Catheter guide wire especially for percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty

• US 7,699,792 B2
• Filed: 05/10/2005
• Issued: 04/20/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Biotronik AG (Biotronik SE & Company KG)
• Original Assignee: Biotronik VI Patent AG (Biotronik SE & Company KG)
• Inventors: Hofmann, Eugen, Wintsch, Christoph
• Primary Examiner(s): Hindenburg; Max
• Assistant Examiner(s): Stout; Michael C
• Application Number:
  US11/125,309
• Publication Number:
  US 20050267385A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,806 Days
• Field of Search: 600/585, 600/431, 600/434, 600/435, 604/163.13
• US Class Current: 600/585
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/09166 having radio-opaque features
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0108 using radio-opaque or ultrasound markers
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/09 Guide wires

Abstract

A catheter guide wire, especially for percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty, comprises an elongated wire shaft of a flexible material having a proximal and a distal end and disposed on the wire shaft at least one radiopaque, sleeve-like marker adjacent to the distal end. The at least one marker is disposed on a core section of the wire shaft, said core section being widened in its diameter relative to the diameter of the adjoining shaft sections.

Claims

1. A catheter guide wire, comprising

an elongated wire shaft (2) of a flexible material having a proximal end and a distal end (3, 5),

at least one radiopaque marker (9) disposed on the wire shaft (2) adjacent to the distal end (3), wherein:

said at least one marker (9) comprises a wire coil;

said wire shaft comprises a core section (8) having an outer surface on which said wire coil is disposed;

said wire coil is disposed entirely on said core section (8) of the wire shaft (2);

said wire shaft has shaft sections (12) adjoining said core section;

said core section (8) has a first diameter (D_K);

each of said shaft sections (12) adjoining said core section (8) has a second diameter (D_E) that is smaller than said first diameter;

two of said shaft sections (12) are disposed at respective opposite sides of said core section (8);

said core section (8) has a length (l) that is substantially equal to the length (l) of said wire coil (9); and

said shaft sections (12) form constricted, flexible catheter guide wire portions at each side of said at least one marker (9).

2. A catheter guide wire according to claim 1, wherein said core section (8) changes over at each side thereof to a respective adjoining shaft section (12) via a conically implemented, ramp-type annular shoulder (11).

3. A catheter guide wire according to claim 1, wherein said core section (8) is formed for said at least one marker (9) by grinding down the wire shaft (2) in a region around both sides of said core section (8).

4. A catheter guide wire according to claim 1, wherein said wire coil is secured on said core section (8) by means of a solder bed (10), which tapers off at each side of said core section (8) in a frusto-conical ramp (13) toward a respective adjoining, shaft section (12).

5. A catheter guide wire according to claim 4, wherein said core section (8) changes over at each side thereof to a respective adjoining shaft section (12) via a conically implemented, ramp-type annular shoulder (11), and said annular shoulder (11) of said core section (8) and a conical ramp (13) of a respective solder bed (10) are flush with one another in a longitudinal axis direction.

6. A catheter guide wire according to claim 1, wherein said at least one marker comprises three said markers disposed adjacent to the distal end (5) of the wire shaft (2) and said three markers are disposed at a distance (a) from one another, and said catheter guide wire further comprises an elongated marker coil (14) at said distal end.

7. A catheter guide wire according to claim 6, wherein the ratio of the length (l) of each marker (9) to the spacing (a) between them is approximately 1:

10.

8. A catheter guide wire according to claim 1, wherein an outside diameter (D_M) of said at least one marker (9) is slightly smaller than an outside diameter (D_w) of an elongated marker coil (14) at the distal end (5) of the wire shaft (2).

9. A catheter guide wire according to claim 5, wherein the surface of the guide wire (1) with said wire shaft (2), and the surface of the at least one marker (9) and of the solder bed (10) are smoothed.

10. A catheter guide wire according to claim 1, comprising a friction-reducing coating on the guide wire (1).

11. A catheter guide wire according to claim 1, wherein said wire coil is made of a first, radiopaque, material and said wire shaft, including said core section, is made of a second material different from said first material.

12. A catheter guide wire according to claim 1, wherein said wire coil is disposed exclusively on said core section.