Steerable guidewire and method of use

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10016210-B2
Application number	US-201414267684-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 1, 2014
Priority date	Apr 17, 2012
Publication date	Jul 10, 2018
Grant date	Jul 10, 2018

Abstract

A steerable guidewire. The steerable guidewire is fabricated includes an outer tube, an inner tube, a hub, and a distal articulating region. The steerable guidewire hub can be removed to permit advancement of catheters over its proximal end followed by re-attachment of the hub to permit deflection of the distal end of the steerable guidewire.

First claim

We claim:

1. A steerable guidewire comprising:
an outer tube characterized by a proximal end, a distal end, and a flexible region at said distal end of the outer tube, said flexible region also characterized by a proximal and a distal end; and
an inner tube characterized by a proximal end and a distal end, and a flexible region near said distal end of the inner tube;
said inner tube being disposed within the outer tube, extending from the proximal end of the outer tube to the distal end of the outer tube, and terminating distally at the distal end of the outer tube, said inner tube longitudinally fixed to the outer tube at a point in the outer tube proximate the distal end of the flexible region of the outer tube; wherein
the flexible region of the outer tube comprises a segment of the outer tube which is snake-cut with a plurality of radially oriented slots in the wall of the outer tube, said radially oriented slots being substantially radially aligned along one side of the outer tube; and
the flexible region of the inner tube comprises a segment of the inner tube with a longitudinally oriented slot; wherein
the flexible region of the inner tube comprising the longitudinally oriented slot disposed in the inner tube is split lengthwise by the longitudinally oriented slot such that it comprises a split tube with a free side ( 234 ) and a connected side ( 232 ), with the longitudinally oriented slot running longitudinally between the free side ( 234 ) and said connected side ( 232 ).

2. The steerable guidewire of claim 1 , further comprising an angled lead-in ( 228 ) communicating from the longitudinally oriented slot through a side wall of the inner tube, wherein said angled lead-in is disposed at an angle between −80° to +2° from a longitudinal axis of the inner tube.

3. The steerable guidewire of claim 1 , further comprising an angled lead-in ( 228 ) communicating from the longitudinally oriented slot through a side wall of the inner tube, wherein said angled lead-in is disposed at an angle between +5° to +20° from a longitudinal axis of the inner tube.

4. The steerable guidewire of claim 1 , further comprising an angled lead-in ( 228 ) communicating from the longitudinally oriented slot through a side wall of the inner tube, wherein said angled lead-in is disposed at an angle between +8° to +15° from a longitudinal axis of the inner tube.

5. The steerable guidewire of claim 2 , wherein the angled lead-in ( 228 ) is disposed proximal to the flexible region of the outer tube.

6. The steerable guidewire of claim 1 further comprising:
a hub affixed to the proximal end of the inner tube, wherein the hub comprises an internal lumen capable of receiving a jack-screw traveler element and preventing said jack-screw traveler element from rotating about the longitudinal axis of the hub, wherein the inner tube is constrained not move relative to the hub;
a jack-screw traveler element affixed to the proximal end of the outer tube, wherein the jack-screw traveler element comprises a traveler thread on at least a portion of its outer surface, and further wherein the outer tube can move axially relative to the hub and inner tube in response to movement of the jack-screw traveler element;
a knob affixed to the hub, capable of being rotated by a user, wherein the knob comprises a knob thread on an inner lumen such that the knob thread and the traveler thread engage; and
a fixation element configured to prevent longitudinal motion of the knob relative to the hub, when the knob is rotated.

7. The steerable guidewire of claim 1 , wherein the longitudinally oriented slot of the inner tube terminates at one end in an angled lead-in communicating from the longitudinally oriented slot, at an angle to a longitudinal axis of the inner tube, and opening through the side wall of the inner tube.

8. The steerable guidewire of claim 1 , wherein the inner tube is fixed to the outer tube at a point radially aligned with the radially oriented slots.

9. The steerable guidewire of claim 1 , wherein the longitudinally oriented slot of the inner tube terminates at its proximal end in an opening through the side wall of the inner tube.

10. The steerable guidewire of claim 3 , wherein the angled lead-in ( 228 ) is disposed proximal to the flexible region of the outer tube.

11. The steerable guidewire of claim 4 , wherein the angled lead-in ( 228 ) is disposed proximal to the flexible region of the outer tube.

Assignees

• Indian Wells Medical Inc

Inventors

• Lenker Jay A
• Pool Scott Louis
• Breznock Eugene M

Classifications

• A61B17/3496

  Protecting sleeves or inner probes; Retractable tips (for protecting body piercing guide needles A61M25/0612) · CPC title

• A61B17/3478

  Endoscopic needles, e.g. for infusion (biopsy needles A61B10/0233; catheters with injection needles A61M25/0067) · CPC title

• A61M29/00

  Dilators with or without means for introducing media, e.g. remedies · CPC title

• A61M25/09041

  Mechanisms for insertion of guide wires · CPC title

• A61B2017/00318

  Steering mechanisms · CPC title