Extruded guidewires and methods of making
AssigneeBoston Scientific Scimed, Inc.
InventorsJames A. Teague, Mark A. Voss
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Embodiments of the invention include a guidewire for use in a medical procedure. Embodiments of the invention may include a guidewire having an elongate core wire where the core wire is unground, has a length, and a substantially uniform cross-section. A thermoplastic material is extruded with the core wire and surrounds a portion of the core wire. Another embodiment is directed to a method of manufacturing a guidewire including providing an unground core wire having a length, providing a thermoplastic material, and extruding the thermoplastic material onto the core wire such that a portion of the wire is surrounded by the thermoplastic material.
Claims16
A guidewire comprising:
- an elongate core wire, the core wire being unground, having a length from a proximal end to a distal end thereof substantially corresponding to a length from a proximal end to a distal end of the guidewire, and having a substantially uniform cross-sectional area along the length thereof;
- and
- a thermoplastic material extruded along the core wire and surrounding a portion of the core wire,
- wherein the thermoplastic material covers only a proximal portion of the core wire and includes a tapered portion,
- wherein a portion of the core wire not covered with the thermoplastic material is covered with a polymer, the polymer extending from a distal end of the guidewire and terminating along the tapered portion of the thermoplastic material,
- wherein the polymer comprises an outer layer and an inner layer, and
- wherein the inner layer has a thickness decreasing from a distal end of the tapered portion to a proximal end of the tapered portion and the outer layer has a thickness remaining constant from the distal end of the tapered portion to the proximal end of the tapered portion.
A guidewire comprising:
- an elongate core wire, the core wire being unground, having a length from a proximal end to a distal end thereof substantially corresponding to a length from a proximal end to a distal end of the guidewire, and having a substantially uniform cross-sectional area along the length thereof;
- and
- a thermoplastic material extruded along the core wire and surrounding a portion of the core wire, the thermoplastic material having a tapered portion,
- wherein a portion of the core wire not covered with the thermoplastic material is covered with a polymer, the polymer extending from a distal end of the guidewire and terminating along the tapered portion of the thermoplastic material,
- wherein the polymer comprises an inner layer having a thickness decreasing from a distal end of the tapered portion to a proximal end of the tapered portion and an outer layer having a thickness remaining constant from the distal end of the tapered portion to the proximal end of the tapered portion, and
- wherein the thermoplastic material exhibits a substantially star shaped cross-section.
A guidewire comprising:
- an elongate core wire, the core wire being unground, having a length from a proximal end to a distal end thereof substantially corresponding to a length from a proximal end to a distal end of the guidewire, and having a substantially uniform cross-sectional area along the length thereof;
- and
- a thermoplastic material extruded along the core wire and surrounding a portion of the core wire, the thermoplastic material having a tapered portion,
- wherein a portion of the core wire not covered with the thermoplastic material is covered with a polymer, the polymer extending from a distal end of the guidewire and terminating along the tapered portion of the thermoplastic material,
- wherein the polymer comprises an inner layer having a thickness decreasing from a distal end of the tapered portion to a proximal end of the tapered portion and an outer layer having a thickness remaining constant from the distal end of the tapered portion to the proximal end of the tapered portion, and
- wherein an exterior surface of the thermoplastic material comprises a plurality of fins.
A guidewire comprising:
- an elongate core wire, the core wire being unground, having a length from a proximal end to a distal end thereof substantially corresponding to a length from a proximal end to a distal end of the guidewire, and having a substantially uniform cross-sectional area along the length thereof;
- and
- a thermoplastic material extruded along the core wire and surrounding a portion of the core wire,
- wherein a distal portion of the thermoplastic material is tapered to have a smaller cross-section than a remaining proximal portion of the thermoplastic material,
- wherein a portion of the core wire not covered with the thermoplastic material is covered with a polymer, the polymer extending from a distal end of the guidewire and terminating along the distal portion of the thermoplastic material,
- wherein the polymer comprises an inner layer having a thickness decreasing from a distal end of the distal portion to a proximal end of the distal portion and an outer layer having a thickness remaining constant from the distal end of the distal portion to the proximal end of the distal portion,
- wherein a non-tapered portion of the thermoplastic material has an exterior surface comprising a plurality of fins.
A guidewire comprising:
- an elongate core wire, the core wire being unground, having a length from a proximal end to a distal end thereof substantially corresponding to a length from a proximal end to a distal end of the guidewire, and having a substantially uniform cross-sectional area along the length thereof;
- and
- a thermoplastic material extruded along the core wire and surrounding only a portion of the core wire, the thermoplastic material having a tapered portion,
- wherein the thermoplastic material covers a proximal portion of the core wire,
- wherein the proximal portion of the core wire is further covered with a first polymer,
- wherein a portion of the core wire not covered with the thermoplastic material is covered with a second polymer different than the first polymer, the second polymer extending from a distal end of the guidewire and terminating along the tapered portion of the thermoplastic material, and
- wherein the second polymer comprises an inner layer having a thickness decreasing from a distal end of the tapered portion to a proximal end of the tapered portion and an outer layer having a thickness remaining constant from the distal end of the tapered portion to the proximal end of the tapered portion.
A guidewire comprising:
- an elongate core wire, the core wire being unground, having a length from a proximal end to a distal end thereof substantially corresponding to a length from a proximal end to a distal end of the guidewire, and having a substantially uniform cross-sectional area along the length thereof;
- and
- a thermoplastic material extruded along the core wire and surrounding a portion of the core wire, the thermoplastic material having a tapered portion, wherein a portion of the core wire not covered with the thermoplastic material is covered with a polymer, the polymer extending from a distal end of the guidewire and terminating along the tapered portion of the thermoplastic material,
- wherein the polymer comprises an inner layer having a thickness decreasing from a distal end of the tapered portion of the thermoplastic material to a proximal end of the tapered portion of the thermoplastic material and an outer layer having a thickness remaining constant from the distal end of the tapered portion to the proximal end of the tapered portion.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.