Steerable highly elongated guidewire

• US 5,111,829 A
• Filed: 01/18/1991
• Issued: 05/12/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/1989
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Boston Scientific Corporation
• Original Assignee: Boston Scientific Corporation
• Inventors: Alvarez de Toledo, Fernando
• Primary Examiner(s): SHAY, RANDY CITRIN
• Application Number:
  US07/644,671
• Time in Patent Office: 480 Days
• Field of Search: 128/657, 128/772, 604/164, 604/170, 604/280, 604/281, 604/282
• US Class Current: 600/585
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/01 Guiding arrangements therefore
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/09091 where a sheath surrounds the coil at the distal part
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/09141 made of shape memory alloys which take a particular shape at a certain temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/09166 having radio-opaque features
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/09175 having specific characteristics at the distal tip
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/09 Guide wires

Abstract

A steerable quidewire of length in excess of the order of about 350 centimeters and sufficient for use for gastro-intestinal procedures includes an elongated body of flexible, kink-resistant material, the body having distal and proximal ends; a flexible distal tip formed of radiopaque material, fixedly jointed to the distal end of the body portion; and an elongated handle fixedly joined to the proximal end of the body. The handle, body and distal tip are formed of material and joined in a manner to transmit substantially all of an angular rotational force applied to the handle outside of a body to the distal tip within the body.

Claims

1. A steerable guidewire of length in excess of the order of about 350 centimeters and sufficient for use in gastro-intestinal procedures,

said guidewire comprising

an elongated distal body portion having a distal end and a proximal end,

an elongated handle portion extending proximally of the proximal end of said distal body portion,

at least a distal end region of said distal body portion, including said distal end, being formed of a flexible kink resistant material comprising a super-elastic metallic nickel-titanium alloy material,

a flexible distal tip portion ball welded to said distal end of said elongated distal body portion, said distal tip portion being formed of a radiopaque material comprising platinum, and

a plastic sleeve disposed closely about said distal end region of said distal body portion and said distal tip portion joined thereto,

said guidewire constructed in a manner whereby substantially all of an angular rotational force applied to said handle portion outside of a patient'"'"'s body is transmitted to the distal tip portion within the body.

2. The steerable guidewire of claim 1 wherein the ratio of angular rotation force applied to the handle to angular rotation of the distal tip portion is of the order of about 1:

1.

3. The steerable guidewire of claim 1 wherein said plastic sleeve is formed of heat shrinkable material.

4. The steerable guidewire of claim 1 wherein said plastic sleeve is formed of polyamide material.

5. The steerable guidewire of claim 1 comprising a wire coil disposed over said body portion and said tip portion.

6. The steerable guidewire of claim 1 wherein the length of said guidewire is of the order of about 450 centimeters.