Device and method for opening vascular obstructions
First Claim
1. A device for inducing in-vivo vibrations in a body passageway or an organ, comprising:
- a catheter tube;
a series of magnets attached to the catheter tube, the magnets creating a magnetic field within at least one section of the catheter tube;
a guidewire positioned in the catheter tube, the guidewire comprising a distal tip, followed by a flexible core member, followed by thicker core members, wherein the flexibility of the thicker core members is less than the flexibility of the flexible core member;
the guidewire further comprising a plurality of electro-magnet coils on at least one of the thicker core members, the coils creating an alternating magnetic field when activated with an alternating current by means of electrical leads;
the alternating magnetic field of the coils being responsive to the magnetic field in the at least one section of the catheter tube to produce longitudinal oscillations in the guidewire when the coils overlap with the series of magnets.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention is directed to a device and method for opening obstructed body internal passages and for sensing and characterizing tissues and substances in contact with the device. In general, the device comprises a catheter tube capable of inducing vibrations in a guidewire contained therein, wherein said vibrations of the guidewire are utilized for opening a passage through an occlusion. The in-vivo vibrations may be induced by means of a magnetic field actuating means and a guidewire comprising magnetic coupling means, or by means of transducers, which may be also used for the sensing. The invention also relates to the field of minimal invasive catheterization, particularly an apparatus for opening and/or removing obstructions occluding body internal passages by means of an active guidewire comprising a coil to which an alternating voltage can be applied. In that way the guidewire can vibrate if an external magnetic field is applied.
71 Citations
15 Claims
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1. A device for inducing in-vivo vibrations in a body passageway or an organ, comprising:
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a catheter tube; a series of magnets attached to the catheter tube, the magnets creating a magnetic field within at least one section of the catheter tube; a guidewire positioned in the catheter tube, the guidewire comprising a distal tip, followed by a flexible core member, followed by thicker core members, wherein the flexibility of the thicker core members is less than the flexibility of the flexible core member; the guidewire further comprising a plurality of electro-magnet coils on at least one of the thicker core members, the coils creating an alternating magnetic field when activated with an alternating current by means of electrical leads; the alternating magnetic field of the coils being responsive to the magnetic field in the at least one section of the catheter tube to produce longitudinal oscillations in the guidewire when the coils overlap with the series of magnets. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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Specification