Guide wire device
First Claim
1. A wire device comprising a flexible, torqueable wire having a proximal end and a distal-end segment terminating at a distal tip region, and a spring coil (i) formed by helical wrappings of a wire strand and (ii) attached to the wire at the wire'"'"'s distal tip region and in a zone of substantially constant or continuously decreasing diameter within the distal end region of the wire, wherein the improvement comprisesthe strand forming the coil having a substantially fixed thickness cross section in a portion of the coil extending between the wire'"'"'s distal end segment and said zone of coil attachment, and having a progressively reduced-thickness cross-section extending proximally along said zone, such that the difference between the diameter of the wire and the diameter of the coil in said zone is progressively reduced along said zone in a proximal direction.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A guide wire formed with a distal tapered segment and having a distal-end coil carried over a portion of the tapered segment. The strand forming the helical wrappings of the coil is reduced in thickness in the region of proximal attachment to the wire, to reduce the difference in diameter between the wire and the coil. Also disclosed is a method of producing the coil.
171 Citations
10 Claims
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1. A wire device comprising a flexible, torqueable wire having a proximal end and a distal-end segment terminating at a distal tip region, and a spring coil (i) formed by helical wrappings of a wire strand and (ii) attached to the wire at the wire'"'"'s distal tip region and in a zone of substantially constant or continuously decreasing diameter within the distal end region of the wire, wherein the improvement comprises
the strand forming the coil having a substantially fixed thickness cross section in a portion of the coil extending between the wire'"'"'s distal end segment and said zone of coil attachment, and having a progressively reduced-thickness cross-section extending proximally along said zone, such that the difference between the diameter of the wire and the diameter of the coil in said zone is progressively reduced along said zone in a proximal direction.
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8. A spring coil formed by helical wrappings of a wire strand and characterized by
(a) an inner diameter which is dimensioned to allow the coil to be placed on and encase a distal portion of a distal-end segment of a guide wire having a zone of constant or continuously decreasing diameter, (b) a relatively long distal region in which the strand forming said wrappings has a substantially fixed-thickness cross section, and (c) a relatively short proximal region in which the strand forming said wrappings has a progressively reduced-thickness cross section progressing proximally along the region of the coil, such that the wall thickness of the coil in said proximal region is progressively reduced along said region in a proximal direction.
Specification