Guide wire apparatus with location sensing member

• US 5,386,828 A
• Filed: 08/17/1993
• Issued: 02/07/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Smiths Medical MD Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Sims Deltec, Inc.
• Inventors: Owens, Robert C., Johnson, Theodore A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pellegrino, Stephen C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tucker, Guy V.
• Application Number:
  US08/108,177
• Time in Patent Office: 539 Days
• Field of Search: 128/772, 128/657, 128/658, 128/737, 128/653.1, 604/158, 604/164, 604/280, 604/282, 604/166, 604/170, 600/13
• US Class Current: 600/585
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/06 Devices, other than using radiation, for detecting or locating foreign bodies for removing same A61B17/50 ; determining position of probes within or on the body of the patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/062 using magnetic field
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/09083 having a coil around a core
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0127 Magnetic means; Magnetic markers
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/09 Guide wires

Abstract

The invention is directed to a guide wire apparatus and a method for detecting the location of a guide wire within the body of a patient. The apparatus includes a guide wire with an internally-housed sensing member. The guide wire assembly is structured to provide the response, maneuverability and tactile feel comparable to conventional guide wire devices. The apparatus is useful in medical treatments and diagnoses such as angioplasty or catheterization procedures, for detecting obstructions within a blood vessel of a patient, and the like.

Claims

1. A system suitable for invasive use and location determination in a patient, comprising:

a guide wire having proximal, center and distal portions, and a lumen therethrough;

a sensing member capable of detecting an externally-generated electromagnetic energy field, the sensing member including a metal core having distal, center and proximal sections, each section of the metal core further having an associated cross section, with at least a part of the associated cross section of the center section being of smaller dimension than the associated cross section of the distal and proximal sections, wherein said sensing member is housed within the lumen of the guide wire, the center section of the metal core is proximate to the center of the guide wire, and a current conducting wire is wound in a first layer around said distal end of said metal core to form a sensor element, and said sensor element is located near the distal portion of the guide wire;

an externally-located means for generating a current within the sensor element; and

,

an externally-located means for detecting a current within the sensor element which is adapted for electrical connection with the sensor element.

2. A system according to claim 1, wherein the smaller dimension of the center section of the metal core provides a resiliency which mimics a resiliency of a guide wire without an internal sensor when invasively used with a patient.

3. A system according to claim 1, wherein at least part of the metal core comprises a stainless steel.

4. A system according to claim 3, wherein the metal core further comprises iron.

5. A system according to claim 1, wherein the conducting wire is a material selected from the group consisting of copper, palladium, silver, gold, platinum, or any combination thereof.

6. A system according to claim 1, wherein the sensor element further comprises a second layer of wire overlying said first layer.

7. A system according to claim 1, wherein the sensing member is coated with a flexible, non-toxic insulating material.

8. A system according to claim 7, wherein the sensing member is coated with a polymer material.

9. A system according to claim 8, wherein the polymer material is a polyester.

10. A system according to claim 8, wherein the polymer material is polyethylene, polyurethane, polyvinyl chloride, polyamide or tetrafluoroethylene.

11. A system according to claim 1, wherein the guide wire comprises a coiled wire.

12. A system according to claim 1, wherein the detecting means measures the amplitude of the signal generated in the sensor element.

13. A system according to claim 1, wherein the detecting means determines a phase transition of the signal generated in the sensor element.

14. A method of locating a guide wire apparatus in the body of a patient, comprising:

(a) inserting a guide wire apparatus into the body, said apparatus being a combination of

(i) a guide wire having proximal, center and distal portions, and a lumen therethrough; and

(ii) a sensing member housed within said lumen of the guide wire, the sensing member including a metal core having distal, center and proximal sections, each section of the metal core further having an associated cross section, with at least a part of the associated cross section of the center section being of smaller dimension than the associated cross section of the distal and proximal sections, wherein the center section of the metal core is proximate to the center of the guide wire, and a current conducting wire is wound in a first layer around said distal end of said metal core to form a sensing element;

said sensor element located near the distal portion of the guide wire;

(b) advancing the guide wire apparatus to a location within the body

(c) determining the location of the sensor element within the body of the patient by generating and detecting a current within the sensor element through application of an external magnetic field.

15. A method according to claim 14, wherein the smaller dimension of the center section of the metal core provides a resiliency for the guide wire housing the sensing member which mimics a resiliency of a guide wire without an internal sensor when inserted into the patient.

16. A method according to claim 14, comprising the additional step of sensing, by tactile response of the guide wire apparatus, the physical character of a portion of the body into which the guide wire apparatus is inserted, the tactile response being determined in part by the construction of the sensing member.

17. A method according to claim 16, wherein the sensing step includes locating an obstruction in a blood vessel of the patient.

18. A guide device suitable for invasive use in a patient, comprising:

a guide wire having proximal, center, and distal portions and a lumen therethrough; and

a sensing member housed within the lumen of the guide wire, and having distal, center and proximal sections, said center section of said sensing member proximate said center portion of said guide wire, each of said sections having an associated cross section, and a current conductor sensor element means which is located on the distal section for interacting with an externally-generated electromagnetic field so as to provide a current in the current conducting sensor element means, the associated cross section of the center section having at least in part a smaller dimension than the associated cross section of the distal and proximal sections.

19. A guide device according to claim 18 wherein the smaller dimension of the center section member is capable of providing at least in part to the guide device a tactile response and maneuverability comparable to that of a guide wire without an internal sensor when invasively used in a patient.

20. A guide device according to claim 18 wherein the sensing member comprises a metal core having distal, center and proximal sections;

and

a current conducting wire wound in a first layer around a part of the distal section of the metal core to form the current conducting sensor element means.