Chronic total occlusion device with variable stiffness shaft

• US 7,695,465 B2
• Filed: 11/07/2003
• Issued: 04/13/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Boston Scientific Scimed (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Boston Scientific Scimed (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Tomaschko, Daniel K., Volk, Angela Kornkven
• Primary Examiner(s): Lucchesi; Nicholas D
• Assistant Examiner(s): Campbell; Victoria P
• Application Number:
  US10/704,422
• Publication Number:
  US 20040073163A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,349 Days
• Field of Search: 604/103, 604/528, 604/103.03, 604/524, 604/525
• US Class Current: 604/525
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/0004 having two or more concentrically arranged tubes for forming a concentric catheter system
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/0063 having means, e.g. stylets, mandrils, rods or wires to reinforce or adjust temporarily the stiffness, column strength or pushability of catheters which are already inserted into the human body
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/1061 having separate inflations tubes, e.g. coaxial tubes or tubes otherwise arranged apart from the catheter tube
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/104 used for angioplasty

Abstract

The present invention relates generally to a device for adding stiffening support to a guidewire so as to enable the guidewire or device to pass through a chronic total occlusion. A method for passing a guidewire through a chronic total occlusion is also disclosed.

Claims

1. A chronic total occlusion device, comprising:

an inner tubular member having an inner lumen, the inner lumen sized for having a guidewire disposed therein;

an outer tubular member disposed over the inner tubular member, the outer tubular member having a proximal end region and a distal end region;

wherein an annular lumen is defined between the outer tubular member and the inner tubular member;

wherein the outer tubular member distally tapers so that the annular lumen is smaller adjacent the distal end region of the outer tubular member than adjacent the proximal end region of the outer tubular member; and

a stiffening member having a distal head and a proximal tail, the proximal tail having a stiffness different than that of the distal head, movably disposed within the annular lumen, further comprising means for controlling the stiffening member.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the chronic total occlusion device has a distal flexibility and wherein the distal flexibility is variable depending on the position of the stiffening member within the annular lumen.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the stiffening member includes an enlarged distal head and an elongate proximal tail.

4. The device of claim 1, further comprising a second stiffening member.

5. The device of claim 1, further comprising a marker band coupled to the outer tubular member.

6. A variable stiffness chronic total occlusion device for use with an intravascular guidewire, comprising:

an inner tubular member having a guidewire lumen extending therethrough;

an outer tubular member disposed over the inner tubular member;

wherein an annular space is defined between the outer tubular member and the inner tubular member;

a stiffening member having a distal head and a proximal tail, the proximal tail having a stiffness different than that of the distal head slidably disposed within the annular space; and

wherein the stiffening member is configured to shift within the annular space between a first position that defines a first distal flexibility for the chronic total occlusion device and a second position that defines a second distal flexibility for the chronic total occlusion device.

7. The device of claim 6, wherein the stiffening member includes an enlarged distal head and an elongate proximal tail.

8. The device of claim 6, further comprising a second stiffening member.

9. The device of claim 6, further comprising means for controlling the stiffening member.

10. The device of claim 6, further comprising a marker band coupled to the outer tubular member.

11. The device of claim 6, wherein the outer tubular member distally tapers so that the annular space is smaller adjacent the distal end region of the outer tubular member than adjacent the proximal end region of the outer tubular member.