Composite endovascular guidewire

• US 6,488,637 B1
• Filed: 04/30/1996
• Issued: 12/03/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Target Therapeutics, Inc. (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Target Therapeutics, Inc. (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Eder, Joseph, Farnholtz, Roger, Ken, Christopher G. M.
• Primary Examiner(s): HINDENBURG, MAX F
• Application Number:
  US08/640,343
• Time in Patent Office: 2,408 Days
• Field of Search: 128/772, 128/657, 128/658, 604/95, 604/280-282, 600/433-436, 600/585
• US Class Current: 600/585
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2400/16 Materials with shape-memory or superelastic properties
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 31/022 Metals or alloys
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 31/10 Macromolecular materials
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/0062 having features to improve the sliding of one part within another by using lubricants or surfaces with low friction coatings A61M2025/0046
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/09133 having specific material compositions or coatings; Materials with specific mechanical behaviours, e.g. stiffness, strength to transmit torque
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/09141 made of shape memory alloys which take a particular shape at a certain temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/09175 having specific characteristics at the distal tip
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/09 Guide wires

Abstract

This invention is a surgical device. It is a composite guidewire for use in a catheter and is used for accessing a targeted site in a lumen system of a patient'"'"'s body. The composite guidewire assembly is especially useful for accessing peripheral or soft tissue targets. The invention includes multi-section guidewire assemblies having (at least) super-elastic distal portions and super-elastic braided reinforcements along the mid or distal sections. A variation of the inventive guidewire includes the coating of the wire with a tie layer and then with a one or more lubricious polymers to enhance its suitability for use within catheters and with the interior of vascular lumen.

Claims

1. A guidewire for guiding a catheter within a body lumen, comprising an elongated, flexible metal wire core having at least a more-proximal non-super elastic portion having a flexibility and a more-distal super-elastic alloy distal section having a flexibility and wherein the more proximal portion and the more distal section are separated by and joined with a mid section, at least a portion of which mid-section varies in flexibility and which flexibility lies in value between the flexibility of the more-proximal portion and the flexibility of the more-distal super-elastic alloy distal section so that the midsection provides a gradual transition in flexibility between the proximal portion and the distal region, and wherein at least the more-proximal portion comprises another material or configuration not included in the more-distal super-elastic alloy distal section.

2. The guidewire of claim 1 in which the super-elastic alloy comprises nickel and titanium.

3. The guide wire of claim 1 wherein the distal section is at least partially covered with a helically wound ribbon or coil.

4. The guidewire of claim 3 wherein the helically wound ribbon or coil comprises a metal material selected from super-elastic alloys or radio-opaque alloys.

5. The guidewire of claim 3 wherein the helically wound ribbon or coil comprises platinum.

6. The guidewire of claim 4 wherein the helically wound ribbon or coil comprises titanium and nickel.

7. The guidewire of claim 1 further comprising a tie layer situated exterior to at least a portion of the more-distal section or more-proximal section.

8. The guidewire of claim 7 where the tie layer comprises at least one of NYLON, polyethylene, polystyrene, polyurethane, and polyethylene terephthalate.

9. The guidewire of claim 7 where the tie layer comprises polyethylene terephthalate or polyurethane.

10. The guidewire of claim 9 wherein the tie layer is polyurethane and has a variable hardness distally.

11. The guidewire of claim 7 in which at least a portion of the polymeric tie layer is coated with a lubricious polymeric material.

12. The guidewire of claim 11 in which lubricious polymeric material comprises at least one hydrophilic polymer.

13. The guidewire of claim 7 where the tie layer additionally comprises a radio-opaque material selected from barium sulfate, bismuth trioxide, bismuth carbonate, tungsten, and tantalum.

14. The guidewire section of claim 1 additionally comprising a catheter sheath.