Patent ID: 8641697

Claim:
A steering mechanism for a catheter, the steering mechanism including: a tubular member defining a passage, the tubular member having a longitudinally extending, continuous, cutaway, bend-enhancing portion formed at a predetermined region of the tubular member to enhance bending at the region; and an actuator comprising a tubular element received in the passage of the tubular member, a distal part of the tubular element being fastened to a distal part of the tubular member, a proximal end of the tubular element configured to extend to a handle of the catheter, the actuator being positioned co-axially within the passage of the tubular member, the actuator having a longitudinally extending bend-enhancing portion coincident with the longitudinally extending, continuous, cutaway, bend-enhancing portion of the tubular member, and the longitudinally extending bend-enhancing portion of the actuator being substantially the same length as the longitudinally extending, continuous, cutaway, bend-enhancing portion of the tubular member, wherein manipulation of the actuator causes bending of the actuator and tubular member at their coincident bend-enhancing portions, the actuator remaining wholly contained within the tubular member at the bend-enhancing portions upon the bending.