Polymer coated guidewire

• US 7,494,474 B2
• Filed: 07/31/2003
• Issued: 02/24/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Advanced Cardiovascular Systems Incorporated (Abbott Laboratories)
• Original Assignee: Advanced Cardiovascular Systems Incorporated (Abbott Laboratories)
• Inventors: Schreiner, John, Palmer, Olin J., Brennan, Lawrence E., Mirzaee, Daryush P., Biagtan, Emmanuel C., Cornish, Wayne E., Anderson, David M., Jacobs, James, Richardson, Mark T., Jalisi, Marc M., Burkett, David H., Esselstein, Robert C., Stalker, Kent C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hindenburg; Max
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lloyd; Emily M
• Application Number:
  US10/631,275
• Publication Number:
  US 20080146967A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,035 Days
• Field of Search: 600/585
• US Class Current: 600/585
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 31/10 Macromolecular materials
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 31/18 Materials at least partially X-ray or laser opaque
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/09083 having a coil around a core
• 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 2025/09166 having radio-opaque features
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0045 multi-layered, e.g. coated coating materials A61L29/08
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0054 with regions for increasing flexibility
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/09 Guide wires

Abstract

A guidewire or section thereof, that has a core member or the like with a plurality of contiguous tapered segments having taper angles that are configured to produce a linear change in stiffness over a longitudinal portion of the device. The device may also have a core section with a continuously changing taper angle to produce a curvilinear profile that is configured to produce a linear change in stiffness of the core over a longitudinal portion of the device. An embodiment has a plurality of radiopaque elements that may be intermittent, continuous or in the form of a helical ribbon for scaled measurement of intracorporeal structure under fluoroscopic imaging. Another embodiment has at least one layer of polymer over the distal end of the device.

Claims

1. A guidewire comprising:

an elongated core member having a proximal section and a distal section with a plurality of radiopaque markers disposed thereon at regular intervals in axial position and a longitudinal portion which tapers distally to a reduced transverse dimension wherein the taper creates a substantially linear change in stiffness of the core member over a length thereof;

a flexible body member disposed about the distal section of the elongate core member; and

a polymer layer disposed about at least a portion of the distal section of the elongate core member and the flexible body member.

2. The guidewire of claim 1 wherein the polymer layer is selected from a group consisting of polyurethanes, polyamide, copolymers of polyurethane and copolymers of polyamide.

3. The guidewire of claim 1 wherein the polymer layer has a substantially constant outer diameter.

4. The guidewire of claim 1 wherein the longitudinal portion has a length of about 5 to about 25 cm.

5. The guidewire of claim 1 wherein the longitudinal portion has a curvilinear taper over a length thereof.

6. The guidewire of claim 1 wherein the radiopaque markers are made of a radiopaque metal secured to the distal section of the elongate core member.

7. The guidewire of claim 6 wherein the radiopaque metal for the radiopaque markers is selected from the group consisting of gold, platinum, platinum-iridium, tantalum and tungsten.

8. The guidewire of claim 1 wherein the markers are made of a radiopaque matrix applied to the distal section of the elongate core member.

9. The guidewire of claim 8 wherein the radiopaque matrix comprises a radiolucent polymer doped with a radiopaque material.

10. The guidewire of claim 9 wherein the radiolucent polymer comprises polyurethane.

11. The guidewire of claim 9 wherein the radiopaque material comprises tungsten powder.

12. A guidewire comprising:

an elongated core member having a proximal section and a distal section with a plurality of radiopaque markers disposed thereon at regular intervals in axial position and a longitudinal portion which tapers distally to a reduced transverse dimension wherein the taper creates a substantially linear change in stiffness of the core member over a length thereof;

a helical coil disposed about the distal section of the elongate core member; and

a polymer layer disposed about at least a portion of the distal section of the elongate core member and at least partially enveloping the helical coil, wherein the polymer layer has a substantially constant outer diameter.