Guidewire having measurement indicia
AssigneeCwire, LLC
InventorsGil M. Vardi, Michael Hogendijk
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Apparatus and methods for manufacturing a guidewire having a plurality of radiopaque markers are disclosed. In a preferred embodiment, the present invention provides a guidewire having a tapered distal section comprising a plurality of gold markers that are deposited on the guidewire at predetermined intervals, so that the outer surface of the guidewire is substantially smooth. The gold markers provide a fluoroscopic reference for positioning the guidewire and enable accurate sizing of vessel features, such as the length of a lesion.
Claims29
A guidewire suitable for measuring features within a vessel, the guidewire comprising a core wire having proximal and distal sections, the distal section having an outer surface and outer diameter, and a plurality of radiopaque markers disposed at predetermined intervals on the distal section, the improvement comprising that the outer surface of the guidewire is substantially smooth.
A method for manufacturing a guidewire suitable for measuring features within a vessel, the method comprising:
- providing a core wire having proximal and distal sections;
- coating portions of the distal section with a mask;
- exposing the core wire beneath the mask at a plurality of predetermined locations;
- depositing a radiopaque material at the predetermined locations;
- and
- removing the mask.
Apparatus suitable for measuring features within a vessel, the apparatus comprising:
- a sheath having a distal region, the distal region having an exterior surface and outer diameter, and a plurality of radiopaque markers disposed at predetermined intervals on the exterior surface.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.