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EP0132387B1 Expired / Lapsed EP ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Catheter wire guide with movable mandril

Assignee: Cook Inc
•
Filing: 1984-07-19
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Granted: 1990-04-04
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Expires: 2004-07-19
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Abstract

Abstract 57 A catheter wire guide having an axially movable mandril with a tapered tip for permitting the flexibility of the distal tip of the wire guide to be varied. The mandril is coated with a lubricating material, such as Teflon, for facilitating the smooth movement of the mandril within the wire guide.

Inventors

  • 👤 Thomas A. Osborne

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction EP
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-25 15:48
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61M; A61M25/00; A61M25/01; A61M25/09; A61M25/09016; A61M25/09033; A61M25/09025; A61M2025/09175

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 6
Claim 1
Independent Claim 177 words
A wire guide having a flexible distal tip (17) and adapted for guiding a catheter within a body blood vessel, comprising: a helically wound wire (14) having a longitudinal opening (18); a mandril (13) having distal and proximal ends and portions positioned within said opening, the distal portion (23) of said mandril (13) being tapered axially inwardly towards the distal end of said mandril thereby causing said wire guide flexibility to progressively increase along said taper characterised in that said mandril is longitudinally movable in such opening relative to said wire (14) for varying the flexibility of said distal tip (17) of said wire guide, and in that said mandril includes an enlarged bulb (23A) at the distal end, said bulb permitting said wire (14) to be curved and said mandril to be advanced relative to the distal end of said wire without said mandril protruding through the coils of said wire, and a coating of lubricating material coating the outer surface of said mandril (13) and facilitating smooth movement of said mandril within said opening (18).
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 177 words
A wire guide having a flexible distal tip (17) and adapted for guiding a catheter within a body blood vessel, comprising: a helically wound wire (14) having a longitudinal opening (18); a mandril (13) having distal and proximal ends and portions positioned within said opening, the distal portion (23) of said mandril (13) being tapered axially inwardly towards the distal end of said mandril thereby causing said wire guide flexibility to progressively increase along said taper characterised in that said mandril is longitudinally movable in such opening relative to said wire (14) for varying the flexibility of said distal tip (17) of said wire guide, and in that said mandril includes an enlarged bulb (23A) at the distal end, said bulb permitting said wire (14) to be curved and said mandril to be advanced relative to the distal end of said wire without said mandril protruding through the coils of said wire, and a coating of lubricating material coating the outer surface of said mandril (13) and facilitating smooth movement of said mandril within said opening (18).
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 35 words
The apparatus of Claim 1 wherein said bulb (23A) has a diameter approximately equal to the diameter of the untapered portion of said mandril (13) and a length which is 2-5 times said mandril diameter.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 35 words
The apparatus of Claim 2 wherein said helically wound wire (14) is coated on its outer surface with a lubricating material, said lubricating material facilitating smooth movement of said wire guide through said blood vessel.
Claim 5
Independent Claim 12 words
The apparatus of any preceding Claim wherein said lubricating material is polytetrafluoroethylene.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 31 words
A method of forming a wire guide as defined in Claim 3 wherein the lubricating material is applied to the outer surface of wire (14) after it has been helically wound.

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