivery catheter of claim 29 wherein the plurality of links are in a straight configuration when tension is removed from the control wire.

34. The delivery catheter of claim 29 wherein the flexible tube further comprises a polymer coating.

35. The delivery catheter of claim 29 wherein the flexible tube further comprises a polyether block amide coating.

36. The delivery catheter of claim 29 wherein the plurality of links are comprised of at least one of a shape memory material, stainless steel, or a polymer.

37. The delivery catheter of claim 29 , wherein a bottom of each link includes at least one slit to allow for more flexing of the links relative to one another.

38. The delivery catheter of claim 29 the control wire is moveably coupled to the second ring.

39. The delivery catheter of claim 29 wherein the links are cut from a single tube.

40. The delivery catheter of claim 29 wherein the links are cut from a single flat sheet of material that is rolled to form the links.

41. The delivery catheter of claim 29 wherein the control wire can extend distally past the links and can be attached to the distal region by welding or other attachment means at least at one connection point in the distal region.