Patent ID: 8486009

Claim:
A steerable catheter comprising: an elongated catheter body, wherein the catheter body has a proximal end and a distal end; and a plurality of controlled steering stages at the distal end of the catheter body; wherein each of the steering stages is steerable independently of the other steering stages; wherein each of the steering stages is steerable in at least two different planes, wherein at least a first one of the steering stages is steerable in a first plane while at least a second one of the steering stages is being steered in either a first plane, or a second plane which is different from the first plane; wherein each of the steering stages has an outer wall having a plurality of memory wires embedded therein, wherein the memory wires in each steering stage are not connected to the memory wires of other ones of the steering stages; and wherein each of the memory wires has a corresponding heating element positioned adjacent to and thermally coupled to the memory wire, and wherein a temperature of the heating element is controlled, thereby causing the adjacent memory wire to alternately relax or bend toward a memorized shape, thereby controlling bending of the steering stage, thereby steering the catheter; a control system coupled to the proximal end of the steerable catheter, wherein the control system is coupled to each of the heating elements and regulates the temperatures of the heating elements, thereby controlling a temperature of each of the corresponding memory wires.