CONTROLLER FOR MANIPULATING INSTRUMENTS WITHIN A CATHETER

摘要

A controller (53c) for moving an elongated medical instrument (19c) in a catheter comprising a supporting structure including a mounting section coupled to a catheter and a drive section (61c). The controller also includes a drive wheel (81c) and a secondary wheel (83c) with each of the wheels having a peripheral surface. Each of the peripheral surfaces has an instrument groove portion (103c). One of the wheels has a circumferential recess (205) in its peripheral surface and the other of the wheels provides a circumferential projection (203). The wheels are rotatably mounted on the drive section with the peripheral surfaces in a generally confronting relationship and with the projection in the recess to align the wheels and to maintain the alignment as the wheels rotate. The instrument groove portions are in a confronting relationship to provide an instrument groove (201) which receives the elongated medical instrument.