# US 11,439,795 B2 · Guidewire torque device and method of use

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- Number: US 11,439,795 B2
- Document ID: US11439795B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/446,548
- Filed: 2019-06-19
- Published: 2020-12-24
- Granted: 2022-09-13
- Earliest claimed: 2019-06-19
- Assignees: Abbott Cardiovascular Systems Inc.
- Applicants: Abbott Cardiovascular Systems Inc.
- Inventors: Puneet Kamal Singh Gill; Raymundo Rodriguez; Jonathan Durcan; Robert Hayzelden; Michael Green
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11439795B2

## CPC

- A61M 25/09041: {Mechanisms for insertion of guide wires}
- A61B 2017/0042: {with special provisions for gripping}
- A61M 2025/09116: {Design of handles or shafts or gripping surfaces thereof for manipulating guide wires}
- A61M: DEVICES FOR INTRODUCING MEDIA INTO, OR ONTO, THE BODY (introducing media into or onto the bodies of animals A61D7/00; means for inserting tampons A61F13/26; devices for administering food or medicines orally A61J; containers for collecting, storing or administering blood or medical fluids A61J1/05); DEVICES FOR TRANSDUCING BODY MEDIA OR FOR TAKING MEDIA FROM THE BODY (surgery A61B; chemical aspects of surgical articles A61L); DEVICES FOR PRODUCING OR ENDING SLEEP OR STUPOR {(Electrotherapy, e.g. producing anaesthesia by the use of alternating or intermittent currents A61N1/36021)}
- A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D)

## Abstract

A torque device for gripping and manipulating a guidewire for advancing the guidewire into a patient's vascular system. The torque device is configured for single-handed use and can be opened for repositioning the torque device relative to the guidewire and closed for gripping the guidewire to prevent axial and rotational movement relative to the guidewire. The torque device grips the guidewire at multiple spaced apart locations on the guidewire.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A device for gripping a guidewire, comprising:
a body having a distal end, a proximal end and a substantially uniform opening therethrough;
a collet having a plurality of fingers spring biased toward an open position;
a cap for engaging the collet and compressing the fingers of the collet when the cap is tightened to the body portion, the cap configured to receive an end of a guidewire and including an opening through which a guidewire can pass;
a tubular sleeve having a distal end, a proximal end, and a lumen extending therethrough for receiving the collet wherein the tubular sleeve has a tapered distal end configured for sliding engagement with a first tapered face of the collet as the tubular sleeve moves distally; and
a control lever attached to the body and configured for moving the tubular sleeve into and out of engagement with the collet and moving the collet into and out of engagement with the cap thereby causing a gripping surface on the fingers to compress onto the guidewire and release from the guidewire.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The device of claim 1, wherein the body further comprises threads on the distal end, and the cap includes an opening having threads, the threads in the opening receiving the threads on the first end to tighten the cap to the body.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The device of claim 2 wherein the collet comprises multiple substantially parallel, longitudinally-extending fingers.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The device of claim 3, wherein the control lever is attached to the body by a pin so that the control lever can be actuated in an open and closed configuration.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The device of claim 4, wherein the control lever has a distal end and a proximal end, the distal end of the control lever having a cam.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The device of claim 5, wherein the cam on the distal end of the control lever engages a cam surface on the proximal end of the tubular sleeve.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The device of claim 6, wherein depressing the control lever to the closed position moves the cam into sliding engagement with the cam surface, thereby moving the tubular sleeve distally so that the distal end of the tubular sleeve engages the collet.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The device of claim 7, wherein the collet has a second tapered face.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The device of claim 8, wherein the tapered distal end of the tubular sleeve slides on the first tapered face of the collet and forces the collet to move distally.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The device of claim 9, wherein the second tapered face of the collet engages a tapered surface on the cap as the collet moves distally.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The device of claim 10, wherein the plurality of fingers compress onto the guidewire as the collet moves distally and the second tapered face of collet engages and slides along the tapered surface on the cap.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The device of claim 11, wherein a force vector is generated by the second tapered face of the collet sliding along the tapered surface of the cap, the force vector overcoming the spring bias of the plurality of fingers.

### Claim 13 (depends on 6)

The device of claim 6, wherein depressing the control lever to the open position moves the cam into sliding disengagement with the cam surface.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The device of claim 13, wherein after the cam disengages from the cam surface, the plurality fingers being spring biased to the open position, spring apart to the open position thereby moving the collet and the tubular sleeve proximally to cause the gripping surface on the collet to release the guidewire.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The device of claim 14, wherein the second tapered surface of the collet slides proximally on the cap tapered surface thereby releasing the plurality of fingers to spring apart to the open position.

### Claim 16

A method for gripping and maneuvering a guidewire, comprising:
providing a torque device having a body, a collet having a plurality of fingers spring biased toward an open position, and a cap for engaging the collet;
compressing the plurality of fingers of the collet by tightening the cap to the body portion, the cap configured to receive an end of a guidewire and including an opening through which a guidewire can pass;
inserting a guidewire through the body, the collet, and the cap;
wherein the collet has a first tapered face and a second tapered face, and wherein the tubular sleeve has a tapered distal end configured for sliding engagement with the first tapered face of the collet as the tubular sleeve moves distally, and as the tapered distal end of the tubular sleeve slides on the first tapered face of the collet the sleeve forces the collet to move distally; and
depressing a control lever attached to the body and configured for moving a sleeve into and out of engagement with the collet and moving the collet into and out of engagement with the cap thereby causing a gripping surface on the fingers to compress onto the guidewire and release from the guidewire.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The method of claim 16, wherein the body further comprises threads on the distal end, and of the body threads on a proximal end of the cap, the threads on the cap receiving the threads on the distal end of the body to screw the cap onto the body thereby compressing the plurality of fingers on the collet.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The method of claim 17, wherein the control lever has a distal end and a proximal end, the distal end of the control lever having a cam, and by depressing the control lever to the closed position, the cam slides along a proximal end of the sleeve to move the sleeve and collet distally toward the cap.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The method of claim 18, wherein the cam on the distal end of the control lever slidingly engages a cam surface on the proximal end of the tubular sleeve.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The method of claim 19, wherein the second tapered face of the collet engages a tapered surface on the cap as the collet moves distally thereby compressing the plurality of fingers onto the guidewire as the collet moves distally and the second tapered face of collet engages and slides along the tapered surface on the cap.

### Claim 21 (depends on 20)

The method of claim 20, wherein a force vector is generated by the second tapered face of the collet sliding along the tapered surface of the cap, the force vector overcoming the spring bias of the plurality of fingers.

### Claim 22 (depends on 16)

The method of claim 16, wherein depressing the control lever to the open position moves the control lever cam into sliding disengagement with the sleeve cam surface.

### Claim 23 (depends on 22)

The method of claim 22, wherein after the control lever cam disengages from the sleeve cam surface, the plurality of the fingers spring apart to the open position thereby moving the collet and the tubular sleeve proximally to cause the gripping surface on the collet to release the guidewire.

### Claim 24 (depends on 23)

The method of claim 23, wherein the collet second tapered surface slides proximally on the cap tapered surface thereby releasing the plurality of fingers to spring apart to the open position and release the guidewire.