Locking mechanism for catheters

摘要

A locking mechanism for a steerable catheter, the catheter comprising a resilient body member having a restoring force that tends to maintain the body member at a predetermined orientation, and a manipulation handle including a control element and a second element movable in relation to one another and adapted for controlling the orientation of the body member. The locking mechanism maintains the selected deflection of the body member against the restoring force but permits a physician to overcome the locking force by moving the control element. The locking mechanism does not interfere with the other control movement of the handle. The locking device has a biasing member and a contact member mounted between the control element and the second element. The biasing member urges the contact member into frictional contact with one of the elements for holding the control element at the selected longitudinal position.