Patent ID: 7658709

Claim:
An elongated medical device adapted for controlled deformation by means of one or more actuators, the one or more actuators comprising: a shape memory alloy (SMA) substrate including a surface, a groove being defined in the surface of the SMA substrate establishing a trace pattern; an electrically insulative layer formed within the groove; a conductive trace formed upon the electrically insulative layer within the groove and electrically isolated from the SMA substrate by the electrically insulative layer formed within the groove, the conductive trace including a first end, a second end, and a heating element disposed between the first end and the second end, wherein at least portions of the conductive trace, portions of the electrically insulative layer electrically isolating the conductive trace from the SMA substrate within the groove, and portions of the SMA substrate are flush after the conductive trace has been formed upon the electrically insulative layer within the groove; a first interconnect pad terminating the first end of the trace; and a second interconnect pad terminating the second end of the trace; wherein the SMA substrate is trained to deform at a transition temperature achieved when electricity is conducted through the conductive trace via the first and second interconnect pads.