Fiber based medical devices and aspiration catheters

• US 20100010476A1
• Filed: 07/14/2008
• Published: 01/14/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Galdonik, Jason A., Anderson, Edward, Ganesan, Kavitha, Boldenow, Greg, Kirchgessner, John, Wlodarski, Grazyna
• Granted Patent: US 8,070,694 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/529
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/22 Implements for squeezing-off ulcers or the like on the inside of inner organs of the body; Implements for scraping-out cavities of body organs, e.g. bones; Calculus removers; Calculus smashing apparatus; Apparatus for removing obstructions in blood vessels, not otherwise provided for dilators A61M29/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/221 Gripping devices in the form of loops or baskets for gripping calculi or similar types of obstructions surgical snare instruments A61B17/32056
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/2833 Locking means
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/2909 Handles
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0046 with a releasable handle; with handle and operating part separable for prosthetic joint-implanting tools A61F2/4603
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/22079 with suction of debris
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/292 connection of actuating rod to handle, e.g. ball end in recess
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/2923 Toothed members, e.g. rack and pinion
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/013 Distal protection devices, i.e. devices placed distally in combination with another endovascular procedure, e.g. angioplasty or stenting
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/0008 having visible markings on its surface, i.e. visible to the naked eye, for any purpose, e.g. insertion depth markers, rotational markers or identification of type
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0108 using radio-opaque or ultrasound markers

Abstract

Systems for less invasive medical procedures comprise a filter device mounted on an integrated guiding structure and an aspiration catheter. These components can be used together or separately, and the system can be used with other medical devices that are designed for less invasive procedures, such as procedures in a patient'"'"'s vasculature. The filter device can involve improved torque coupling with a torque coupler associated with a resilient member that correspondingly also provides increased flexibility relative to an overtube that forms a tube for the remaining portions of the device. An actuation tool for the filter device used a systematic loading procedure for proper loading of the corewire and overtube into the actuation tool. A fiber cartridge comprises fibers loaded as a bundle into the cartridge for delivery with the ends of the fibers respectively bonded to radiopaque markers that can be visualized to come together when the filter is properly deployed. The aspiration catheter generally has a rapid exchange format. The catheter can have a radiopaque band that is held in place under metal wire embedded within the polymer forming the tube of the catheter. In some embodiments, the aspiration catheter has a small diameter distal portion that can access into small diameter vessels in which the distal portion has a smaller average diameter than the remaining tube of the catheter.

Claims

1. An actuation tool for manipulating a medical device comprising an overtube and a corewire within a lumen of the overtube, wherein a proximal end of the corewire extends from a proximal end of the overtube;

the actuation tool comprising;

a support structure;

an overtube connection supported by the support structure, the overtube connection comprising a fastening element configured for gripping the overtube at or near its proximal end with the corewire extending outward from the overtube;

a corewire connection supported by the support structure the corewire connection comprising a corewire connecting element configured to grip the corewire at or near its proximal end;

an adjustable channel comprising slidably engaging elements forming a lumen between the engaging elements, the adjustable channel being supported within the support structure, the adjustable channel extending between the tube connection and the corewire connection, wherein the lumen has a diameter larger than the diameter of the corewire and wherein lateral movement of the engaging elements changes the relative distance of the overtube connection and the corewire connection; and

a control element comprising a rotatable element and a lateral transmission operably connected to the adjustable channel wherein the transmission converts rotational motion of the rotatable element to relative translational motion of the engaging elements to adjust the relative distance of the overtube connection and the corewire connection to move the proximal ends of the tube and the corewire toward or away from each other when the overtube and corewire are respectively gripped by the corewire connection and the overtube connection.

2. The actuation tool of claim 1 wherein at least one of the tube connection and the corewire connection comprises a collet.

3. The actuation tool of claim 1 wherein at least one of the tube connection and the corewire connection comprises a clamp.

4. The actuation tool of claim 1 further comprising a depressible safety button and a dial connected to the rotatable element wherein the safety button and the dial each project outward from the support structure and wherein the dial comprises a notch positioned to engage the safety button in one orientation that prevents rotation of the dial unless the safety button is depressed.

5. The actuation tool of claim 1 wherein less than about 0.050 inch of the length of the proximal end of the corewire that extends from the proximal end of the tube is not received within a channel in the control element and wherein the clearance between the channel and corewire is no more than about 0.010 inch.

6. The actuation tool of claim 1 wherein the corewire connection comprises a viewing area to provide for visualization of the proximal end of the corewire loaded within the actuation tool to provide for confirmation of proper loading of the corewire in the tool.

7. The actuation tool of claim 1 wherein the control element comprises:

a gear comprising teeth operably connected to the rotatable element and a slide comprising

a portion of the channel operably connected with the corewire connection, and a plurality of slide teeth engaging with the gear teeth to convert the rotational movement of the rotatable element to translation movement of the slide that moves the corewire connection relative to the support structure and the tube connection.

8. A fiber-based medical device comprising:

an overtube comprising a proximal end, a distal end, and a lumen extending therethrough; and

a corewire comprising a proximal end and a distal end, the corewire extending through the lumen of the overtube and through the first tube; and

a fiber cartridge comprising;

a bundle of flexible fibers;

a first radiopaque marker associated directly or indirectly with a first end of the bundle of flexible fibers; and

a second radiopaque marker associated directly or indirectly with a second end of the bundle of fibers, wherein the fiber cartridge has a deployed configuration having the first marker and second marker projecting a single merged image.

9. The fiber-based medical device of claim 8 wherein the first radiopaque marker comprises a first tube, and the second radiopaque marker comprises a second tube wherein the first tube and a second tube each having a lumen through the center of the tubes, and wherein a path from the lumen of the first tube to the lumen of the second tube passes through the bundle of fibers.

10. The fiber-based device of claim 9 wherein one of the first and second tubes is insertable at least partially within the other tube.

11. The fiber-based device of claim 9 wherein at least one of the first end and second end of the bundle of fibers is melted-bonded to the corresponding first tube and second tube.

12. A medical device comprising:

an overtube comprising a proximal end, a distal end, and a lumen extending there through;

a corewire comprising a proximal end and a distal end, the corewire extending through the lumen of the overtube with the proximal end of the corewire extending from the proximal end of the overtube and the distal end of the corewire extending from the distal end of the overtube;

a resilient segment directly or indirectly attached to the distal end of the tube; and

a torque coupler comprising a corewire coupling element integral with the corewire and a resilient segment coupling element integral with the resilient segment, the corewire coupling element engaging with the resilient segment coupling element to couple the rotational motion of the resilient segment with the corewire.

13. The medical device of claim 12 wherein the resilient segment comprises a coil that extends from the distal end of the tube.

14. The medical device of claim 12 wherein the corewire coupling element comprises a flattened key portion formed on the outer surface of the corewire and the resilient segment lock element comprises a downward projecting notch formed from the resilient segment.

15. The medical device of claim 12 further comprising a second torque coupler comprising a second corewire coupling element and an overtube coupling element,

wherein the second corewire coupling element is adapted to engage with the overtube coupling element to couple the rotational motion of the overtube with the corewire.

16. A catheter comprising:

a tube comprising a polymer, the tube having a proximal portion and a distal portion;

a radiopaque band in contact with the distal portion of the tube; and

metal wire, at least a portion of which is embedded in the polymer and extending over the radiopaque band.

17. The catheter of claim 16 wherein the catheter is an aspiration catheter and further comprising a suction device connected to the proximal portion of the tube.

18. The catheter of claim 16 wherein the metal wire comprises a metal jacket with interwoven wires.

19. The catheter of claim 16 wherein the metal wire comprises a coil.

20. An aspiration catheter comprising a connector, a proximal portion, a distal tip and a tube connected between the distal tip and the proximal portion, wherein the connector is attached to the proximal portion to provide a passageway to the distal tip through a continuous lumen extending from the proximal portion to the distal tip, wherein the distal tip has an average outer diameter from about 25 percent to about 90 percent of the average outer diameter of the tube.

21. The aspiration catheter of claim 20 wherein the outer diameter of the distal tip is tapered to gradually narrow toward a distal aspiration opening.

22. The aspiration catheter of claim 20 wherein the length of the distal portion is at least 1.0 centimeters.

23. The aspiration catheter of claim 20 wherein the distal portion comprises a rapid exchange segment.

24. The aspiration catheter of claim 20 wherein the distal tip is curved.

25. The aspiration catheter of claim 20 wherein the distal tip has a maximum outer diameter of 0.040 inches.

26. The aspiration catheter of claim 20 wherein the distal tip has a maximum outer diameter of 0.025 inches and wherein the average outer diameter of the tube ranges from 0.05 inches to 0.10 inches.

27. A method for loading a medical device into an actuation tool,

the medical device comprising an overtube and a corewire within a lumen of the tube with a proximal end of the corewire extending from a proximal end of the tube and

the actuation tool comprising an overtube connection and a corewire connection each connected to a support structure supporting a control element with an adjustable channel, wherein the corewire connection comprising a viewing area for observing the corewire, the method comprising:

guiding the proximal end of the corewire into the overtube connection, the adjustable channel, and the corewire connection until observing the corewire through the viewing area indicating proper placement of the corewire;

engaging the corewire connection to grip the corewire extending from the proximal end of the overtube; and

engaging the tube connection onto the proximal end of the overtube.