Endovascular electrolytically detachable wire and tip for the formation of thrombus in arteries veins aneurysms vascular malformations and arteriovenous fistulas

• US 5,947,962 A
• Filed: 10/06/1997
• Issued: 09/07/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Regents of the University of California (University of California)
• Original Assignee: Regents of the University of California (University of California)
• Inventors: Sepetka, Ivan, Guglielmi, Guido
• Primary Examiner(s): COHEN, LEE S
• Application Number:
  US08/944,583
• Time in Patent Office: 701 Days
• Field of Search: 606/32, 606/41, 606/49, 606/28, 606/108, 606/191, 604/104, 607/122, 623/1, 623/12, 600/569, 600/585
• US Class Current: 606/32
• 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 17/1214 Coils or wires
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/12145 having a pre-set deployed three-dimensional shape methods of manufacturing A61B2017/00526
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/1215 comprising additional materials, e.g. thrombogenic, having filaments, having fibers, being coated
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/12172 having a pre-set deployed three-dimensional shape methods of manufacturing A61B2017/00526
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/1492 having a flexible, catheter-like structure, e.g. for heart ablation A61B18/1477 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00292 mounted on or guided by flexible, e.g. catheter-like, means
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/12063 electrolytically detachable
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/12095 Threaded connection
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/22038 with a guide wire
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00678 upper
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00761 Duration
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00875 Resistance or impedance
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00886 Duration
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/1226 powered by a battery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/1253 monopolar
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/126 bipolar
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/1266 with DC current output
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/1435 Spiral
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/1495 : Electrodes being detachable from a support structure
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/3966 : Radiopaque markers visible in an X-ray image
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/39 : Markers, e.g. radio-opaque or breast lesions markers
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/09175 : having specific characteristics at the distal tip
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/09 : Guide wires

Abstract

An artery, vein, aneurysm, vascular malformation or arterial fistula is occluded through endovascular occlusion by the endovascular insertion of a platinum wire and/or tip into the vascular cavity. The vascular cavity is packed with the tip to obstruct blood flow or access of blood in the cavity such that the blood clots in the cavity and an occlusion if formed. The tip may be elongate and flexible so that it packs the cavity by being folded upon itself a multiple number of times, or may pack the cavity by virtue of a filamentary or fuzzy structure of the tip. The tip is then separated from the wire mechanically or by electrolytic separation of the tip from the wire. The wire and the microcatheter are thereafter removed leaving the tip embedded in the thrombus formed within the vascular cavity. Movement of wire in the microcatheter is more easily tracked by providing a radioopaque proximal marker on the microcatheter and a corresponding indicator marker on the wire. Electrothrombosis is facilitate by placing the ground electrode on the distal end of the microcatheter and flowing current between the microcatheter electrode and the tip.

Claims

1. A catheter wire for use in electrothrombosis in combination with a microcatheter comprising:

a core wire having a main body and a distal portion, said distal portion being susceptible to electrolytic disintegration; and

a detachable coil for insertion within a body cavity, said detachable coil being coupled to said main body via said distal portion, being comprised of material not susceptible to electrolytic disintegration, and being prebiased to a spiral or helical shape such that on its advancement out of the distal end of a microcatheter and into a cavity it will change from being straight to its prebiased spiral or helical shape so that on the application of current to said detachable coil disposed in the cavity, electrothrombosis can be performed and at least one portion of said distal portion electrolytically disintegrated to detach said detachable coil from said main body.

2. The catheter wire of claim 1 wherein said distal portion is exposed stainless steel coil having a proximal end and a distal end connected at its proximal end to said core wire and connected at its distal end to said detachable coil, and wherein said distal portion further comprises a threadlike extension of said main body of said core wire extending concentrically within said stainless steel coil, said threadlike extension having a distal end and being connected at said distal end of said threadlike extension to a connection between said distal end of said stainless steel coil and said detachable coil, both said threadlike extension and said stainless steel coil needing to be electrolytically disintegrated at least at one point in order to detach said detachable coil from said main body.

3. The catheter wire of claim 1 wherein said distal portion is exposed stainless steel coil having a proximal end and a distal end connected at its proximal end to said core wire and connected at its distal end to said detachable coil and wherein said stainless steel coil defines an interior space, said interior space being free and unreinforced.

4. The catheter wire of claim 1 wherein said detachable coil is a long and pliable segment.

5. The catheter wire of claim 1 wherein said detachable coil has a length sufficient to substantially fill said cavity when disposed therein.

6. The catheter wire of claim 1 wherein said detachable coil is comprised of a metal not susceptible to electrolytic disintegration.

7. The catheter wire of claim 1 wherein said detachable coil does not contain any internal reinforcement.

8. The catheter wire of claim 1 wherein said detachable coil is prebiased to have a conical envelope.

9. The catheter wire of claim 1 wherein said detachable coil is prebiased to have a cylindrical envelope.

10. The catheter wire of claim 1 wherein although prebiased said detachable coil is extremely soft and its overall shape is easily deformed such that, once advanced from a microcatheter into said cavity, it will loosely deform to said interior shape of said cavity.

11. The catheter wire of claim 1 wherein said main body of said core wire is covered with insulation to prevent said underlying portion of said guidewire from coming into contact with fluid.

12. The catheter wire of claim 1 wherein said distal portion of said core wire is such that, when said detachable coil is disposed in said cavity and a current of approximately 0.01 to 2 milliamps to said guidewire at 0.1 to 6 volts is supplied to said guidewire, disintegration of said at least one portion of said distal portion of said core wire takes place within 3 to 10 minutes to detach said detachable coil from said main body of said core wire.