Guidewire with flexible distal tip
First Claim
1. A guidewire for use with a catheter or the like comprisingan elongate noncoiled wire core having a proximal section and a flexible distal end section which is at least about 3 cm long, andencasing and contacting said distal end section, an elongate polymeric sleeve having (a) a substantially continuous planar expanse along its length, and (b) groove means along the length of the sleeve for increasing the bending flexibility of the sleeve and encased distal end section in substantially any bending direction, substantially along the length of the distal end section, over the bending flexibility in the absence of said groove means.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A catheter guidewire composed of a wire core whose distal end section is encased in a polymer sleeve, to increase the column strength of the core. Axially spaced grooves formed in the sleeve increase the flexibility of the core end section. The guidewire is advantageous for use with a small-diameter catheter in accessing body sites along a tortuous vessel pathway.
367 Citations
14 Claims
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1. A guidewire for use with a catheter or the like comprising
an elongate noncoiled wire core having a proximal section and a flexible distal end section which is at least about 3 cm long, and encasing and contacting said distal end section, an elongate polymeric sleeve having (a) a substantially continuous planar expanse along its length, and (b) groove means along the length of the sleeve for increasing the bending flexibility of the sleeve and encased distal end section in substantially any bending direction, substantially along the length of the distal end section, over the bending flexibility in the absence of said groove means.
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14. Catheter apparatus comprising
a guidewire having (i) an elongate noncoiled wire having a proximal section and a flexible distal end section which is at least about 3 cm long, and (ii) encasing said distal end section, and elongate polymeric sleeve having (a) a substantially continuous planar expanse along its length, and (b) groove means along the length of the sleeve for increasing the bending flexibility of the sleeve and encased distal end section in substantially any bending direction, substantially along the length of the distal end section, over the bending flexibility in the absence of said groove means, and a thin-walled catheter adapted to be advanced axially along the guidewire.
Specification