US 5,678,296 A · Hollow lumen cable apparatus

Abstract

A hollow lumen cable is formed by helically winding inner and outer coils with the helices of each coil being in an abutting relationship and the outer coil inner diameter being less than the outer, peripheral, diameter of the inner coil. Preferably, each coil is multifilar. After the coils are wound, an unwinding force is applied to the outer coils and the inner coils is inserted into the outer coils to have its winding inclined opposite to that of the outer coil; and thence, the outer coils is allowed to contract to form an interference fit with the inner coil. The cable may be incorporated as part of various medical systems e.g., implantable pumps or other rotatable medical apparatus. The cable is bendable about the tight radii, has a high torque transfer, a small outer diameter, and a hollow lumen through which fluid, wires or medical devices may pass.

Claims23

Dependent claims

A process for making a cable adapted for medical usage, comprising the steps of:

helically winding wires into inner and outer coils with the outer coil in its relaxed non-assembled condition having an outer coil inner diameter and an outer diameter of about 1/16" for use in a vascular vessel and the inner coil in its relaxed con-assembled condition having a hollow lumen and an inner coil diameter;
applying an unwinding force to the outer coil, thereby partially unwinding the outer coil and increasing its inner diameter to a dimension moving the inner coil and the partially unwound outer coil such that the inner coil is surrounded by the outer coil with its convolutions wound in the opposite direction from that of the outer coil;
and removing the unwinding force from the outer coil thereby causing the outer coil to contract and form an interface fit with the inner coil, the coils having distal and proximal ends and having the interference fit providing a substantially 1 to 1 transfer of torque from the proximal ends of the coils to their distal ends, regardless of the direction of rotation of the coils after they are in their interference fit.

A process for making a guide wire, comprising the steps of:

helically winding inner and outer coils with the outer coil in its relaxed non-assembled condition having an inner diameter and the inner coil in its relaxed non-assembled condition having a hollow lumen, distal ends and an outer diameter that is larger than the outer coil inner diameter;
applying a force to the outer coil thereby partially unwinding the outer coil inner diameter to a dimension larger than the outer diameter of the inner coil;
relatively moving the inner coil and the partially unwound outer coil, thereby causing the inner coil to become surrounded by the outer coil with its convolution wound in the opposite direction from that to the outer coil;
and removing the force from the outer coil, thereby causing the outer coil to contract to form an interface fit with the inner coil, the outer coil having an outer diameter that is the same as the outer diameter of a vascular system coiled guide wire;
extending an axially elongated guide wire main wire having a distal end into the inner coil;
and joining the main wire distal end to at least one of the outer coil and the inner coil.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Hollow lumen cable apparatus

Life of this patent

Hollow lumen cable apparatus

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims23