Method of manufacturing an assembly for positioning an embolization coil in the vascular system, and such an assembly

• US 5,725,534 A
• Filed: 06/07/1995
• Issued: 03/10/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 01/03/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Cook Medical Technologies, LLC (Cook Group Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: William Cook Europe ApS (Cook Group Incorporated)
• Inventors: Rasmussen, Erik Edelboe
• Primary Examiner(s): Hafer, Robert A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Koo, Benjamin K.
• Application Number:
  US08/484,854
• Time in Patent Office: 1,007 Days
• Field of Search: 606/108, 128/772
• US Class Current: 606/108
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/12022 Occluding by internal devices, e.g. balloons or releasable wires plugging an opening in the wall of an organ A61B17/0057; occluders for the cervical canal A61F6/146; vas deferens occluders A61F6/20
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/12113 within an aneurysm
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/12145 having a pre-set deployed three-dimensional shape methods of manufacturing A61B2017/00526
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/12095 Threaded connection
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/88 the wire-like elements formed as helical or spiral coils forming a net-like or mesh-like structure A61F2/90
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/95 Instruments specially adapted for placement or removal of stents or stent-grafts
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/09175 having specific characteristics at the distal tip
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/09 Guide wires

Abstract

An assembly for positioning an embolization coil (4) in the vascular system. The assembly includes a guidewire having a relatively flexible distal section (6), which has a central core (7) and a threading coil (10), the distal turns (11) of which are arranged with such mutual spacing (12) that the embolization coil can be threaded in and out of the threading coil. The distal end section of the guidewire is manufactured with an elongated, rotationally symmetrical member, such as cylindrical member (13), and the peripheral surface of the member is provided with a bonding layer (25). Then the distal turns of the threading coil are positioned in the desired helical shape on the external side of the member, and the bonding layer is activated so that the distal turns are fixed to the member in this shape. The cylindrical member (13) has an outer diameter which is a fraction smaller than the inner diameter of the embolization coil (4) and has a length which is longer than the extent in the axial direction of the guidewire of at least three of the distal turns (11) of the threading coil. The distal turns of the threading coil are fixed to the external side of the member, so that the thread provided is geometrically stable and smooth-running.

Claims

1. An assembly for positioning an embolization coil (4) in a vascular system, comprising a guidewire having a relatively flexible distal section (6), which has a central core (7) and a threading coil (10) having distal turns (11), which are arranged with such mutual spacing (12) that the embolization coil can be threaded in and out of the threading coil;

wherein the distal section (6) of the guidewire has an elongated, rotationally symmetrical member (13) having an outer diameter, which is a fraction smaller than an inner diameter of the embolization coil, and having a length, which is longer than at least three of the distal turns (11) of the threading coil; and

wherein the distal turns of the threading coil are fixed to an external side of the member;

wherein the central core (7) in the flexible distal section (6) of the guidewire comprises the member, a proximal portion (14;

14'"'"') and an intermediate portion (15;

15'"'"') with a decreasing diameter towards the member (13); and

wherein the threading coil is a distal end of a wirecoil (8), a proximal end of which is fastened to said proximal portion.

2. An assembly according to claim 1 wherein the outer diameter of the member (13) is smaller than 0.25 mm, and its length is between 2 and 4 mm.

3. An assembly according to claim 1 wherein the outer diameter of the member (13) is in the interval from 0.25 to 0.36 mm.

4. An assembly according to claim 1 wherein the rotationally symmetrical member (13) has a decreasing diameter towards a distal end thereof.

5. An assembly according to claim 1, wherein at least five of the distal turns (11) of the threading coil are fixed to the external side of the member.

6. An assembly according to claim 5 wherein the rotationally symmetrical member (13) has a decreasing diameter towards a distal end thereof.

7. An assembly according to claim 1 wherein the proximal portion (14;

14'"'"') has substantially the same diameter as the member (13), wherein the intermediate portion (15;

15'"'"') tapers substantially evenly towards the member where the diameter is suddenly increased to the outer diameter of the member, and wherein the length of the member (13) is less than the length of the intermediate portion.

8. An assembly according to claim 7 wherein the rotationally symmetrical member (13) has a decreasing diameter towards a distal end thereof.