Deformable tip super elastic guidewire

• US 5,636,642 A
• Filed: 04/25/1995
• Issued: 06/10/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Target Therapeutics, Inc. (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Target Therapeutics, Inc. (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Palermo, Thomas J.
• Primary Examiner(s): HINDENBURG, MAX F
• Application Number:
  US08/428,819
• Time in Patent Office: 777 Days
• Field of Search: 128/657, 128/772, 604/95, 604/164, 604/280-282
• US Class Current: 600/585
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/0046 Coatings for improving slidability
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/09091 where a sheath surrounds the coil at the distal part
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/09133 having specific material compositions or coatings; Materials with specific mechanical behaviours, e.g. stiffness, strength to transmit torque
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/09175 having specific characteristics at the distal tip
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/09 Guide wires

Abstract

This invention is a surgical device. It is a guidewire for use in a catheter and is used for accessing a targeted site within a system of lumen within a patient'"'"'s body. The guidewire may be of a high elasticity metal alloy, preferably a Ni--Ti alloy, having specified physical parameters, and is especially useful for accessing peripheral or soft tissue targets. The "necked" guidewire tip also forms a specific parameter of the invention.

Claims

1. A guidewire suitable for guiding a catheter within a body lumen, comprising an elongated, flexible metal wire core of a super-elastic alloy having a UP of 75 ksi±

10 ksi and an LP of 25±

7.5 ksi measured at 3% strain.

2. The guidewire of claim 1 where the guidewire has a eccentricity ratio of 1±

10^-4.

3. The guidewire of claim 1 having a distal section, a middle section, and a proximal section.

4. The guidewire of claim 1 in which the super-elastic alloy is Ni--Ti.

5. The guidewire of claim 3 in which the at least a portion of the distal portion is covered by an outer coil comprising platinum, tungsten, or an alloy thereof.

6. The guidewire of claim 3 in which the distal section comprises a proximal tapered portion and a constant diameter distal portion.

7. The guidewire of claim 6 wherein an inner coil surrounds the constant diameter distal portion.

8. The guidewire of claim 7 wherein the inner coil comprises a radiopaque metal selected from the group consisting of platinum, tungsten, or an alloy of the two.

9. The guidewire of claim 1 in which at least a portion of the guidewire is coated with a polymeric material.

10. The guidewire of claim 9 where the polymeric material comprises polymers produced from monomers selected from ethylene oxide;

2-vinyl pyridine;

N-vinylpyrrolidone;

polyethylene glycol acrylates such as mono-alkoxy polyethylene glycol mono(meth) acrylates, including mono-methoxy triethylene glycol mono (meth) acrylate, mono-methoxy tetraethylene glycol mono (meth) acrylate, polyethylene glycol mono (meth) acrylate;

other hydrophilic acrylates such as 2-hydroxyethylmethacrylate, glycerylmethacrylate;

acrylic acid and its salts;

acrylamide and acrylonitrile;

acrylamidomethylpropane sulfonic acid and its salts, cellulose, cellulose derivatives such as methyl cellulose ethyl cellulose, carboxymethyl cellulose, cyanoethyl cellulose, cellulose acetate, polysaccharides such as amylose, pectin, amylopectin, alginic acid, and cross-linked heparin.

11. The guidewire of claim 1 additionally comprising a catheter sheath.

12. A guidewire suitable for guiding a catheter within a body lumen, comprising an elongated, flexible metal wire core of a super-elastic alloy having an LP of 25±

7.5 ksi measured at 3% strain and a transition temperature in the range of -11°

C. and 13.5°

C.

13. The guidewire of claim 12 having a distal section, a middle section, and a proximal section.

14. The guidewire of claim 12 in which the super-elastic alloy is Ni--Ti.

15. The guidewire of claim 12 in which the distal section is tapered to a point.

16. The guidewire of claim 15 in which at least a portion of the distal portion is covered by an outer coil comprising platinum, tungsten, or an alloy thereof.

17. The guidewire of claim 16 in which the outer coil is connected at its distal end by a ribbon joined to the distal portion of the guidewire.

18. The guidewire of claim 12 in which at least a portion of the guidewire is coated with a polymeric material.

19. The guidewire of claim 12 additionally comprising a catheter sheath.

20. A guidewire suitable for guiding a catheter within a body lumen, comprising an elongated, flexible metal wire core of a super-elastic alloy having a UP of 75 ksi±

10 ksi and a transition temperature in the range of -11°

C. and 13.5°

C.

21. The guidewire of claim 20 having a distal section, a middle section, and a proximal section.

22. The guidewire of claim 20 in which the super-elastic alloy is Ni--Ti.

23. The guidewire of claim 20 in which the distal section is tapered to a point.

24. The guidewire of claim 20 in which at least a portion of the distal portion is covered by an outer coil comprising platinum, tungsten, or an alloy thereof.

25. The guidewire of claim 24 in which the outer coil is connected at its distal end by a ribbon joined to the distal portion of the guidewire.

26. The guidewire of claim 20 in which at least a portion of the guidewire is coated with a polymeric material.

27. The guidewire of claim 20 additionally comprising a catheter sheath.