Shape memory guide wire
AssigneeCook Medical Technologies LLC
InventorHimanshu Suri
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A guide wire is described for navigating body channels such as vessels. The guide wire can include an elongated member having a proximal portion and a distal portion, and a fluid passage to transport a fluid from the proximal portion to the distal portion. The distal portion of the elongated member can include a shape memory material with two way memory effect. The shape memory material can have a transition temperature less than a body temperature such that the distal portion has a first shape at the body temperature and a second shape different from the first shape at a temperature less than the transition temperature.
Claims20
A method of using a guide wire comprising:
- inserting a guide wire into a body channel, the guide wire including
- an elongated member having a proximal portion and
- a distal portion and a fluid passage to transport a fluid from the proximal portion to the distal portion;
- and
- selectively transitioning the distal portion of the elongated member between a first shape and a second shape different from the first shape by controlling flow of the fluid through the fluid passage, including
- starting flow of the fluid through the fluid passage to transition the distal portion of the elongated member from the first shape to the second shape and
- stopping flow of the fluid through the fluid passage to transition the distal portion of the elongated member from the second shape to the first shape.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.