Steerable Intra-Luminal Medical Device

ChangeBridge: Patent Grants - Medical Devices (A61M)

Published March 31st, 2026

Detected March 31st, 2026

Summary

USPTO granted Patent No. US12589223B2 to the Board of Regents of the University of Texas System for a steerable intra-luminal medical device. The patent covers a micro-catheter or guidewire with an electrically-actuatable bendable portion using a polymer electrolyte layer and distributed electrodes for asymmetric deformation during steering. The patent (9 claims) was granted on March 31, 2026, with a filing date of March 4, 2024.

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What changed

The USPTO granted Patent No. US12589223B2 to the Board of Regents of the University of Texas System for a steerable intra-luminal medical device. The patent covers a flexible, narrow medical device such as a micro-catheter or guidewire with an electrically-actuatable bendable portion at the distal end, featuring a polymer electrolyte layer, distributed electrodes, and electrical conduits enabling asymmetric deformation in response to electrical signals for controllably steering through body lumens. The patent includes 9 claims and methods for preparing the polymer electrolyte layer in tubular form.

This patent grant does not impose any compliance obligations or regulatory requirements on manufacturers or healthcare providers. Organizations developing steerable catheter or guidewire technology should conduct freedom-to-operate analyses to assess potential licensing needs. No action or compliance deadline is associated with this intellectual property notice.

Source document (simplified)

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Steerable intra-luminal medical device

Grant US12589223B2 Kind: B2 Mar 31, 2026

Assignee

BOARD OF REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS SYSTEM

Inventors

Daniel H. Kim, Dong Suk Shin, Viljar Palmre

Abstract

The disclosure provides a flexible, narrow medical device (such as a micro-catheter or a guidewire) that is controllably moved and steered through lumens of a body. The medical device may include an electrically-actuatable bendable portion at a distal end, which may be provided by a polymer electrolyte layer, electrodes distributed about the polymer electrolyte layer, and electrical conduits coupled to the electrodes, such that the polymer electrolyte layer deforms asymmetrically in response to an electrical signal through one or more conduits. The disclosure further includes a controller for moving the device into and out of bodily lumens and for applying the electrical signal for steering the device. The device further includes methods of preparing the polymer electrolyte layer in tubular shape.