Guidewire formed with composite construction and method for making the same

• US 7,731,669 B2
• Filed: 05/10/2007
• Issued: 06/08/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Concert Medical, LLC
• Original Assignee: Concert Medical, LLC
• Inventors: Mathews, Eric D., Whitehead, Andrew M., Panicci, John R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hindenburg; Max
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pani; John
• Application Number:
  US11/801,703
• Publication Number:
  US 20070282270A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,125 Days
• Field of Search: 600/585, 140111-122, 403/311, 403/333, 403/334
• US Class Current: 600/585
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/09075 having a core without a coil possibly combined with a sheath
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/09108 Methods for making a guide wire
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/09 Guide wires
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0905 extendable, e.g. mechanisms for extension
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 403/5773 Interfitting

Abstract

A composite guidewire comprising a proximal wire segment having a proximal end, a distal end and a longitudinal axis extending therebetween, the distal end being formed with a first flat planar bonding face which extends parallel to the longitudinal axis, the proximal wire segment having a first elasticity; a distal wire segment having a proximal end, a distal end and a longitudinal axis extending therebetween, the proximal end being formed with a second flat planar bonding face which extends parallel to the longitudinal axis, the distal wire segment having a second elasticity; wherein the first and second flat planar bonding faces of the proximal wire segment are formed complementary to one another; and further wherein the proximal and distal wire segments are joined together by bonding the first flat planar bonding face to the second flat planar bonding face in an overlapping manner and a method for forming a composite guidewire.

Claims

1. A composite guidewire comprising:

a proximal wire segment having a proximal end, a distal end, and a longitudinal axis extending between the proximal end and the distal end, the distal end of said proximal wire segment comprising a first tongue having a first flat planar bonding face which extends parallel to the longitudinal axis, said proximal wire segment having a first elasticity and being formed out of a first material having a first ultimate tensile strength;

a distal wire segment having a proximal end, a distal end, and a longitudinal axis extending between the proximal end and the distal end, the proximal end of said distal wire segment comprising a second tongue having a second flat planar bonding face which extends parallel to the longitudinal axis, said distal wire segment having a second elasticity and being formed out of a second material having a second ultimate tensile strength, wherein the second material is different than the first material, and further wherein the second ultimate tensile strength is different than the first ultimate tensile strength;

wherein the second flat planar bonding face of said second tongue of said distal wire segment is formed complementary to the first flat planar bonding face of said first tongue of said proximal wire segment;

wherein said proximal wire segment is joined to said distal wire segment by bonding the first flat planar bonding face of said first tongue of said proximal wire segment to the complementary second flat planar bonding face of said second tongue of said distal wire segment in an overlapping manner;

wherein said first tongue and said second tongue have complementary but dissimilar cross-sections;

and further wherein the cross-sections of said first and second tongues are set in relation to each other such that a break load of said first tongue is equal to a break load of said second tongue throughout lengths of the bonding faces of said tongues.

2. A composite guidewire according to claim 1 wherein said proximal wire segment has a cross-section which comprises an arc, said distal wire segment has a cross-section which comprises an arc, and further wherein the composite guidewire has a round cross-section at a point where said proximal wire segment is joined to said distal wire segment.

3. A composite guidewire according to claim 1 wherein said first tongue and said second tongue are configured so as to interlock with one another.

4. A composite guidewire according to claim 1 wherein the composite guidewire has a round cross-section where said proximal wire segment is joined to said distal wire segment.

5. A composite guidewire according to claim 1 wherein the first elasticity of said proximal wire segment and the second elasticity of said distal wire segment are different from one another.

6. A composite guidewire according to claim 1 wherein the second elasticity of said distal wire segment is higher than the first elasticity of said proximal wire segment.

7. A composite guidewire according to claim 1 wherein the first elasticity of said proximal wire segment is higher than the second elasticity of said distal wire segment.

8. A composite guidewire according to claim 1 wherein said proximal wire segment comprises stainless steel.

9. A composite guidewire according to claim 1 wherein said distal wire segment comprises Nitinol.

10. A composite guidewire according to claim 1 wherein the length of the bonded, overlapping first and second flat planar bonding faces is between about 5 and about 50 times the cross-sectional diameter of the composite guidewire.

11. A composite guidewire according to claim 1 wherein said proximal wire segment is joined to said distal wire segment using at least one selected from the group consisting of:

an adhesive, a metallurgical bonding material, and a weld.

12. A composite guidewire according to claim 11 wherein the adhesive is selected from the group consisting of:

epoxies, urethane acrylics, and cyano-acrylates.

13. A composite guidewire according to claim 11 wherein the metallurgical bonding material is selected from the group consisting of:

braze and solder.

14. A composite guidewire according to claim 1 wherein said proximal wire segment is joined to said distal wire segment by mechanical means.

15. A composite guidewire according to claim 14 wherein the mechanical means comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of:

crimping, shrink sleeves, coils and braids.

16. A method for forming a composite guidewire, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a proximal wire segment having a proximal end, a distal end, and a longitudinal axis extending between the proximal end and the distal end, the distal end of the proximal wire segment comprising a first tongue having a first flat planar bonding face which extends parallel to the longitudinal axis, the proximal wire segment having a first elasticity and being formed out of a first material having a first ultimate tensile strength;

providing a distal wire segment having a proximal end, a distal end, and a longitudinal axis extending between the proximal end and the distal end, the proximal end of the distal wire segment comprising a second tongue having a second flat planar bonding face which extends parallel to the longitudinal axis, the distal wire segment having a second elasticity and being formed out of a second material having a second ultimate tensile strength, wherein the second material is different than the first material, and further wherein the second ultimate tensile strength is different than the first ultimate tensile strength;

wherein the second flat planar bonding face of the second tongue of the distal wire segment is formed complementary to the first flat planar bonding face of the first tongue of the proximal wire segment; and

bonding the first flat planar bonding face of the first tongue of the proximal wire segment to the complementary second flat planar bonding face of the second tongue of the distal wire segment in an overlapping manner;

wherein the first tongue and the second tongue have complementary but dissimilar cross-sections;

and further wherein the cross-sections of the first and second tongues are set in relation to each other such that a break load of the first tongue is equal to a break load of the second tongue throughout lengths of the bonding faces of the tongues.