Steerable guide wire for balloon dilatation procedure

Claim 2

A steerable small diameter guide wire comprising: a main wire having a tapered distal region; a helically wound spring at the distal region of the main wire, the tapered region of the main wire being received within the spring, the proximal end of the spring being secured to the main wire at a proximal connection adjacent to the region where the main wire begins to taper; the distal end of the main wire terminating short of the distal end of the spring and being secured to the spring at a distal connection; the spring having a relatively short portion which extends distally beyond the distal end of the main wire, the distally extending short portion being highly flexible and terminating in a smoothly surfaced rounded tip; each of the main wire and the spring having an outer diameter which is no greater than about 0.020 inches, the diameter of the spring being not substantially greater than the diameter of the main wire; the guide wire having a distal region which is adapted to be bent to a set curved configuration and to retain that set curve when the distal region of the guide wire is relaxed, said distal region of the guide wire being sufficiently flexible so as to adapt to and follow the contours of a patient's blood vessel; said guide wire having means sufficiently torsionally rigid along its length for transmitting to the distal end of the guide wire substantially all of the angular rotation applied to the proximal end of the guide wire thereby enabling the curved distal end of the guide wire to be controllably directed to selected branches of a patient's vascular system.

Claim 3

A guide wire as defined in claim 1 wherein at least the spring is formed from a material having a high radiopacity.

Claim 4

A guide wire as defined in claim 2 wherein the spring is formed from an alloy which includes approximately 92% platinum and 8% tungsten.

Claim 5

A steerable small diameter guide wire as defined in claim 1 wherein the distal region of the main wire is tapered progressively toward the distal end of the wire and wherein said tapered region of the main wire extends smoothly and uniformly from the more proximal portions of the main wire and defining a smooth transition from the untapered to the tapered portion.

Claim 6

A steerable small diameter guide wire as defined in claim 1 wherein the outer diameter of each of the spring and the main wire are substantially the same.

Claim 7

A guide wire as defined in claim 1 in which only a minor portion of the overall length of the guide wire comprises the spring.

Claim 8

A guide wire as defined in claim 1 further comprising: said guide wire being of a length of the order of 175 centimeters; the spring and tapered region of the main wire extending over the most distal approximately 20 centimeters of the guide wire; the distal extension of the spring being approximately one centimeter long.

Claim 9

A small diameter guide wire as defined in claim 1 further comprising: said tapered region of the main wire beginning its taper at a location which is intermediate the proximal and distal ends of the spring.

Claim 10

A set for introducing a balloon dilatation catheter and for performing a balloon dilatation in a blood vessel comprising: a guide wire as defined in claim 1; a balloon dilatation catheter having a main lumen which is receptive to the guide wire, said main lumen being open at the distal end of the catheter.

Claim 11

A set as defined in claim 9 wherein the main lumen in the balloon dilatation catheter is larger in cross-section than the guide wire whereby a flow passage may be maintained within the balloon catheter for infusion of liquids and pressure measurements without requiring removal of the guide wire.

Claim 12

A set as defined in claim 10 wherein the main lumen has a different cross-sectional shape than that of the guide wire.

Claim 13

A set as defined in claim 11 wherein the guide wire is circular in cross-section and the main lumen of the catheter is D-shaped in cross-section.

Claim 14

A set as defined in claim 9 wherein the outer diameter of the dilatation catheter is not greater than of the order of 0.050 inches.

Claim 15

A set as defined in claim 10 wherein said guide wire is circular in cross-section and wherein said main lumen is non-circular in cross-section.

Claim 16

A set as defined in claim 10 wherein the cross-section defined by the guide wire is not greater than about 50% of the cross-sectional area of the main lumen in the catheter.

Claim 17

A set of a small diameter catheter and steerable guide wire for use therewith comprising: a guide wire as defined in claim 1, and a catheter having a lumen receptive to the guide wire, the lumen being open at the distal end of the catheter, said catheter having an outer diameter not greater than of the order of 0.050 inches.

Claim 18

A guide wire as defined in claim 1 further comprising: the taper at the distal region of the main wire being continuous.

Claim 19

A guide wire as defined in claim 1 wherein said torsionally rigid means comprises said main wire being formed from a solid rod.

Claim 20

A guide wire as defined in claim 1 wherein said torsionally rigid means comprises said main wire being formed from a solid walled tube.

Claim 21

A guide wire as defined in claim 1 wherein the spring is formed from an alloy which includes approximately 92 percent platinum and 8 percent tungsten.

Claim 22

A small diameter steerable guide wire comprising: a main wire having a distal region; a helically wound spring connected to the main wire at the distal region and receiving the distal region therein; said guide wire being constructed and arranged so that the portion thereof located proximally of the distal region of the main wire is of substantially uniform flexibility along its length; that portion of the guide wire which includes the distal region of the main wire and that portion of the helically wound spring which surrounds the distal region being of increasing flexibility in a distal direction the spring having a distal extension which extends beyond the distal end of the main wire, the distal extension being of substantially uniform flexibility along its length, said distal extension being the most flexible of all of said portions of the guide wire; the main wire and spring having substantially the same outer diameter, said diameter being no greater than about 0.020 inches; that portion of the guide wire which includes the distal region of the main wire being adapted to be bent to a set curved configuration but being sufficiently flexible from said set curved configuration so as to adapt to and follow the contours of a patient's blood vessel; the guide wire having means sufficiently torsionally rigid along its length for transmitting to the distal end of the guide wire substantially all of the angular rotation applied to the proximal end of the guide wire thereby enabling said guide wire with a set curved configuration at its distal region to be controllably directed to selected branches of a patient's vascular system.

Claim 23

A small diameter steerable guide wire comprising: a main wire having a distal region; a helically wound spring connected to the main wire at the distal region and receiving the distal region therein; said guide wire being constructed and arranged so that the portion thereof located proximally of the distal region of the main wire is of substantially uniform flexibility along its length; that portion of the guide wire which includes the distal region of the main wire and that portion of the helically wound spring which surrounds the distal region being of increasing flexibility in a distal direction the spring having a distal extension which extends beyond the distal end of the main wire, the distal extension being of substantially uniform flexibility along its length, said distal extension being the most flexible of all of said portions of the guide wire; the main wire and spring having substantially the same outer diameter, said diameter being no greater than about 0.020 inches; that portion of the guide wire which includes the distal region of the main wire being adapted to be bent to a set curved configuration but being sufficiently flexible from said set curved configuration so as to adapt to and follow the contours of a patient's blood vessel; the guide wire having means sufficiently torsionally rigid along its length for transmitting to the distal end of the guide wire substantially all of the angular rotation applied to the proximal end of the guide wire thereby enabling said guide wire with a set curved configuration at its distal region to be controllably directed to selected branches of a patient's vascular system.

Claim 24

A guide wire as defined in claim 21 further comprising: the distal region of the main wire being constructed so that it is more flexible at its distal end than at its proximal end.

Claim 25

A guide wire as defined in claim 22 wherein the distal region of the main wire is tapered in the distal direction.

Claim 26

A guide wire as defined in claim 23 wherein the taper is substantially continuous.

Claim 27

A set for introducing a balloon dilatation catheter and for performing a balloon dilatation in a blood vessel comprising: a guide wire as defined in claim 21; and a balloon dilatation catheter having a main lumen which is receptive to the guide wire, said main lumen being open at the distal end of the catheter.

Claim 28

A set as defined in claim 25 wherein the main lumen in the balloon dilatation catheter is larger in cross-section than the guide wire whereby a flow passage may be maintained within the balloon catheter for infusion of liquids and pressure measurements without requiring removal of the guide wire.

Claim 29

A set as defined in claim 26 wherein the main lumen has a different cross-sectional shape than that of the guide wire.

Claim 30

A set as defined in claim 27 wherein the guide wire is circular is cross-section and the main lumen of the catheter is D-shaped in cross-section.

Claim 31

A set as defined in claim 25 wherein the outer diameter of the dilatation catheter is not greater than of the order 0.050 inches.

Claim 32

A set as defined in claim 26 wherein said guide wire is circular in cross-section and wherein said main lumen is non circular in cross-section.

Claim 33

A set as defined in claim 26 wherein the cross-section defined by the guide wire is not greater than about 50 percent of the cross-sectional area of the main lumen in the catheter.

Claim 34

A small diameter steerable guide wire having a proximal end and a distal end comprising: a main wire having a distal region which is tapered toward the distal end of the wire; a helically wound spring at the distal region of the main wire, the tapered portion of the main wire being received within the spring, the spring having a proximal end secured to the main wire at a proximal connection adjacent to the region where the main wire begins to taper; the distal end of the main wire being secured to the spring at a location distal of said proximal connection; each of said main wire and spring having an outer diameter which is no greater than about 0.020 inches, the diameter of the spring being not substantially greater than the diameter of the main wire; the distal end of the guide wire being adapted to be bent to a set curved configuration and to retain that set curved configuration when relaxed, said distal end being sufficiently flexible so as to adapt to and follow the contours of a patient's blood vessel; the guide wire having means sufficiently torsionally rigid along its length for transmitting to the distal end of the guide wire substantially all of the angular rotation applied to the proximal end of the guide wire thereby enabling said guide wire with prebent distal end to be controllably directed to selected branches of a patient's vascular system.

Claim 35

A small diameter steerable guide wire having a proximal end and a distal end comprising: a main wire having a distal region which is tapered toward the distal end of the wire; a helically wound spring at the distal region of the main wire, the tapered portion of the main wire being received within the spring, the spring having a proximal end secured to the main wire at a proximal connection adjacent to the region where the main wire begins to taper; the distal end of the main wire being secured to the spring at a location distal of said proximal connection; each of said main wire and spring having an outer diameter which is no greater than about 0.020 inches, the diameter of the spring being not substantially greater than the diameter of the main wire; the distal end of the guide wire being adapted to be bent to a set curved configuration and to retain that set curved configuration when relaxed, said distal end being sufficiently flexible so as to adapt to and follow the contours of a patient's blood vessel; the guide wire having means sufficiently torsionally rigid along its length for transmitting to the distal end of the guide wire substantially all of the angular rotation applied to the proximal end of the guide wire thereby enabling said guide wire with prebent distal end to be controllably directed to selected branches of a patient's vascular system.

Claim 36

A small diameter steerable guide wire as defined in claim 32 wherein the outer diameter of each of the main wire and spring are substantially the same.

Claim 37

A small diameter steerable guide wire as defined in claim 32 wherein at least the spring is formed from a material having a high radiopacity.

Claim 38

A steerable small diameter guide wire as defined in claim 32 further comprising: said guide wire being of a length of the order of 175 centimeters; the spring and tapered portion extending over the most distal approximately 20 centimeters of the guide wire.

Claim 39

A set of a small diameter catheter and steerable guide wire for use therewith comprising: a guide wire as defined in claim 32; and a catheter having a lumen receptive to the guide wire, said catheter having an outer diameter not greater than of the order of 0.050 inches.

Claim 40

A set as defined in claim 36 wherein said catheter comprises a balloon dilatation catheter.

Claim 41

A set as defined in claim 37 wherein the catheter has a main lumen which is open at the distal end of the catheter, the main lumen being larger in cross-section than the guide wire whereby a flow passage may be maintained within the balloon catheter for infusion of liquids and pressure measurement without requiring removal of the guide wire.

Claim 42

A set as defined in claim 38 wherein the main lumen has a different cross-sectional shape than that of the guide wire.

Claim 43

A set as defined in claim 39 wherein the guide wire is circular in cross-section and the main lumen of the catheter is D-shaped in cross-section.

Claim 44

A set as defined in claim 39 wherein the guide wire is circular and the lumen is non-circular.

Claim 45

A set as defined in claim 38 wherein the cross-sectional area of the guide wire is not greater than 50% of the cross-sectional area of the lumen.

Claim 46

A guide wire as defined in claim 32 wherein the taper at the distal region of the main wire is continuous.

Claim 47

A guide wire as defined in claim 32 wherein the torsionally rigid means comprises said main wire being formed from a solid rod.

Claim 48

A guide wire as defined in claim 32 wherein said torsionally rigid means comprises said guide wire being formed from a solid walled tube.

Claim 49

A guide wire as defined in claim 32 wherein said torsionally rigid means comprises said main wire being formed from a solid rod.

Claim 50

A guide wire as defined in claim 32 wherein said torsionally rigid means comprises said main wire being formed from a solid walled tube.

Claim 51

A guide wire as defined in claim 32 wherein the distal end of guide wire includes a bendable safety wire in the spring, the safety wire being adapted to be bent to said set curved configuration.

Claim 52

A guide wire as defined in claim 32 further comprising a distal spring extension at the distal end of the spring, the extension extending distally beyond the distal end of the main wire.

Claim 53

A steerable small diameter guide wire having a proximal end and a distal end comprising: a main wire having a proximal end and a distal region; a helically wound spring connected to the distal region of the main wire, the length of the spring comprising a relatively short portion of the overall length of the guide wire and the main wire comprising the major portion of the overall length of the guide wire; the spring being formed at least in part from a material having a high radiopacity; each of said main wire and spring having a maximum diameter which does not exceed 0.020 inches; the distal end of the guide wire being constructed to be bendable to a set curved configuration and to retain that set curve when relaxed, said bendable distal end being sufficiently flexible so as to adapt to and follow the contours of a patient's blood vessel; the guide wire having means sufficiently torsionally rigid along its length for transmitting to the distal end of the guide wire substantially all of the angular rotation applied to the proximal end of the guide wire thereby enabling the guide wire with prebent distal end to be controllably directed to selected branches of a patient's vascular system.

Claim 54

A steerable small diameter guide wire having a proximal end and a distal end comprising: a main wire having a proximal end and a distal region; a helically wound spring connected to the distal region of the main wire, the length of the spring comprising a relatively short portion of the overall length of the guide wire and the main wire comprising the major portion of the overall length of the guide wire; the spring being formed at least in part from a material having a high radiopacity; each of said main wire and spring having a maximum diameter which does not exceed 0.020 inches; the distal end of the guide wire being constructed to be bendable to a set curved configuration and to retain that set curve when relaxed, said bendable distal end being sufficiently flexible so as to adapt to and follow the contours of a patient's blood vessel; the guide wire having means sufficiently torsionally rigid along its length for transmitting to the distal end of the guide wire substantially all of the angular rotation applied to the proximal end of the guide wire thereby enabling the guide wire with prebent distal end to be controllably directed to selected branches of a patient's vascular system.

Claim 55

A guide wire as defined in claim 5 wherein the spring is formed from an alloy which includes a major proportion of platinum.

Claim 56

A guide wire as defined in claim 50 wherein said torsionally rigid means comprises said main wire being formed from a solid rod.

Claim 57

A guide wire as defined in claim 50 wherein said torsionally rigid means comprises: said main wire being formed from a solid walled tube.

Claim 58

A guide wire as defined in claim 50 wherein the outer diameter of each of the main wire and spring are substantially the same.

Claim 59

A guide wire as defined in claim 51 wherein the distal end of the guide wire includes a bendable safety wire within the spring, the safety wire being adapted to be bent to and retain said set curve.

Claim 60

A guide wire as defined in claim 50 further comprising a distal spring extension at the distal end of the spring, the extension extending beyond the distal end of the main wire.

Claim 61

A set for introducing a balloon dilatation catheter and for performing a balloon dilatation in a blood vessel comprising: a guide wire as defined in claim 50; and a balloon dilatation catheter having a main lumen which is receptive to the guide wire, said main lumen being open at the distal end of the catheter.

Claim 62

A set as defined in claim 57 wherein the main lumen in the balloon dilatation catheter is larger in cross-section than the guide wire whereby a flow passage may be maintained within the balloon catheter for infusion of liquids and pressure measurements without requiring removal of the guide wire.

Claim 63

A set as defined in claim 58 wherein the main lumen of the catheter has a different cross-sectional shape than that of the guide wire.

Claim 64

A set as defined in claim 59 wherein the guide wire is circular in cross-section and the main lumen of the catheter is D-shaped in cross-section.

Claim 65

A set as defined in claim 57 wherein the outer diameter of the dilatation catheter is not greater than of the order of 0.050 inches.

Claim 66

A set as defined in claim 58 wherein said guide wire is circular in cross-section and wherein said main lumen is non circular in cross-section.

Claim 67

A set as defined in claim 58 wherein the cross-section defined by the guide wire is not greater than about 50 percent of the cross-sectional area of the main lumen in the catheter.

Claim 68

A set of a small diameter catheter and steerable guide wire for use therewith comprising: a guide wire as defined in claim 50; and a catheter having a lumen receptive to the guide wire, the lumen being open at the distal end of the catheter, said catheter having an outer diameter not greater than of the order of 0.050 inches.

Claim 69

A steerable small diameter guide wire having a proximal end and a distal end comprising: a main wire having a proximal end and a distal region; a helically wound spring connected to the distal region of the main wire, the length of the spring comprising a relatively short portion of the overall length of the guide wire and the main wire comprising the major portion of the overall length of the guide wire; each of said main wire and spring having a maximum diameter which does not exceed 0.020 inches; the distal end of the guide wire being constructed to be bendable to a set curved configuration and to retain that set curve when relaxed, said bendable distal end being sufficiently flexible so as to adapt to and follow the contours of a patient's blood vessel; the guide wire having means sufficiently torsionally rigid along its length for transmitting to the distal end of the guide wire substantially all of the angular rotation applied to the proximal end of the guide wire thereby enabling the guide wire with prebent distal end to be controllably directed to selected branches of the vascular system.

Claim 70

A steerable small diameter guide wire having a proximal end and a distal end comprising: a main wire having a proximal end and a distal region; a helically wound spring connected to the distal region of the main wire, the length of the spring comprising a relatively short portion of the overall length of the guide wire and the main wire comprising the major portion of the overall length of the guide wire; each of said main wire and spring having a maximum diameter which does not exceed 0.020 inches; the distal end of the guide wire being constructed to be bendable to a set curved configuration and to retain that set curve when relaxed, said bendable distal end being sufficiently flexible so as to adapt to and follow the contours of a patient's blood vessel; the guide wire having means sufficiently torsionally rigid along its length for transmitting to the distal end of the guide wire substantially all of the angular rotation applied to the proximal end of the guide wire thereby enabling the guide wire with prebent distal end to be controllably directed to selected branches of the vascular system.

Claim 71

A guide wire as defined in claim 65 wherein the torsionally rigid means comprises: said meain wire being formed from a solid rod.

Claim 72

A guide wire as defined in claim 65 wherein the torsionally rigid means comprises: said main wire being formed from a solid walled tube.

Claim 73

A guide wire as defined in claim 68 wherein the outer diameter of each of the main wire and spring are substantially the same.

Claim 74

A set for introducing a balloon dilatation catheter and for performing a balloon dilatation in a blood vessel comprising: a guide wire as defined in claim 65; and a balloon dilatation catheter having a main lumen which is receptive to the guide wire, said main lumen being open at the distal end of the catheter.

Claim 75

A set of a small diameter catheter and steerable guide wire for use therewith comprising: a guide wire as defined in claim 65, and a catheter having a lumen receptive to the guide wire, the lumen being open at the distal end of the catheter, said catheter having an outer diameter not greater than of the order of 0.050 inches.