Patent ID: 8062284

Claim:
A catheter assembly, including: at least one introducer having a longitudinal axis, the at least one introducer defining at least one passage; an elongate tubular member slidably received within the at least one passage of the at least one introducer, the tubular member having a proximal end and a distal end and at least one lumen extending between the proximal end and the distal end; and an elongate, one piece shape-imparting element received in the at least one lumen of the tubular member to extend from the proximal end of the tubular member and the at least one introducer and through the distal end of the tubular member, the one piece shape-imparting element imparting a predetermined shape to the distal end of the tubular member when the distal end of the tubular member is extended beyond a distal end of the at least one introducer, the predetermined shape including a formation in a plane substantially orthogonal to the longitudinal axis of the at least one introducer, a distal end of the one piece shape-imparting element extending beyond the at least one lumen of the tubular member and being anchored proximally a distal end of the introducer at a location external of the at least one introducer, wherein, due, at least in part, to the anchoring of the distal end of the one piece shape-imparting element to the at least one introducer, the formation is adjusted in the plane substantially orthogonal to the longitudinal axis of the at least one introducer in terms of an inner area of the predetermined shape in the plane substantially orthogonal to the longitudinal axis of the at least one introducer, when torsion is applied to the one piece shape-imparting element.