Patent ID: 11969565
Assignee: BAYLOR UNIVERSITY
Field: Medical technology (Instruments)
Classification: CPC A  H | IPC A  H

Claim 6:
7. A method of using a programmable medical wire system, the system having a programmable wire assembly with a core conductor; a first selective conductor portion having a first set of selective conductors and a second set of selective conductors; a first actuator portion having a first set of actuator conductors being programmed to move toward a predetermined shape and electrically coupled to the core conductor and the first set of selective conductors; a second selective conductor portion at a different longitudinal position along the programmable wire assembly than the first actuator portion and having the second set of selective conductors; and a second actuator portion disposed at a different longitudinal position than the first actuator portion and having a second set of actuator conductors being programmed to move toward a predetermined shape that is separate and independent of a predetermined shape of the first set of actuator conductors and electrically coupled to the core conductor and the second set of selective conductors, the method comprising:
energizing at least one selective conductor of the first set of selective conductors to actuate at least one actuator conductor of the first set of actuator conductors in the first actuator portion to change the shape of the actuator conductor in a programmed manner from a heat increase in the actuator conductor based on an amount of thermal resistive electrical energy provided by the selective conductor;
energizing at least one selective conductor of the second set of selective conductors to actuate at least one actuator conductor of the second set of actuator conductors in the second actuator portion to change the shape of the actuator conductor in a programmed manner based on an amount of energy provided by the selective conductor in the second set of selective conductors; and
controlling movement of the programmable wire assembly in the first actuator portion independently of controlling movement of the programmable wire assembly in the second actuator portion.