Patent ID: 8308659

Claim:
A deflectable sheath, which comprises: a) a tubular sheath providing a delivery lumen extending from a proximal sheath portion to a deflectable distal sheath end; b) a handle supporting the proximal sheath portion; c) a support shaft extending along a first longitudinal axis of a shaft bore from a distal shaft end to an open proximal shaft end, wherein the proximal sheath portion is received in the shaft bore with the delivery lumen of the sheath being in open communication to the proximal end of the handle; d) a threaded member housed inside the handle and longitudinally movable back and forth in a translational relationship along the support shaft, wherein the threaded member carries a wire guide retainer; e) a rotatable member supported on the support shaft in a rotatable, but non-translational relationship therewith and at a position distal to the wire guide retainer, wherein the rotatable member is threadingly engaged with the threaded member to effect selected translational movement of the threaded member carrying the wire guide retainer along the support shaft; f) wherein a first pull wire secured to the deflectable distal sheath end extends along the sheath and the support shaft before deviating at an acute angle past the wire guide retainer to a proximal change-of-direction device and then back at the acute angle to and then through the wire guide retainer to a proximal first pull wire end provided with a first stop member located distally of the wire guide retainer; g) wherein a second pull wire secured to the deflectable distal sheath end extends along the sheath and the support shaft to and through the wire guide retainer to a proximal second pull wire end provided with a second stop member located proximally of the wire guide retainer; h) wherein the rotatable member is manipulatable in a first direction to translate the threaded member carrying the wire guide retainer along the support shaft in a forwardly direction against the first stop member to apply a first pulling force on the first pull wire to thereby deflect the distal sheath end into a first orientation out of alignment with respect to a second longitudinal axis of the sheath; and i) wherein the rotatable member is manipulatable in a second direction, opposite the first direction, to translate the threaded member carrying the wire guide retainer along the support shaft in a rearwardly direction against the second stop member to apply a second pulling force on the second pull wire to thereby deflect the distal sheath end into a second orientation, out of alignment with respect to the second longitudinal axis of the sheath.