MXPA99001549A - Wire appliance guide with specific flexibility according to localization - Google Patents

Abstract

A catheter / guide wire for stringing into a vasculature conduit includes an elongate body sized to be threaded into the conduit, where the body has one or more intermediate sections at the proximal end and the distal end, in addition to being more flexible than other intermediate sections in a manner that the more flexible sections coincide with the curves in the conduit when the elongated body is threaded into the conduit

Description

WIRE APPLIANCE GUIDE WITH SPECIFIC FLEXIBILITY ACCORDING TO LOCALIZATION? BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a catheter / guide wire device along which selected locations are made especially flexible to generally coincide with curves of a trajectory profile of a body vasculature into which the device is to be inserted. Catheters have become an indispensable tool in the diagnosis and treatment of different disorders in the human body. Since catheters can be threaded (usually on a catheter guidewire) through sinuous vasculature conduits to a target location, it is possible to access the target location to restore blood flow, visualize, test, occlude , supply medicines, etc., as desired. Navigation through anatomy is usually carried out by visualizing a guidewire (which has an opaque radio element) in the body using X-ray fluoroscopy. The guide wire is inserted into a vessel or conduit (along with the catheter if desired) and moves through it until the tip of the guide wire reaches the desired location. Of course, during the insertion of the guide wire, it may be necessary to rotate the proximal end to direct the tip by ordinarily curving it toward a desired vessel or branch of conduit, and then further advance the guidewire. The catheter is threaded onto the guidewire to follow or track the wire to the desired location, and provide additional support for the wire. Once the catheter is in place, the guidewire can be removed, depending on the therapy that is to be performed. As the guidewire is advanced in the anatomy, the internal resistance of the usually numerous turns and curves and contact with the surface decreases the ability to further advance the guidewire. This, in turn, can give rise to a more difficult and prolonged procedure, or in a more serious aspect, failure to access the desired anatomy and thus a failed procedure. Of course, a guidewire and / or catheter with flexibility in suitable locations and good torsional characteristics (torsional rigidity) would, of course, help overcome the problems created by internal resistance. Also, once the catheter is in place, if its flexibility is better accommodated to the turns and curves of the duct in which it was inserted, less trauma will result for the duct.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the invention is to provide a catheter and / or guide wire of the catheter in which one or more intermediate sections from the end proximal to the distal end are formed to be more flexible than other intermediate sections. It is also an object of the invention to provide this catheter and / or guide wire of the catheter in which some of the more flexible sections are closer to the proximal end. Another object of the invention is to provide this catheter and / or guidewire wherein the more flexible sections coincide with the more curved portions of a vasculature conduit in which the catheter and / or guidewire of the catheter is to be inserted. Yet another object of the invention, according to one aspect thereof, is to provide this catheter and / or guidewire in which more flexible sections are formed with a plurality of generally transverse cuts separated longitudinally in the sections. The foregoing and other objects of the invention are embodied in a specific illustrative embodiment of a catheter / guidewire adapted to be threaded into a vasculature conduit having a determinable path profile of curves and generally linear sections. The catheter / guidewire comprises an elongate body having a distal end, a proximal end and intermediate sections, the intermediate sections being formed to be more flexible than other intermediate sections so that the selected sections coincide with the curves of a trajectory profile when the device is threaded into the vasculature conduit. According to one aspect of the invention, the most flexible sections selected are formed with a plurality of generally transverse cuts that become deeper, wider or closer together to increase flexibility.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The foregoing and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from a consideration of the following detailed description which is presented together with the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a side view, of a cut of a catheter and / or catheter guidewire placed in a vasculature conduit after having been constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention; Figure 2 is a graph of stiffness / flexibility by distance of the catheter and / or guide wire of the catheter of Figure 1; and Figure 3 is a fragmentary, side view of a cut of a catheter and / or guide wire of the catheter showing different types of cuts that can be used to achieve the desired flexibility.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Referring to Figure 1, a side view of a cut of a catheter or guide wire of the catheter 4 threaded into "a vasculature conduit 8 is shown. The vasculature conduit 8 is shown with a first acute curve 12 which it really is a loop, a second curve less acute but still severe 16, and a third curve more gradual 20 (of the branch to be selected.) These curved sections of the vasculature are also labeled A, B and C, respectively For the vasculature conduit 8 to better accommodate the catheter or guidewire device of the catheter 4, the device is formed with more flexible sections at locations along the length of the device which coincide with the locations of the curves A, B and C. In particular, this portion of the device 4 that would be in the curved portion A of the vasculature conduit 8, when the device was threaded into the conduit, was it constructs to be more flexible, while the portion of the device that is located or resides in the curved portion B of the conduit 8 is constructed to be almost more flexible, and this part of the device that resides in the curved portion C of the conduit 8 is made to be flexible but the least flexible of the three sections (unless it also matches the distal end of device 4, in which case portion C would also be very flexible for navigation purposes). The portions A, B and C should be somewhat larger than the curved portions of the vasculature conduit 8 they occupy to avoid the tendency to "lock" the device 4 in place, once inserted. In this way, the catheter or guide wire device of the catheter 4 can be threaded into the vasculature conduit 8 and effectively "fit" comfortably into the curved profile of the conduit. Figure 2 is a graph showing the stiffness / flexibility against the length of the catheter or catheter / guidewire device 4 of Figure 1 extending from the proximal end to the distal end. In particular, as shown in the graph, section A (shown in Figure 1) of device 4 is the most flexible section, on either side of which there are sections of much greater rigidity; section B is the next most flexible, again with either side of the section being much more rigid; and section C is the least flexible of the three sections identified. Section C, of course, is at the distal end of device 4 while section A is almost at the proximal end and section B is intermediate at both. Figure 2 shows the relative stiffness / flexibility of different segments of device 4 so that it is easy to accommodate vasculature conduit 8 of Figure 1. Of course, the other path profiles for conduits differ in stiffness characteristics / Flexibility would be provided for when the catheter or guide wire of the catheter were to be threaded into this conduit. A simple configuration, suitable for use in conjunction with a carotid siphon, for example, is a catheter or catheter guidewire that is more flexible in a proximal segment than in the distal end., where the distal end may have different lengths relative to the flexible location in the proximal segment. It should be noted that the more flexible section of the catheter or catheter guide wire device 4 is not at or just at the distal end as is the case with the catheter or the catheter / guidewire devices. In contrast, the rigidity or flexibility of the different segments of the device 4 have been selected to accommodate a particular vasculature conduit (where the curvature of the conduit can be determined in a three-dimensional view with, for example MRl or CT). Figure 3 shows a fragmented side view of a cut of a catheter (or catheter guide wire) showing different types of cuts that can be made generally in the transverse direction in the catheter to control the flexibility thereof. In the segment 30a of the catheter 30, the cuts 34 are shown to be placed closely together which would serve to increase the flexibility of the catheter in this segment, while in the segment 30b, the cuts 38 are further separated but become wider in this segment. , in the same way, it serves to increase the flexibility of the catheter. Finally, in segment 30c of catheter 30, cuts 42 become deeper thereby increasing flexibility. In other words, the flexibility can be increased by: (1) placing the cuts closest to each other, (2) making the cuts wider, or (3) making the cuts deeper, that is, controlling the beam. Of course, all these techniques can be provided to achieve the desired flexibility. The preparation of the cuts in the catheters and / or catheter guidewires to control flexibility is described in co-pending US Patent Application No. 08 / 819,611, filed on March 17, in addition to varying the flexibility of different segments of the catheter. a catheter (or catheter guide wire) by selective use of cuts, it is also possible to use selective ring formation, abrasion, variation in wall or wire thickness, variation of catheter material properties , etc. It should be understood that the arrangements described above are only illustrative of the application of the principles of the present invention. Various modalities and alternative arrangements may be devised by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention and the appended claims are proposed to cover these modifications and arrangements.

Claims (16)

1. A catheter / guidewire device for threading into a vasculature conduit having a determinable path profile of generally linear curves and sections, the device consists of an elongate body having a distal end, a proximal end and intermediate sections, wherein the selected intermediate sections are formed to be more flexible than other intermediate sections, so that the selected sections coincide with the curves of the trajectory profile when the device is threaded into the vasculature conduit.

2. The catheter / guidewire device as recited in claim 1, wherein the selected intermediate sections are formed with a plurality of generally transverse cuts placed in the longitudinal direction along the selected intermediate sections.

3. The catheter / guide wire device as recited in claim 2, wherein selected intermediate sections are formed to be more flexible than other selected intermediate sections, placing the cuts closest to each other.

4. The catheter / guide wire device as recited in claim 2, wherein certain selected intermediate sections are formed to be more flexible than others of the selected intermediate sections, forming the deepest cuts.

The catheter / guide wire device as recited in claim 2, wherein certain of the selected intermediate sections are formed to be more flexible than others of the selected intermediate sections, forming the widest cuts.

The catheter / guide wire device as recited in claim 1, wherein certain of the selected intermediate sections are formed to be more flexible than others of the selected intermediate sections, so that certain selected intermediate sections coincide with the curves of the trajectory profile having the largest curvature, when the device is threaded into the vasculature conduit.

The catheter / guidewire device as recited in claim 1, wherein at least some of the selected intermediate sections varies from one to the other in flexibility.

The catheter / guide wire device as recited in claim 1, wherein the distal end of the wire is formed to be more flexible than other sections of the wire.

9. The catheter / wire guide device as recited in claim 1, wherein at least one selected intermediate section is formed to be more flexible than the distal end.

The catheter / wire guide device as recited in claim 1, wherein certain of the selected intermediate sections are formed to be more flexible than others of the selected intermediate sections, forming rings in these certain sections.

The catheter / guidewire device as recited in claim 1, wherein certain of the selected intermediate sections are formed to be more flexible than others of the selected intermediate sections, by abrasion of these certain sections.

The catheter / guide wire device as recited in claim 1, wherein certain of the selected intermediate sections are formed to be more flexible than others of the selected intermediate sections, reducing the thickness of the device wall in these certain sections.

13. A catheter / guide wire for stringing into a vasculature conduit consisting of an elongated body sized to thread into the conduit, and includes one or more sections intermediate the proximal end and the distal end, formed to be more flexible than other sections intermediate, somewhat closer to the proximal end and somewhat closer to the distal end.

The catheter / guidewire as recited in claim 13, wherein one or more sections are formed with a plurality of generally transverse cuts positioned longitudinally along one or more sections.

15. The catheter / guide wire as mentioned in claim 14, wherein the longitudinal locations of one or more sections generally coincide with the longitudinal locations in the vasculature conduit having the largest curvature.

16. The catheter / guide wire for stringing into a vasculature conduit comprises an elongate body sized to thread into the conduit, wherein the proximal end is more flexible than the distal end.