Guide wire with deflectable tip and method

Claim 1

A guide wire for use in a medical procedure in negotiating a tortuous vessel in a patient and for use with a power supply having a manual control comprising a flexible elongate tubular member having proximal and distal extremities and having a bore extending from the proximal extremity to the distal extremity, a core wire extending through the bore of the flexible elongate tubular member, a coil assembly mounted on the distal extremity of the flexible elongate member and having a distal extremity, a rounded tip carried by the distal extremity of the coil assembly, an actuator member having at least a portion thereof disposed in the coil assembly and having proximal and distal extremities, means securing the proximal extremity of the actuator member to the distal extremity of the flexible elongate tubular member, means securing the distal extremity of the actuator member to the rounded tip, said actuator member having at least a portion thereof formed of a shape memory material and incorporating a shape memory therein and capable of assuming austenitic and martensitic states, heating means disposed in the vicinity of said portion of the actuator member for heating said portion to cause it to assume the predetermined shape memory and electrical conductive means connected to said heating means and extending to the proximal extremity of the flexible elongate tubular member and being adapted to be connected to said power supply to supply energy to the heating means, said electrical means including at least one conductor exterior of the core wire and extending to the proximal extremity of the flexible elongate tubular member, said guide wire having a bendable distal extremity capable of assuming a first floppy condition when the shape memory material is in the austenitic state and a second stiffer condition and assuming the shape memory when the shape memory material is in the martensitic phase so that by operation of the manual control the distal extremity of the guide wire can be caused to repeatedly assume said first and second conditions to and in negotiating the distal extremity of the guide wire through the tortuous vessel.

Claim 14

A method for using a single guide wire for passing through a stenosis in a vessel in a human body, the guide wire having a deflectable tip, a core wire connected to the deflectable tip and having an actuator member secured to the deflectable tip and having a portion thereof formed of a shape memory material and being adapted to have incorporated therein a predetermined memory and means for supplying to the heat to said portion of the actuator element, the method comprising forming a predetermined shape in the shape memory element, introducing the deflectable tip of the guide wire while it is soft and flexible into the vessel and advancing the tip of the guide wire in the vessel until a bend is reached in the vessel, supplying heat to the shape memory element to cause a bend to occur in the deflectable tip, continuing advancement of the tip with the bend therein through the bend in the vessel until the tip is in the vicinity of the stenosis, causing the deflectable tip to assume a relatively straight and stiffer condition and advancing the tip through the stenosis while the tip is in the stiffer condition.

Claim 15

A method for using a single guide wire for passing through a stenosis in a vessel in a human body, the guide wire having a deflectable tip, a core wire connected to the deflectable tip and having an actuator member secured to the deflectable tip and having a portion thereof formed of a shape memory material and being adapted to have incorporated therein a predetermined memory and means for supplying to the heat to said portion of the actuator element, the method comprising forming a predetermined shape in the shape memory element, introducing the deflectable tip of the guide wire while it is soft and flexible into the vessel and advancing the tip of the guide wire in the vessel until a bend is reached in the vessel, supplying heat to the shape memory element to cause a bend to occur in the deflectable tip, continuing advancement of the tip with the bend therein through the bend in the vessel until the tip is in the vicinity of the stenosis, causing the deflectable tip to assume a relatively straight and stiffer condition and advancing the tip through the stenosis while the tip is in the stiffer condition.