Cardiovascular guidewire of enhanced biocompatibility
First Claim
1. A flexible guide wire for insertion into a living body to perform surgical operations, the guide wire comprising:
- (a) an elongate, flexible guide wire body having a distal end, for insertion into a patient and into a catheter, and a proximal end for controlling the guide wire;
(b) an elongate guide wire core disposed internally along the longitudinal axis of the elongate body, said core comprising a biocompatible low elastic modulus metal alloy comprising;
(i) titanium; and
(ii) from about 10 to about 20 wt. % niobium or from about 35 to about 50 wt. % niobium;
wherein the alloy is free of toxic elements, except such amounts of said toxic elements as may occur as impurities in the metal alloy and as contaminants as a result of alloying process.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Cardiovascular and other medical implants fabricated from low-modulus Ti-Nb-Zr alloys to provide enhanced biocompatibility and hemocompatibility. The cardiovascular implants may be surface hardened by oxygen or nitrogen diffusion or by coating with a tightly adherent, hard, wear-resistant, hemocompatible ceramic coating. The cardiovascular implants include heart valves, total artificial heart implants, ventricular assist devices, vascular grafts, stents, electrical signal carrying devices such as pacemaker and neurological leads, defibrillator leads, and the like. It is contemplated that the Ti-Nb-Zr alloy can be substituted as a fabrication material for any cardiovascular implant that either comes into contact with blood thereby demanding high levels of hemocompatibility, or that is subject to microfretting, corrosion, or other wear and so that a low modulus metal with a corrosion-resistant, hardened surface would be desirable.
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Citations
14 Claims
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1. A flexible guide wire for insertion into a living body to perform surgical operations, the guide wire comprising:
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(a) an elongate, flexible guide wire body having a distal end, for insertion into a patient and into a catheter, and a proximal end for controlling the guide wire; (b) an elongate guide wire core disposed internally along the longitudinal axis of the elongate body, said core comprising a biocompatible low elastic modulus metal alloy comprising; (i) titanium; and (ii) from about 10 to about 20 wt. % niobium or from about 35 to about 50 wt. % niobium; wherein the alloy is free of toxic elements, except such amounts of said toxic elements as may occur as impurities in the metal alloy and as contaminants as a result of alloying process. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A flexible guide wire for insertion into a living body to perform surgical operations, the guide wire comprising:
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(a) an elongate, flexible guide wire body having a distal end, for insertion into a patient and into a catheter, and a proximal end for controlling the guide wire; (b) an elongate guide wire core disposed internally along the longitudinal axis of the elongate body, said core comprising a biocompatible low elastic modulus metal alloy comprising; (i) titanium; and (ii) niobium and tantalum, wherein the combined wt. % of niobium and tantalum is from about 10 to about 20 wt. % or from about 35 to about 50 wt. %; wherein the alloy is free of toxic elements, except such amounts of said toxic elements as may occur as impurities in the metal alloy and as contaminants as a result of alloying process. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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Specification