Patent ID: 8500733

Claim:
A steerable catheter sheath, comprising: an elongated member having a distal end, a proximal end and a lumen extending between the proximal end and the distal end, wherein the lumen is configured for receiving a catheter therein, the elongated member comprising an elongated resilient tube having a first plurality of notches in a first lateral side thereof and a second plurality of notches in a second lateral side thereof, and wherein the respective first and second lateral sides of the tube have different bending properties; a first steering wire comprising a distal end coupled to the first lateral side of the elongated member, wherein tensioning the first steering wire bends the distal end of the elongated member in a first direction to create a first bending configuration; and a second steering wire comprising a distal end coupled to the second lateral side of the elongated member, wherein tensioning the second steering wire bends the distal end of the elongated member in a second direction to create a second bending configuration, wherein a shape of the first bending configuration is different from a shape of the second bending configuration; wherein the tube further comprises a plurality of slits in a portion of the first lateral side of the tube for allowing the portion of the tube to bend when the elongated member is steered into the second bending configuration and preventing the portion of the tube from bending when the elongated member is steered into the first bending configuration, and wherein a fulcrum point of the first lateral side of the tube is located between the slits and the notches in the first lateral side of the tube distal to a fulcrum point of the second lateral side of the tube.