# US 2003/0114776 A1 · Guide wire with adjustable flexibility

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- Number: US 2003/0114776 A1
- Document ID: US20030114776A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 10/025,428
- Filed: 2001-12-18
- Published: 2003-06-19
- Earliest claimed: 2001-12-18
- Assignees: SciMed Life Systems, Inc.
- Inventors: Stephen Griffin; Gregory E. Mirigian
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20030114776A1

## CPC

- A61M 25/09: Guide wires
- A61M 2025/0915: {having features for changing the stiffness}
- A61M 2025/09175: {having specific characteristics at the distal tip}
- 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)}

## Abstract

A guide wire with a distal portion having adjustable flexibility. The guide wire may include a distal polymeric member and a heat source. The heat source may be activated to cause the polymeric member to increase in temperature and increase in flexibility. The increase in flexibility of the distal portion of the guide wire enhances the ability of the guide wire to navigate tortuous vasculature to a target site. After the guide wire has been navigated to the target site, the heat source may be deactivated to cause the polymeric member to decrease in temperature and increase in stiffness. The increase in stiffness of the distal portion of the guide wire enhances support provided for devices (e.g., catheters) advanced thereon.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A variable stiffness guide wire, comprising:
a guide wire shaft having a proximal portion and a distal portion, the distal potion having a flexibility;
a polymeric member disposed on the distal portion of the shaft, the polymeric member having a first flexibility at a first temperature and a second flexibility at a second temperature, wherein the first temperature is less than the second temperature and the first flexibility is less than the second flexibility; and
a heat source disposed on the distal portion of the shaft, the heat source being in thermal communication with the polymeric member, whereby activation of the heat source causes the polymeric member to rise from the first temperature to the second temperature to thereby change the flexibility of the distal portion of the guide wire.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

A variable stiffness guide wire as in claim 1, wherein the polymeric member comprises a shape memory polymer.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

A variable stiffness guide wire as in claim 2, wherein the shape memory polymer has a glass transition temperature, and wherein the first temperature is below the glass transition temperature.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

A variable stiffness guide wire as in claim 3, wherein the second temperature is above the glass transition temperature.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

A variable stiffness guide wire as in claim 1, wherein the heat source comprises a resistive heating element.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

A variable stiffness guide wire as in claim 5, wherein the distal portion of the shaft includes a tip portion.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

A variable stiffness guide wire as in claim 6, wherein the tip portion includes the polymeric member and resistive heating element.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

A variable stiffness guide wire as in claim 7, wherein the polymeric member comprises a tube.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

A variable stiffness guide wire as in claim 8, wherein the resistive heating element comprises a coiled wire.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

A variable stiffness guide wire as in claim 9, further comprising one or more lead wires connected to and extending proximally from the coiled wire.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

A variable stiffness guide wire as in claim 10, wherein the polymeric tube is disposed on the coiled wire.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

A variable stiffness guide wire as in claim 11, wherein a core wire extends through the tip portion.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

A variable stiffness guide wire as in claim 12, wherein the proximal portion of the guide wire shaft includes a hypotube.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

A variable stiffness guide wire as in claim 13, wherein the distal portion of the guide wire shaft includes a slotted hypotube.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

A variable stiffness guide wire as in claim 14, wherein the coiled wire is disposed in the slots of the slotted hypotube.

### Claim 16

A variable stiffness guide wire, comprising:
a guide wire shaft including a proximal portion and a distal portion having a flexibility;
a polymeric member disposed on the distal portion of the shaft; and
a heat source in thermal communication with the polymeric member, whereby activation of the heat source causes the polymeric member to change the flexibility of the distal portion of the guide wire shaft.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

A variable stiffness guide wire as in claim 16, wherein the polymeric member comprises a shape memory polymer.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

A variable stiffness guide wire as in claim 17, wherein activation of the heat source causes the shape memory polymer to change temperature.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

A variable stiffness guide wire as in claim 18, wherein the shape memory polymer has a glass transition temperature, and wherein the change in temperature is across the glass transition temperature.

### Claim 20 (depends on 18)

A variable stiffness guide wire as in claim 18, wherein the shape memory polymer has a glass transition temperature, and wherein the change in temperature is near the melt temperature.

### Claim 21 (depends on 16)

A variable stiffness guide wire as in claim 16, wherein the heat source comprises a resistive heating element.

### Claim 22 (depends on 21)

A variable stiffness guide wire as in claim 21, wherein the distal portion of the shaft includes a tip portion.

### Claim 23 (depends on 22)

A variable stiffness guide wire as in claim 22, wherein the tip portion includes the polymeric member and resistive heating element.

### Claim 24 (depends on 23)

A variable stiffness guide wire as in claim 23, wherein the polymeric member comprises a tube.

### Claim 25 (depends on 24)

A variable stiffness guide wire as in claim 24, wherein the resistive heating element comprises a coiled wire.

### Claim 26 (depends on 25)

A variable stiffness guide wire as in claim 25, further comprising one or more lead wires connected to and extending proximally from the coiled wire.

### Claim 27 (depends on 26)

A variable stiffness guide wire as in claim 26, wherein the polymeric tube is disposed on the coiled wire.

### Claim 28 (depends on 27)

A variable stiffness guide wire as in claim 27, wherein a core wire extends through the tip portion.

### Claim 29 (depends on 28)

A variable stiffness guide wire as in claim 28, wherein the proximal portion of the guide wire shaft includes a hypotube.

### Claim 30 (depends on 29)

A variable stiffness guide wire as in claim 29, wherein the distal portion of the guide wire shaft includes a slotted hypotube.

### Claim 31 (depends on 30)

A variable stiffness guide wire as in claim 30, wherein the coiled wire is disposed in the slots of the slotted hypotube.

### Claim 32

A variable stiffness guide wire system, comprising:
a guide wire including a distal portion having a flexibility, a distal polymeric member, and a heat source in thermal communication with the polymeric member; and
a power supply connected to the heat source, whereby activation of the heat source by the power supply causes the polymeric member to change the flexibility of the distal portion of the guide wire.

### Claim 33

A method of using a variable stiffness guide wire, comprising the steps of:
providing a guide wire including a distal portion having a flexibility, a distal polymeric member, and a heat source in thermal communication with the polymeric member; and
changing the flexibility of the distal portion of the guide wire by activating or deactivating the heat source.

### Claim 34 (depends on 33)

A method of using a variable stiffness guide wire as in claim 33, wherein the flexibility changing step comprises activating the heat source to increase the flexibility of the distal portion of the guide wire, the method further comprising the step of navigating the guide wire through a patient's vasculature to a target site.

### Claim 35 (depends on 34)

A method of using a variable stiffness guide wire as in claim 34, further comprising the step of deactivating the heat source to decrease the flexibility of the distal portion of the guide wire.

### Claim 36 (depends on 35)

A method of using a variable stiffness guide wire as in claim 35, further comprising the step of advancing a device over the guide wire to the target site.

### Claim 37 (depends on 33)

A method of using a variable stiffness guide wire as in claim 33, wherein the polymeric member comprises a shape memory polymer having a glass transition temperature, and wherein the flexibility changing step comprises heating the polymeric member near the melt temperature.

### Claim 38 (depends on 33)

A method of using a variable stiffness guide wire as in claim 33, wherein the polymeric member comprises a shape memory polymer having a glass transition temperature, and wherein the flexibility changing step comprises heating the polymeric member above the glass transition temperature.

### Claim 39 (depends on 33)

A method of using a variable stiffness guide wire as in claim 33, wherein the heat source comprises a resistive heating element, and wherein the activating step comprises supplying electrical energy to the resistive heating element.