Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 10
Claim 1
Independent Claim
96 words
A guidewire assembly for insertion in a catheter lumen extending longitudinally inside a catheter for purposes of mediating the advancement of said catheter through a bodily vessel, said catheter lumen having an internal wall surface, said guidewire assembly comprising: an outer surface, a portion of which is formed by a length of axially collapsible tubing which, when compressed axially, gathers into folds which bulge sufficiently to seize said internal wall surface of said catheter lumen and thereby join said catheter to said guidewire assembly, and compression means for so compressing said length of axially collapsible tubing.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
90 words
A guidewire assembly in accordance with claim 1 further comprising an outer tubular component defining a guidewire internal lumen and an inner component extending through said guidewire internal lumen, said length of axially collapsible tubing being a portion of said outer tubular component, and said outer tubular component and said inner component being capable of axial movement relative to each other, said axial movement causing said deformable section to bulge sufficiently to seize said internal wall surface of said catheter lumen and thereby join said catheter to said guidewire assembly.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
27 words
A guidewire assembly in accordance with claim 2 further comprising means for locking said outer tubular component and said inner component against movement relative to each other.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
64 words
A guidewire assembly in accordance with claim 2 in which said guidewire assembly has proximal and distal ends, with a flexible coil tip secured to said distal end, said length of axially collapsible tubing is at said distal end, said inner component is a rod secured to said length of axially collapsible tubing at a distal end thereof and to said flexible coil tip.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
120 words
A guidewire assembly in accordance with claim 2 in which: said guidewire assembly has proximal and distal ends, with a flexible coil tip secured to said distal end, said length of axially collapsible tubing is at said distal end, said inner component is a rod secured to said flexible coil tip, and said rod and outer tubular member are engaged by engaging means comprised of a first engaging member on said rod and a second engaging member on said outer tubular member, one of said engaging members being a protrusion and the other an indentation, such that when said engaging members are engaged, said rod and said outer tubular member are mobile rotationally but not longitudinally relative to each other.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
149 words
A guidewire assembly in accordance with claim 1 in which said guidewire assembly has proximal and distal ends, with a flexible tip secured to said distal end, said tip being of substantially greater flexibility than the remainder of said guidewire assembly, and said guidewire assembly further comprises: an outer tubular component defining a guidewire internal lumen, said length of axially collapsible tubing being a distal portion of said outer tubular component, an actuating component axially movable relative to said outer tubular component to cause said axially collapsible tubing to bulge sufficiently to seize said internal wall surface of said catheter lumen and thereby join said catheter to said guidewire assembly, and an inner component extending through said guidewire internal lumen and terminating in said flexible tip, said inner component independently rotatable relative to said outer tubular component and said actuating component irrespective of axial movement of said actuating component.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
49 words
A guidewire assembly in accordance with claim 1 in which said guidewire assembly has distal and proximal ends, and said proximal end is adapted for attachment of a guidewire extension to permit withdrawal of said catheter over said guidewire assembly without removing said guidewire assembly from said bodily vessel.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
127 words
A guidewire assembly for insertion in a catheter lumen extending logitudinally inside a catheter for purposes of mediating the advancement of said catheter through a bodily vessel, said catheter lumen having an internal wall surface, said guidewire assembly comprising: an outer surface, a portion of which is an inflatable section which, when inflated, expands sufficiently to seize said internal wall surface of said catheter lumen and thereby join said catheter to said guidewire assembly; means for attaching a source of inflation fluid to said guidewire assembly for so inflating said inflatable section; and extension means for attaching a guidewire extension to the proximal end of said guidewire assembly to permit withdrawal of said catheter over said guidewire assembly without removing said guidewire assembly from said bodily vessel.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
76 words
A guidewire assembly in accordance with claim 8 in which said guidewire assembly is comprised of a tubular member defining a guidewire internal lumen communicating with said balloon, said tubular member is comprised of a proximal segment and a distal segment, said distal segment is relatively flexible in comparison to said proximal segment, and said guidewire assembly is further comprised of a rod disposed inside said tubular member, extending through said distal segment and said balloon.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
41 words
A guidewire assembly in accordance with claim 8 in which said guidewire assembly has proximal and distal ends, said inflatable section is at said distal end, and said means for attaching a source of inflation fluid is at said proximal end.