Guidewires including a porous nickel-titanium alloy

• US 8,137,293 B2
• Filed: 11/17/2009
• Issued: 03/20/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Boston Scientific Scimed (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Boston Scientific Scimed (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Zhou, Pu, Lin, Horng-Ban, Chen, Hancun, Feng, James
• Primary Examiner(s): Hindenburg, Max
• Assistant Examiner(s): Becker, Charles
• Application Number:
  US12/620,343
• Publication Number:
  US 20110118628A1
• Time in Patent Office: 854 Days
• Field of Search: 420/451, 420/417, 420/441, 600/585, 148/402, 148/426, 148/421, 148/902, 148/909
• US Class Current: 600/585
• 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 25/09 Guide wires

Abstract

Medical devices and methods for making and using the same are disclosed. An example medical device may include a guidewire. The guidewire may include an elongate shaft. The shaft may include a porous metal alloy. The porous metal alloy may be arranged so that the porous metal alloy has a first pore distribution along a first portion of the shaft and a second pore distribution different from the first pore distribution along a second portion of the shaft.

Claims

1. A guidewire, comprising:

an elongate shaft including a porous metal alloy, the shaft having a wall with a plurality of pores dispersed radially throughout;

wherein the plurality of pores are distributed throughout an axial cross-section of the shaft; and

wherein the porous metal alloy is arranged so that the porous metal alloy has a first pore distribution along a first portion of the shaft and a second pore distribution different from the first pore distribution along a second portion of the shaft, wherein the first portion of the shaft is disposed radially inward relative to the second portion of the shaft

wherein the first portion has a first flexibility and the second portion has a second flexibility different from the first flexibility.

2. The guidewire of claim 1, wherein the shaft includes a core wire.

3. The guidewire of claim 2, further comprising a tubular member disposed over a portion of the core wire, the tubular member having a plurality of slots formed therein.

4. The guidewire of claim 3, wherein the tubular member includes a tungsten alloy or a tantalum alloy.

5. The guidewire of claim 3, wherein the tubular member includes a porous nickel-titanium alloy.

6. The guidewire of claim 1, wherein the shaft includes a tubular member.

7. The guidewire of claim 6, wherein the tubular member has a plurality of slots formed therein.

8. The guidewire of claim 1, wherein the pores in the first pore distribution are larger than the pores in the second pore distribution.

9. The guidewire of claim 1, wherein the pores in the first pore distribution are arranged in a lower density than the pores in the second pore distribution.

10. The guidewire of claim 1, wherein at least some of the pores in the second pore distribution are filled with a radiopaque material.

11. The guidewire of claim 10, further comprising a polymer sleeve disposed over the pores in the second pore distribution.

12. The guidewire of claim 1, wherein the porous metal alloy includes a porous nickel-titanium alloy.

13. A guidewire, comprising:

an elongate core wire;

a tubular member disposed over a portion of the core wire, the tubular member having a plurality of slots formed therein;

wherein the tubular member includes a porous nickel-titanium alloy, wherein the porous nickel-titanium alloy includes a first group of pores having a first configuration and a second group of pores having a second configuration different from the first configuration, and wherein the first group of pores includes pores having a diameter of 0.5-10 microns; and

wherein the first group of pores are distributed through an axial cross-section of the tubular member

wherein the pores in the first configuration provide the tubular member with a first flexibility and the pores in the second configuration provide the tubular member with a second flexibility different from the first flexibility.

14. The guidewire of claim 13, wherein the core wire includes a porous nickel-titanium alloy.

15. The guidewire of claim 13, wherein the pores in the first configuration are larger than the pores in the second configuration.

16. The guidewire of claim 13, wherein the pores in the first configuration are arranged in a higher density than the pores in the second configuration.

17. A guidewire, comprising:

an elongate shaft including a porous metal alloy;

wherein the shaft includes a first portion having a first pore distribution and a second portion having a second pore distribution different from the first pore distribution, wherein the first pore distribution includes pores having a diameter of 5-30 microns;

wherein the pores of the first pore distribution are distributed through an axial cross-section of the shaft; and

wherein the first pore distribution provides the first portion with a first flexibility and the second pore distribution provides the second portion with a second flexibility different from the first flexibility.