High elongation linear elastic guidewire
First Claim
1. A guidewire device having a distal portion comprised of a precursor of a superelastic alloy, said precursor portion exhibiting no phase transition in response to deforming stress and having a linear stress-strain curve extending to a yield point without passing through a substantial plateau in which stress remains substantially constant while strain is varied, the distal precursor portion of said guidewire being deformable beyond said yield point to a desired set shape.
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A guidewire and a method for its manufacture, wherein at least the distal portion of the guidewire comprises an element made of a precursor of a superelastic alloy such as a Ni--Ti linear elastic alloy. The element exhibits a stress strain curve with a linear stress-strain relationship and a yield point. At room temperature to body temperature the precursor is in the martensitic phase. The distal portion of the guidewire is deformable beyond the yield point by the physician in the field to a desired set shape and exhibits resistance to kinking during insertion into the body as a result of its elasticity.
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Citations
27 Claims
- 1. A guidewire device having a distal portion comprised of a precursor of a superelastic alloy, said precursor portion exhibiting no phase transition in response to deforming stress and having a linear stress-strain curve extending to a yield point without passing through a substantial plateau in which stress remains substantially constant while strain is varied, the distal precursor portion of said guidewire being deformable beyond said yield point to a desired set shape.
- 19. A guidewire device having a distal portion comprised of a precursor of a superelastic alloy, selected from the group consisting of an alloy of In--Tl, Fe--Mn, Ni--Ti, Ag--Cd, Au--Cd, Au--Cu, Cu--Al--Ni, Cu--Au--Zn, Cu--Zn, Cu--Zn--Al, Cu--Zn--Sn, Cu--Zn--Xe, Fe3 Be, Fe3 Pt, Ni--Ti--V, Fe--Ni--Ti--Co, and Cu--Sn, said precursor portion exhibiting no phase transition in response to deforming stress and having a linear stress-strain curve extending to a yield point without passing through a substantial plateau in which stress remains substantially constant while strain is varied, the distal precursor portion of said guidewire being deformable beyond said yield point to a desired set shape, where at least part of the guidewire formed of said precursor of a superelastic alloy is tapered from a larger to a smaller size in the direction of the distal end of said guidewire where the tip of said guidewire is no larger than the most distal portion of said taper.
- 23. A guidewire device having a distal portion comprised of a Ni--Ti alloy, said portion exhibiting no phase transition in response to deforming stress and having a substantially linear stress-strain curve extending to a yield point without passing through a substantial plateau in which stress remains substantially constant while strain is varied, the distal portion of said guidewire being deformable beyond said yield point to a desired set shape.
- 25. A guidewire device having a distal portion comprised of a Ni--Ti alloy in the martensite phase, said portion exhibiting no phase transition in response to deforming stress and having a substantially linear stress-strain curve extending to a yield point without passing through a substantial plateau in which stress remains substantially constant while strain is varied, the distal portion of said guidewire being deformable beyond said yield point to a desired set shape.
Specification