Importance

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Abstract

An improved needle for directional placement of the needle into or to a target area, such as a blood vessel or organ, for the purpose of performing an invasive procedure with a minimal amount of trauma to the target area. The needle comprises a connection hub, a needle shaft, and a flexible tip member connected to a distal end of the needle shaft to facilitate maneuvering the needle through tortuous passages within the body. The flexible tip member includes a blunt end that prevents or reduces trauma to tissues and vessels that are contacted with the distal portion of the needle during positioning of the needle. The invention further comprises a flexible-tipped needle having a balloon sealingly attached to a distal end of the spring tip member. The flexible-tipped balloon needle includes an inflatable balloon sealingly connected to the distal end of the flexible tip member. An alternate embodiment comprises a flexible-tipped needle having a balloon sealingly connected, via apertures in the needle shaft, to the bore within the needle shaft of the spring tip member. The invention also includes a flexible-tipped needle having an insulated needle shaft, an insulated flexible-tip member, a blunt conductive end and a conductive wire extending from said blunt conductive end to an apparatus for sending or receiving electromagnetic signals.

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First Claim