Guidewire loading assist tool for intravascular blood pumps
AssigneeCardiovascular Systems, Inc.
InventorsVictor L. Schoenle, Joseph P. Higgins, Matthew H. Hanson
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Abstract
The present invention provides a guidewire assist tool for use in providing a smooth back loading of a guide wire through an intravascular blood pump such as a VAD, LVAD or RVAD. Such devices typically have large apertures or windows, e.g., outlet apertures located proximally of an impeller. The guidewire assist tool temporarily fills the windows to allow the guidewire to smoothly translate past the windows. Once the guidewire tip has translated past the apertures or windows, the guidewire assist tool may be removed.
Claims16
A guidewire assist tool for loading a guidewire into a blood pump having a housing, inlet apertures defined through the housing, outlet apertures defined through the housing, the guidewire assist tool further comprising:
- a first arm comprising a grip end and a partially circumferential end opposite the grip end, the partially circumferential end comprising an inner surface defining at least one raised surface,
- a second arm comprising a grip end and a partially circumferential end opposite the grip end, the partially circumferential end comprising an inner surface defining at least one raised surface,
- wherein the first and second arms are rotationally connected along a length of the first and second arms and configured such that scissoring the first arm grip end and the second arm grip end toward each other causes the first arm partially circumferential end and the second arm's partially circumferential end to move away from each other and into an open configuration, and
- wherein scissoring the first grip end away from the second arm grip end causes the first arm's partially circumferential end and the second arm's partially circumferential end to move toward each other and into a closed configuration.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.