Steerable atrial septal occluder implantation device with flexible neck
An atrial septal occluder device for repairing an atrial septal defect in a human heart includes an elongated catheter for insertion into and moved along a blood vessel and into the heart of a patient. The catheter includes a head portion, a tail portion and a neck portion between the head and tail portions. The neck portion is about 1 cm in length and 2 to 4 mm in diameter. The device also includes an Amplatzer ASO removably fixed to the head of the device and a moveable neck portion for positioning the ASO with respect to the ASD and an activator for closing the ASO over the ASD from outside of the patient's body.
1. A steerable atrial septal occluder device for repairing an atrial septal defect in a human heart, said device comprising:
an elongated catheter having a distal end adapted to be inserted into and moved along a blood vessel and into a heart of a patient, wherein said distal end is adapted to receive an atrial septal occluder;
the elongated catheter further having a proximal end adapted to remain outside of a patient's body and said catheter including a head portion, a tail portion and a neck portion between said head portion and said tail portion and said neck portion including a plurality of series connected segments disposed between said head portion and said tail portion, wherein said neck portion further includes a plurality of axially aligned discs having a central opening defined by an open and continuous passageway through said plurality of discs, said central opening being defined by three overlapping openings, wherein a first opening has a first size and the remaining two openings have a smaller size, wherein each of said discs includes a pair of upwardly extending elements and a pair of downwardly extending elements;
a plurality of coil springs, wherein each of the plurality of discs is separated by at least one of the plurality of coil springs, the coil springs being sized to conform with the first opening;
two control cables for positioning the atrial septal occluder within a patient's heart, wherein the cables are located within the remaining two openings in the discs;
a universal joint between each of said discs in said neck portion of said elongated catheter, wherein said universal joint includes an X-shaped pair of cross bars for engaging said spring and two ends of said cross bars are rotatably disposed in said upwardly and downwardly extending members;
means including a control mechanism for closing the atrial septal occluder over an atrial septal defect from said proximal end;
means for separating the atrial septal occluder from said head portion of said catheter from said proximal end of said catheter.
2. A steerable atrial septal occluder device for repairing an atrial septal defect in a human heart according to claim 1 , in which said central opening defines three overlapping circular cross sections with overlapping peripheries.