Catheter guide wire
AssigneeMediplus Limited
InventorRobert Graham Urie
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A catheter guidewire for facilitating introduction of a flexible catheter into the human body (e.g., into the bladder) has a proximal end having a first stiffness which is sufficient to facilitate guidance of a stiff plastic expansion sheath through the tissue. A distal end of the guide wire has a second stiffness, substantially less than the first stiffness, to avoid damage to internal walls of the bladder. Preferably, the guide wire incorporates an intermediate portion having a stiffness between the first stiffness value and the second stiffness value.
Claims19
1-25. (canceled)
A guidewire for introduction into the supra-pubic region of a human body via a hollow needle, comprising a proximal end portion, a distal end portion and an intermediate portion extending between the proximal and distal end portions, the distal end portion and intermediate portion including a central core and a coil surrounding the central core, the central core having a tapered portion coextending with the intermediate portion and a uniform diameter portion terminating at and joined to an end member located at a distal end of the coil, and wherein the proximal end portion has a first stiffness, the distal end portion has a second stiffness less than the first stiffness, and the intermediate portion has a stiffness lying between the first stiffness of the proximal end portion and the second stiffness of the distal end portion.
A guidewire for introduction into the supra-pubic region of a human body via a hollow needle, comprising a proximal end portion, a distal end portion and an intermediate portion extending between the proximal and distal end portions, the distal end portion and intermediate portion including a central core and a coil surrounding the central core, the proximal end portion having a uniform outside diameter up to the coil, the coil having an outside diameter no less than the uniform outside diameter of the proximal end portion adjacent the coil, the central core terminating at and joined to an end member located at a distal end of the coil, and wherein the proximal end portion has a first stiffness, the distal end portion has a second stiffness less than the first stiffness, and the intermediate portion has a stiffness lying between the first stiffness of the proximal end portion and the second stiffness of the distal end portion.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.