Advanced Cardiovascular Systems, Inc.

Cardiac Pacemakers, Inc.

Lawrence E Brennan

Wayne E Cornish

David M Anderson

Marc Mehrzad Jalisi

Mark Richardson

David H Burkett

Daryush Mirzaee

Olin J Palmer

Sepehr Fariabi

James M Jacobs

Emmanuel C Biagtan

Kent C Stalker

Robert C Esselstein

John Schreiner

Mo Jafari

Douglas H Gesswein

Robert James Siegel

Fozan El-Nounou

Neil M Becker

Martinos Tran

A guidewire or section thereof, that has a core member or the like with a plurality of contiguous tapered segments having taper angles that are configured to produce a linear change in stiffness over a longitudinal portion of the device. The device may also have a core section with a continuously changing taper angle to produce a curvilinear profile that is configured to produce a linear change in stiffness of the core over a longitudinal portion of the device. An embodiment has a plurality of radiopaque elements that may be intermittent, continuous or in the form of a helical ribbon for scaled measurement of intracorporeal structure under fluoroscopic imaging. Another embodiment has at least one layer of polymer over the distal end of the device.

Polymer coated guidewire

A guidewire or section thereof, that has a core member or the like with a plurality of contiguous tapered segments having taper angles that are configured to produce a linear change in stiffness over a longitudinal portion of the device. The device may also have a core section with a continuously changing taper angle to produce a curvilinear profile that is configured to produce a linear change in stiffness of the core over a longitudinal portion of the device. An embodiment has a plurality of radiopaque elements that may be intermittent, continuous or in the form of a helical ribbon for scaled measurement of intracorporeal structure under flouroscopic imaging. Another embodiment has at least one layer of polymer over the distal end of the device.

Polymer coated guide wire

An improved guide catheter provides a distal tip with one or more members that assist a surgeon with locating and inserting the guide catheter through the ostium in the wall of the right atrium that leads to the coronary sinus of the heart. The guide catheter is used to implant a cardiac lead so that its electrodes are positioned in the vasculature associated with the left side of the heart.

Guide catheter for placing cardiac lead

A guidewire for intraluminal advancement of a medical device within a patient which has an elongate core member with a flexible body member disposed on a distal section thereof. In one embodiment, the distal section of the elongate core member has at least one flexible segment with at least one pair of opposed tapered or parallel faces. Preferably the flexible segment with the tapered or parallel faces is disposed at the distal end of the elongate core and forms a shapable segment.

Guidewire with smoothly tapered segment

A guide catheter employs a flexible shaft having a pre-formed bend at a distal end. An inflatable member is disposed on the flexible shaft and encompasses at least part of the pre-formed bend. The flexible shaft contains an inflation lumen in fluid connection with the inflatable member. Inflation of the inflatable member causes a deflection of the distal end of the flexible shaft. The guide catheter includes an inflation mechanism in fluid connection with the inflation lumen for pressurizing and depressurizing the inflation member. A guide catheter according to the present invention is useful for various medical procedures, including providing access to heart vessels for cardiac lead implantation, EP mapping, and angiography/venography.

Balloon actuated guide catheter

An ultrasonic angioplasty device includes a catheter and a connector assembly for interconnecting an ultrasound transmission member to an ultrasound transducer. A rotation control device is provided that prevents the ultrasound transmission member from rotating relative to the catheter. Rotation is prevented by a fastener aligning the connector assembly with the elongated catheter body, or a key member that fits in a correspondingly shaped slot in a proximal shaft portion of the catheter, for preventing rotation of the connector assembly relative to the catheter.

Ultrasonic ablation catheter transmission wire connector assembly

A guidewire for guiding a medical device within a patient which has an elongate core member with a flexible body member disposed about and secured to a distal core section and a flexible core segment or flexible core segment which has a first pair of opposed faces which define a first transverse dimension that tapers from a first value to a second larger value and a second pair of opposed faces which define a second transverse dimension that tapers from a first value to a second smaller value.

Guidewire with tapered flexible core segment

The ultrasonic angioplasty transmission guide wire has regions of reduced cross-sectional diameter to improve flexibility and to compensate for degradation of longitudinal displacement due to acoustic losses along the length of the guide wire. The guide wire has a core of ultrasonic transmission material and an outer jacket surrounding a usable portion of the elongated shaft. The outer jacket is formed of a shrink tubing. At the proximal end are disposed threads configured to connect to a connecting device for an ultrasound transducer. The distal end comprises a smooth ball tip for atraumatic application of ultrasound energy to biological tissue. In one embodiment, the guide wire is formed of stainless steel. In another, the guide wire is formed at least partially of a superelastic metal alloy and in one case is formed at least partially of a shape memory alloy that exhibits superelastic properties when in its martensitic state. In one preferred embodiment, the guide wire is formed of a nickel-titanium alloy.

Ultrasonic transmission guide wire

The disclosure is directed to a guidewire having an elongate core member with at least one distally tapered portion at the distal section, with a flexible body member disposed around said distal section. The flexible body member is preferably comprised of a metallic helical coil that has proximally tapered portion at the proximal end, with a diameter similar to the outer diameter of the elongate core member at the point of attachment thereto. The distal end of the flexible body member is attached to the distal end of the elongate core member. The proximal taper of the flexible body member provides a smooth transition from the elongate core member to the flexible body member while minimizing the amount of bonding material needed and the resulting localized stiff portion at the point of connection between the proximal end of the flexible body member and the elongate body member.

Growing community of inventors

Temecula, CA, United States of America

Lawrence E Brennan