Variable radiopacity guidewire with spaced highly radiopaque regions
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An elongated flexible guidewire for insertion within a subject comprising:
- a) a core wire having a first portion extending to a distal portion of the guidewire where the core wire tapers along a tapered portion to a lesser diameter;
b) a flexible coiled wire spring attached at either of its ends to the core wire and spaced from the core wire along at least a segment of the distal portion of said guidewire; and
c) a plurality of highly radiopaque marker coil segments interwoven with the flexible coiled wire spring at spaced predetermined fixed distances along the distal portion to increase the fluoroscopic visibility of said guidewire at spaced apart locations along the guidewire'"'"'s distal portion.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A guidewire for use in inserting diagnostic and therapeutic catheters. The guidewire has an initial uniform diameter segment that is coated with a polymerized silicone along a majority of its length. This core section tapers along a uniform portion to a second constant diameter segment surrounded by a flexible spring tip. The spring tip is banded to define portions that are highly radiopaque and portions that are much less radiopaque to X-radiation. This allows post angioplasty X-ray imaging of the blood vessel without removal of the guidewire.
145 Citations
12 Claims
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1. An elongated flexible guidewire for insertion within a subject comprising:
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a) a core wire having a first portion extending to a distal portion of the guidewire where the core wire tapers along a tapered portion to a lesser diameter; b) a flexible coiled wire spring attached at either of its ends to the core wire and spaced from the core wire along at least a segment of the distal portion of said guidewire; and c) a plurality of highly radiopaque marker coil segments interwoven with the flexible coiled wire spring at spaced predetermined fixed distances along the distal portion to increase the fluoroscopic visibility of said guidewire at spaced apart locations along the guidewire'"'"'s distal portion. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. An elongated flexible guidewire comprising:
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a) a core wire having a first diameter portion extending to a distal portion of the guidewire where the core wire tapers to a second, lesser diameter portion shorter than said first diameter portion; b) a flexible coiled wire comprised of a relatively low radiopaque material and attached at either of its ends to the core wire;
said flexible coiled wire being tightly wound in intermittent regions to provide low radiopaque regions and loosely wound in other intermittent marker regions to allow for other marker coils to be interwoven with the flexible coiled wire; andc) highly radiopaque marker coils interwoven at the intermittent marker regions of the coiled wire spring to provide spaced regions of high radiopaqueness. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7)
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8. An elongated flexible guidewire for insertion within a subject comprising:
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a) a core wire having a first portion extending to a distal portion of the guidewire where the core wire tapers along a tapered portion to a second, lesser diameter; b) a flexible coiled wire spring attached at either of its ends to the core wire and spaced from the core wire along a segment of the distal portion of said guidewire; and c) three or more of highly radiopaque marker bands attached to the guidewire at spaced predetermined fixed distances along the distal portion of the guidewire to increase the visibility of said guidewire at spaced apart locations. - View Dependent Claims (9)
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10. An elongated flexible guidewire comprising:
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a) a core wire having a first diameter portion extending to a distal portion of the guidewire where the core wire tapers to a second, lesser diameter portion shorter than said first diameter portion; b) a flexible coiled wire comprised of a relatively low radiopaque material and attached at either of its ends to the core wire;
said flexible coiled wire being tightly wound in intermittent regions to provide low radiopaque regions and loosely wound in three or more other intermittent marker regions to allow for other marker coils to be interwoven with the flexible coiled wire; andc) three or more highly radiopaque marker coils interwoven at the intermittent marker regions of the coiled wire spring to provide spaced regions of high radiopaqueness. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12)
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Specification