Tip-Shapeable Guidewire
AssigneeC. R. Bard, Inc.
InventorRyan R. Lemon
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A guidewire for partial placement within a body of a patient is disclosed. The guidewire is employed to assist in the insertion of a medical device into the body, such as the placement of a catheter into the patient's vasculature. In one embodiment, the guidewire defines an elongate body that includes a distal segment. The distal segment includes a shape memory material that enables at least a portion of the distal segment to be deformed by a user prior to placement of the guidewire in the body of the patient. The shape memory material enables the guidewire to maintain the deformation of the distal segment portion after being deformed by the user.
Claims21
A guidewire for partial placement within a body of a patient, comprising:
- an elongate body including a shape memory material and defining a distal segment, wherein at least a portion of the distal segment capable of being deformed prior to placement of the guidewire in the body of the patient, the distal segment remaining deformed after deformation, and wherein a portion of the guidewire proximal to the distal segment includes superelastic characteristics.
A method for manufacturing a guidewire, comprising:
- forming an elongate guidewire body including a shape memory material;
- and
- heat treating a distal segment so as to impart deformability to the distal segment, wherein the distal segment maintains a deformed configuration after the distal segment is deformed by a user, and wherein the elongate body includes at least one portion proximal to the distal segment that does not maintain a deformed configuration.
A method for manufacturing a guidewire, comprising:
- forming an elongate guidewire body including a shape memory material;
- and
- treating one of a distal segment of the elongate body and a portion of the elongate body proximal to the distal segment such that the distal segment includes deformability so as to maintain a deformed configuration after the distal segment is deformed by a user, and such that the portion proximal to the distal segment includes superelastic characteristics.
A guidewire for placement within a body of a patient, comprising:
- an elongate body including a distal segment, the distal segment including a heat treated nickel-titanium shape memory alloy such that the distal segment can be deformed by a deforming force, the distal segment maintaining the deformed state after a deforming force is removed, wherein a portion of the elongate body proximal to the distal segment is not configured to maintain a shape memory deformation after deformation thereof.
A method for using a guidewire, comprising:
- providing a guidewire including a distal segment, the distal segment including a shape memory alloy;
- deforming at least a portion of the distal segment to a shaped configuration, the guidewire maintaining the shaped configuration after deformation, a portion of the guidewire proximal to the distal segment including superelastic characteristics;
- and
- inserting the distal segment including the shaped configuration into a vasculature of the patient.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.