Guidewire

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10279150-B2
Application number	US-201615261089-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 9, 2016
Priority date	Mar 19, 2014
Publication date	May 7, 2019
Grant date	May 7, 2019

Abstract

The disclosed guidewire includes a wire main body possessing an elongated shape and a cylindrical body possessing a cylindrical shape. The distal portion of the wire main body is positioned in the cylindrical body. The guidewire has an inner coil disposed between the wire main body and the cylindrical body. The inner coil includes a wire rod wound in a spiral shape along the outer circumferential portion of the wire main body. There is an interval between the wire rods adjacent to each other in a longitudinal direction of the wire main body that is adjustable. The guidewire also has an operation member that changes the interval between the wire rods of the inner coil.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A guidewire comprising:
a wire main body possessing an elongated shape, an outer circumferential portion, and a distal portion, the wire main body extending in a longitudinal direction;
an outer wound coil possessing a cylindrical shape, the distal portion of the wire main body being positioned in the outer wound coil, the outer wound coil comprising windings wound in a spiral shape;
an inner coil disposed between the wire main body and the outer wound coil, the inner coil comprising a wire rod wound in a spiral shape along and in contact with the outer circumferential portion of the wire main body, and an interval between the wire rods adjacent to each other in a longitudinal direction of the wire main body being adjustable; and
an operation member configured to change the interval between the wire rods of the inner coil.

2. The guidewire according to claim 1 , wherein a rigidity of the distal portion of the guidewire is changed by changing the interval.

3. The guidewire according to claim 1 , wherein the inner coil has radiopacity.

4. The guidewire according to claim 3 , wherein the wire rods function as scales and a spacing between the scales is changed by changing the interval.

5. The guidewire according to claim 3 , wherein
the outer wound coil possesses an overlap portion that overlaps with the inner coil in the longitudinal direction, and
radiopacity of the overlap portion overlapping the inner coil is lower than the radiopacity of the inner coil.

6. The guidewire according to claim 5 , wherein an other portion of the outer wound coil other than the overlap portion has radiopacity which is the same as or greater than the radiopacity of the inner coil.

7. The guidewire according to claim 1 , wherein
the operation member comprises a distal portion and a tube in which the wire main body is positioned, and
the distal portion of the operation member is interlocked to a proximal portion of the coil.

8. The guidewire according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a lock which is configured to maintain the interval between the adjacent wire rods of the inner coil.

9. The guidewire according to claim 1 , wherein the outer wound coil is formed by winding outer wire rods in a spiral shape.

10. The guidewire according to claim 9 , wherein the outer wire rods adjacent to each other in the longitudinal direction of the wire main body remain in contact to each other regardless of the change in the interval.

11. The guidewire according to claim 1 , wherein the inner coil possesses a length when no external force is applied to the inner coil, the outer wound coil possessing a length, and the length of the inner coil when no external force is applied being shorter than the length of the outer wound coil.

12. The guidewire according to claim 1 , wherein
the wire main body comprises a first linear portion, a tapered portion distal to the first linear portion, and a second linear portion distal to the tapered portion, the second linear portion including the distal end of the wire main body, and
the inner coil being fixed at the second linear portion of the wire main body distal to the tapered portion of the wire main body.

13. The guidewire according to claim 1 , wherein the outer wound coil possesses a length in the longitudinal direction, the length of the outer wound coil remaining constant when the interval between the wire rods of the inner coil is changed.

14. A guidewire comprising:
a wire main body elongated in a longitudinal direction, the wire main body possessing an outer circumferential surface and a distal portion;
a cylindrical body comprising an inner circumferential surface, the distal portion of the wire main body being located within the cylindrical body such that the outer circumferential surface of the wire main body faces the inner circumferential surface of the cylindrical body and such that a space exists between the outer circumferential surface of the wire main body and the inner circumferential surface of the cylindrical body, the cylindrical body being attached to the wire main body so that the cylindrical body and the wire main body move together, the cylindrical body possessing a length in the longitudinal direction;
an inner coil extending in the longitudinal direction, the inner coil being in the space between the wire main body and the cylindrical body in a radial direction of the guidewire, the inner coil comprising a wound wire rod that is wound in a spiral shape along the outer circumferential surface of the wire main body, the wound wire rod including windings that are adjacent to one another in the longitudinal direction and that are spaced apart from one another by an interval, the inner coil being fixed to the wire main body at a distal end of the inner coil so that the distal end of the inner coil moves together with the wire main body; and
an operation member operatively connected to the inner coil, the operation member being configured to move in the longitudinal direction relative to the wire main body and the cylindrical body to change the interval between the adjacent wire rod windings of the inner coil and thereby vary rigidity of the guidewire, the length of the cylindrical body remaining constant throughout the changing of the interval between the adjacent wire rod windings of the inner coil.

15. The guidewire according to claim 14 , wherein the operation member is configured to be moved in a distal direction relative to the wire main body and relative to the cylindrical main body to decrease the interval between the adjacent wire rod windings of the inner coil to increase rigidity of a distal portion of the guidewire.

16. The guidewire according to claim 15 , wherein the inner coil comprises a plurality of wire rods round in the spiral shape.

17. The guidewire according to claim 15 , further comprising
a locking mechanism protruding from the wire main body, the locking mechanism operatively engaging the operation member to fix the interval.

Assignees

• Terumo Corp

Inventors

• Nabeshima Yousuke
• Sekine Yuusuke

Classifications

• A61M25/09025

  with sliding mandrils · CPC title

• A61M2025/0915

  having features for changing the stiffness · CPC title

• A61M2025/09166

  having radio-opaque features · CPC title

• A61M2025/09091

  where a sheath surrounds the coil at the distal part · CPC title

• A61M25/09 Primary

  Guide wires · CPC title