Core wire with shapeable tip
DCFirst Claim
1. A medical guidewire, comprising:
- an elongate tubular body having proximal and distal sections and proximal and distal ends;
an expandable member on the distal section of the tubular body;
a lumen in the tubular body, the lumen extending between the proximal end of the tubular body to the distal end of the tubular body; and
a core wire having proximal and distal sections, the core wire securely mounted on the distal end of the tubular body and constructed of a nickel titanium alloy formed by imparting superelasticity to the elongate body followed by removing superelasticity from the distal section of the elongate body to produce a shapeable tip.
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Abstract
The present invention provides an improved core wire for use in a medical catheter. In one aspect, the invention provides a core wire with a shapeable tip and method of manufacturing the same. A core wire previously made superelastic is subject to additional processing to remove its superelasticity thereby allowing the material to be shapeable to aid in advancing the core wire through a blood vessel or other body cavities. In another aspect of the present invention, a method is provided for securing the core wire to the distal end of an elongated catheter tubular body. The tubular body is mechanically crimped onto the core wire to secure the core wire in place. This crimping method has been found to increase the strength of the bond between the core wire and the catheter tube so that greater pull force is required to break the core wire off from the catheter.
219 Citations
17 Claims
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1. A medical guidewire, comprising:
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an elongate tubular body having proximal and distal sections and proximal and distal ends;
an expandable member on the distal section of the tubular body;
a lumen in the tubular body, the lumen extending between the proximal end of the tubular body to the distal end of the tubular body; and
a core wire having proximal and distal sections, the core wire securely mounted on the distal end of the tubular body and constructed of a nickel titanium alloy formed by imparting superelasticity to the elongate body followed by removing superelasticity from the distal section of the elongate body to produce a shapeable tip. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A medical device comprising:
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a catheter; and
a cold-worked shapeable tip on a distal section of said catheter, said tip exhibiting substantially linear elasticity, wherein the catheter has a section proximal to the distal section which exhibits transformational superelasticity. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9)
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10. A core wire for use in a medical device comprising:
an elongate body having proximal and distal sections, the proximal section having superelastic properties and the distal section having a cold-worked tip from which superelasticity has been removed so that the tip is shapeable. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13)
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14. A tip for a medical device, comprising:
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a core wire having a substantially flexible proximal section and a shapeable cold-worked distal section; and
a coil surrounding the core wire. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16)
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17. A core wire having proximal and distal sections comprising:
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means for flexibility in the proximal section; and
means for shapeability in the distal section, said shapeability means including a cold-worked tip.
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Specification