Abstract: An apparatus for operating a circuit breaker. The circuit breaker includes a housing, a cradle mounted in the housing and coupled to a handle and to a movable contact. The apparatus comprises a latch frame mounted in the circuit breaker housing. A latch roller is mounted on the cradle. A latch member is configured to selectively engage the latch roller and the latch member is rotatably coupled to the latch frame. A latch shaft assembly is rotatably mounted in the latch frame and selectively engaged by the latch member. Upon rotation of the latch shaft assembly, the latch shaft assembly will disengage from the latch member and cause the movable contact to move.

Abstract: An assembly is provided for seeking an area of interest within a body. The assembly includes an elongated directable member having a distal end for insertion into the body. The distal end includes a tip portion. The assembly also includes a deflector coupled to the directable member for deflecting the distal end of the directable member to direct the directable member within the body. The assembly further includes a sensor located in close proximity to the top portion of the directable member for sensing an area of interest within the body. The sensor generates an indicator signal upon detection of the area of interest. The assembly still further includes a control unit coupled to the deflector for controlling deflection of the distal end of the directable member by the deflector. The control unit generates a control signal to drive the deflector.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for passing an embolus into and through the lumen of a catheter to reach a destination in a blood vessel or the like. Once the embolus emerges from the catheter, it lodges in place at the destination in the blood vessel to allow formation of a vessel-occluding blood clot around the embolus.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided for positioning a core member within a passageway formed in a body. The apparatus includes at least one positioning element and a control mechanism for moving the positioning element relative to a core member. The positioning element includes a pair of end portions appended to the core member and a flexible central portion intermediate the end portions for movement relative to the core member. The positioning element is configured so that the flexible central portion moves in response to a stimulus from the control mechanism to assume a predetermined position engaging an interior wall of the body passageway and thus biasing the core member into a selected orientation within the passageway.

Abstract: An apparatus and method is provided for dispensing coil emboli one at a time in a controlled and reliable manner during surgery to embolize several blood vessels or the like in a body. The apparatus includes a magazine that is movable within a dispenser housing to position each of the embolus cartridges contained in the magazine one at a time at a dispensing station on command. A stream of pressurized fluid is injected or a guide wire is inserted into the embolus cartridge held in the dispensing station to dislodge an embolus contained therein and discharge it into an embolus-delivery catheter coupled to the dispenser housing. Afterwards, the magazine is moved within the dispenser housing to remove the just-emptied embolus cartridge from the dispensing station and load a fresh embolus cartridge into the dispensing station.

Abstract: A maneuverable distal apparatus includes a temperature-activated memory element moving in a first direction to assume a predetermined shape when heated to a predetermined temperature and control means for selectively heating the memory element so that the memory element is moved in the first direction. A spring is provided for yieldably urging the memory element in a second direction away from the first direction upon cooling of the memory element to a temperature less than the predetermined temperature so that the memory element is moved to assume a shape other than the predetermined shape.

Abstract: A maneuverable distal apparatus includes a temperature-activated memory element moving in a first direction to assume a predetermined shape when heated to a predetermined temperature and control means for selectively heating the memory element so that the memory element is moved in the first direction. A spring is provided for yieldably urging the memory element in a second direction away from the first direction upon cooling of the memory element to a temperature less than the predetermined temperature so that the memory element is moved to assume a shape other than the predetermined shape.

Abstract: A maneuverable distal apparatus includes a temperature-activated memory element moving in a first direction to assume a predetermined shape when heated to a predetermined temperature and control means for selectively heating the memory element so that the memory element is moved in the first direction. A spring is provided for yieldably urging the memory element in a second direction away from the first direction upon cooling of the memory element to a temperature less than the predetermined temperature so that the memory element is moved to assume a shape other than the predetermined shape.

Abstract: A maneuverable distal apparatus includes a temperature-activated memory element moving in a first direction to assume a predetermined shape when heated to a predetermined temperature and control means for selectively heating the memory element so that the memory element is moved in the first direction. A spring is provided for yieldably urging the memory element in a second direction away from the first direction upon cooling of the memory element to a temperature less than the predetermined temperature so that the memory element is moved to assume a shape other than the predetermined shape.

Abstract: A memory element of the present invention is split to minimize the magnitude of electrical current flowing therethrough as the split memory element is being heated to its transitional temperature, thereby permitting the cross-sectional area of the lead wires used to conduct an electric current to the memory element to be minimized. The split memory element includes a tip member and first and second strip members aligned in side-by-side relation. Each of the tip member, first strip member, and second strip member are made of a shape-memory alloy and have a characteristic internal structure. Each strip member includes a shape-memory portion coupled to the tip member, a lead-attachment portion, and partition means for interconnecting the shape-memory and lead-attachment portions.

Abstract: A memory element made of a shape-memory alloy includes lead-attachment and shape-memory portions and a partition interconnecting such portions. The lead-attachment and shape-memory portions are comprised of characteristic internal structures, while the partition is comprised of an internal structure dissimilar to the characteristic internal structure of at least one of the lead-attachment and shape-memory portions. Shape-memory effect characteristics of the shape-memory portion are preserved to maintain the memory function of the memory element by configuring the dissimilar internal structure to block transmigration from the lead-attachment to the shape-memory portions of selected contaminant material existing in the lead-attachment portion. The partition functions as a contaminant filter to control the concentration of contaminant material in the shape-memory portion, thereby enhancing the durability of the memory element.

Abstract: A catheter or the like is steerable through cavities within a body and aimable toward organ or tissue within the body. The catheter includes an elongated tubular member having a distal end for insertion into the body and a temperature-activated memory element in the distal end of the hollow tubular member. The memory element has an initial shape and moves to assume a predetermined shape when heated to a predetermined temperature. A control system is provided for selectively heating the memory element to the predetermined temperature so that the memory element is moved in a first direction to deflect the distal end of the tubular member and thereby steer or aim the catheter within the body. A spring assembly is provided for yieldably urging the memory element in an opposite second direction to establish the initial shape and also to aid in returning the memory element to its initial shape when the temperature of the memory element is less than the predetermined temperature.

Abstract: A catheter or the like is steerable through cavities within a body and aimable toward organs or tissue within the body. The catheter includes an elongated tubular member having a proximal end and a distal end for insertion into the body, a plurality of temperature-activated memory elements in the distal end of the tubular member, and a core for supporting the memory elements. Each memory element assumes a preset shape when heated to a predetermined temperature. A sleeve is provided to couple slidably each memory element to the core so that each memory element is permitted to slip in relation to the core and also to couple each memory element so that movement of one element results in movement of the other elements. Each memory element is moved to another shape when the memory element coupled thereto is heated to the predetermined temperature.

Abstract: A catheter and the like is steerable through cavities within a body and aimable toward organs or tissue within the body. The catheter includes an elongated tubular member having a proximal end and a distal end for insertion into the body and a plurality of temperature-activated memory elements in the distal end of the tubular member. Each memory element assumes a first shape when heated to a predetermined temperature and assumes. Each memory element is coupled to at least one other memory element so that movement of one element results in movement of the other element. Each memory element is moved to a second shape when the memory element coupled thereto is heated to the predetermined temperature.