Patent ID: 8465442

Claim:
A steerable catheter, including: a catheter shaft having a proximal and a distal end and one or more lumens therein, the shaft further having a longitudinal axis; a handle having a longitudinal axis, a proximal end, and a distal end functionally connected to the proximal end of the catheter shaft; a single steering lever configured to deflect the distal end of the catheter in an up direction, a down direction, a right direction, and a left direction, the single steering lever extending longitudinally from the proximal end of the handle and movably associated with the handle, the steering lever being arranged so that the orientation of the steering lever is independent of the orientation of the handle as the handle is rotated about the longitudinal axis of the handle; and two or more pull wires having distal ends secured at or adjacent the distal end of the catheter shaft and proximal ends secured to the steering lever, wherein movement of the steering lever causes the two or more pull wires to be selectively tensioned or released in order to deflect the distal end of the catheter shaft in a number of directions; wherein the handle is rotatable with respect to both the single steering lever and the catheter shaft; and wherein a longitudinal axis of the single steering lever, in a neutral position, is parallel with the longitudinal axis of the handle.