Structure for coupling a guidewire and a catheter

• US 5,046,497 A
• Filed: 12/19/1988
• Issued: 09/10/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/1986
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Boston Scientific Scimed, Inc. (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Millar Instruments
• Inventors: Millar, Huntly D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cannon, Alan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Shay, Randy
• Application Number:
  US07/286,480
• Time in Patent Office: 995 Days
• Field of Search: 128/637, 128/642, 128/657, 128/672, 128/673, 128/675, 128/748, 128/772
• US Class Current: 600/309
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0215 by means inserted into the body catheters A61M25/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14539 for measuring pH
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/12 in body cavities or body tracts, e.g. by using catheters catheters per se A61M25/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/0037 characterized by lumina being arranged side-by-side
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/0177 having external means for receiving guide wires, wires or stiffening members, e.g. loops, clamps or lateral tubes
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/0183 Rapid exchange or monorail catheters
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/003 characterized by features relating to least one lumen located at the distal part of the catheter, e.g. filters, plugs or valves catheter tips A61M25/0067
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0068 Static characteristics of the catheter tip, e.g. shape, atraumatic tip, curved tip or tip structure
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0082 Catheter tip comprising a tool
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0169 Exchanging a catheter while keeping the guidewire in place

Abstract

A method and system for introducing one or more devices into a biological fluid vessel. The system includes a device having a coupling structure comprising a pair of spaced-apart fingers adapted for receiving a guidewire therebetween. Preferably, the system includes a guidewire having a constricted fitting region at its proximal end where the coupling structure may be easily connected to the guidewire. In one use, the method is used in coronary angioplasty to diagnose and treat stenosis across a coronary valve or other vessel in the coronary arterial tree. In this method, a guiding catheter is percutaneously inserted with its distal end proximate the ostium. A guidewire is inserted through the guiding catheter and subselectively positioned in a region of interest in the coronary arterial tree. Multiple devices may be coupled to the guidewire in accordance with the present invention and then threaded down the guidewire and positioned in the region of interest. Advantageously, the diagnostic and therapeutic devices are small (approximately 3 French in diameter), allowing multiple devices to be threaded through the guiding catheter and positioned in the small arteries of the coronary arterial tree. Such diagnostic devices may comprise a number of different sensors (e.g. pressure, temperature, pH, or Doppler sensors) and are useful in a variety of applications (e.g. venous, urinary tract, esophageal).

Claims

1. A system for connecting a diagnostic or therapeutic device to a guidewire having a distal section for introduction into a biological vessel, comprising:

an elongated body containing a diagnostic or therapeutic device;

an elongated catheter connected to the body in longitudinal alignment therewith;

coupling means depending from the body adapted for slidably engaging a guidewire, such that with the distal section of the guidewire positioned in the vessel and the coupling means engaging the guidewire, the body is slidable along the length of the guidewire in the vessel, the coupling means including

a pair of spaced-apart fingers depending from the body and defining a guidewire-receiving groove therebetween, the ends of each finger spaced from the body being oriented towards one another and defining a slot therebetween.

2. The system according to claim 1, including an elongated, flexible, steerable guidewire slidably received by said groove, having a distal section adapted for reception in said groove.

3. The system according to claim 2, the slot dimension between said ends of the fingers having less than the diameter of the distal section of the guidewire.

4. The system according to claim 2, the guidewire having a constricted fitting region for residing outside the vessel with the guidewire positioned in the vessel, the fitting region having a transverse diameter less than the slot dimension to facilitate engagement and disengagement of the coupling means to the guidewire.

5. The system according to claim 4, the fingers comprising a generally inflexible material such that with the coupling structure engaging the guidewire spaced from the fitting region, the body is slidably locked to the guidewire.

6. The system according to claim 4, the constricted fitting region comprising a pair of parallel, flattened sections on opposing sides of the guidewire.

7. The system according to claim 1, the fingers comprising a flexible, resilient material such that the distal ends of the fingers can be spaced apart greater than the diameter of the guidewire for positioning the guidewire in the guidewire receiving groove.

8. In a diagnostic or therapeutic device for introduction into a biological vessel, a structure for connecting the device to a guidewire wherein the improvement comprises:

a pair of spaced-apart fingers attached to the device and defining a groove capable of receiving a guidewire therebetween, the ends of the fingers defining a slot therebetween.

9. The improvement of claim 8, wherein the ends of the fingers are oriented towards each other and define said slot therebetween, the slot dimension being the distance between the ends of the fingers.

10. The improvement of claim 8, including a guidewire wherein the slot dimension is less than the diameter of the guidewire to be received by the structure and the fingers are flexible and resilient to permit shifting of the guidewire through said slot into said groove.

11. The improvement of claim 8, including a guidewire wherein the slot dimension is greater than the diameter of a constricted region of the guidewire to be received by the structure to permit shifting of the constricted region through said slot.

12. A method of introducing a device into a biological vessel comprising the steps of:

inserting an elongated flexible guidewire having distal and proximal sections into the vessel with the proximal section of the guidewire exposed;

coupling a device to the guidewire, the device having a coupling structure including a pair of spaced-apart fingers defining a groove, including the substep of shifting the proximal section between the fingers into the groove; and

advancing the device away from the proximal section and along the guidewire into the vessel.

13. The method according to claim 12, the guidewire including a constricted fitting region, the coupling step including positioning the fingers adjacent the fitting region and shifting the fitting region between the fingers into the groove.

14. The method according to claim 13, the constricted fitting region including a pair of parallel, flattened sections on opposing sides of the guidewire, the positioning substep including orienting the flattened sections in alignment with the fingers.

15. The method according to claim 12, including inserting a second device into the vessel by repeating the coupling and advancing steps with the second device.

16. The method according to claim 12, the fingers comprising a flexible, resilient material, the coupling step including snapping the proximal section into the groove with the fingers flexing away to permit passage of the guidewire.

17. The method according to claim 12, including removing the device from the vessel comprising the steps of--

retracting the device towards the proximal section along the guidewire;

positioning the coupling structure adjacent the proximal section;

shifting the coupling structure transversely away from the proximal section displacing the guidewire from the groove.