Hollow guide wire apparatus catheters

• US 5,833,632 A
• Filed: 10/11/1996
• Issued: 11/10/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: McDermott Will & Emery LLP
• Original Assignee: Sarcos Incorporated (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Wells, David, Jacobsen, Stephen C., Davis, Clark
• Primary Examiner(s): Bockelman, Mark
• Application Number:
  US08/729,171
• Time in Patent Office: 760 Days
• Field of Search: 604/95, 607/122, 600/373, 600/585, 606/41
• US Class Current: 600/585
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/09066 having a coil without a core possibly combined with a sheath
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/09 Guide wires
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/09025 with sliding mandrils

Abstract

A catheter guide wire includes an elongate tubular body about which a catheter may be threaded for guidance to a target location in a vasculature passageway of a body. The elongate body includes a proximal end and a distal end, with the distal end being curved. Cuts are formed either by saw-cutting, laser cutting or etching at spaced-apart locations along the length of the body to increase its lateral flexibility, while maintaining its rotational torquability. At least some of the cuts extend through the tubular body to the interior cavity to allow the escape of fluids flowing in the cavity. The distal end of the tubular body includes a sufficient number of cuts to make it more flexible than the remainder of the body.

Claims

1. A catheter conductor pair comprising:

an electrically conductive catheter for introduction into a vessel pathway of a body, the catheter having an exterior surface made of electrically conductive material which includes a plurality of cuts spaced apart along at least a portion of the length of the electroconductive material to increase lateral flexibility of the catheter, and

an electrically conductive wire disposed in the lumen of the catheter and generally co-extensive therewith and insulative material between said electrically conductive wire and said electrically conductive material, said electrically conductive wire for carrying electrical signals, in conjunction with the catheter, along the co-extensive length thereof.

2. A catheter conductor pair as in claim 1, further comprising an electrically insulative sleeve disposed about the electrically conductive wire to prevent electrical shorting between the wire and catheter.