Guidewire

• US 6,348,041 B1
• Filed: 03/29/2000
• Issued: 02/19/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Cook Medical Incorporated (Cook Group Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Cook Incorporated (Cook Group Incorporated), William Cook Europe ApS (Cook Group Incorporated)
• Inventors: Klint, Henrik Sønderskov
• Primary Examiner(s): Winakur, Eric F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): SZMAL, BRIAN SCOTT
• Application Number:
  US09/537,917
• Time in Patent Office: 692 Days
• Field of Search: 600/585, 600/300, 600/433, 600/434
• 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 2025/09166 having radio-opaque features
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/09191 made of twisted wires
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/09 Guide wires

Abstract

A guidewire (1) comprising a distal end (2), a shaft portion (4) and a proximal end (3), wherein the shaft portion comprises at least one helically wound group (10) of at least two wires (7,8,9) extending side by side and having a pitch angle in the range of 35° to 76°.

Claims

1. A guidewire comprising:

a distal end member and a shaft portion extending in a longitudinal direction from a proximal end towards the distal end member, and at least one helically wound group of at least two wires extending side by side having a pitch angle in the range of 35°

to 76°

, with the wires comprising the windings being in mutual side-by-side abutment continuously therealong within the group, and with at least one helical wound wire extending from a position at the shaft portion to the distal end member.

2. A guidewire according to claim 1, characterized in that along a distance of at least 10 cm from the distal end member said at least one helical wound group of wires is the primary or the sole torque transferring means between the shaft portion and the distal end member.

3. A guidewire according to claim 1, characterized in that at least the most distal 10 cm of the guidewire is made without a torque-transferring solid metallic core inside said at least one group of wires.

4. A guidewire according to claim 1, characterized in that said at least one helically wound group of wires has a smaller outer diameter at the distal end than at said position on the shaft portion.

5. A guidewire according to claim 1, characterized in that said at least one helical wound group of wires extends into the shaft portion towards the proximal end, preferably along a guidewire length at least in the range of 20-50 cm from the distal end.

6. A guidewire according to claim 5, characterized in that said at least one helical wound group of wires extends to a position at the proximal end of the guidewire.

7. A guidewire according to claim 1, wherein said pitch angle is in the range of 35°

to 72°

.

8. A guidewire according to claim 5, wherein said smaller outer diameter comprises outwardly facing portions of said wires being ground away.

9. A guidewire according to claim 1, wherein said at least one helical wound group of wires comprises three wires.

10. A guidewire according to claim 1, wherein one of said wires is a ribbonshaped wire.

11. A guidewire according to claim 1, wherein one of said wires is of radiopaque material and another of said wires is of high strength material.

12. A guidewire according to claim 10, wherein another of said wires is circular in cross-section.

13. A guidewire according to claim 1, wherein a second group of wires is wound helically in a direction orthogonal to that of said helical wound group, with said helical wound group and said second group being braided together as groups continuously therealong.