C. R. Bard, Inc.

Lex P Jansen

John R Fagan

John A Wright

L Ven Raman

Rebecca C Testa

Joanne Gilbert

Richelle Tartacower

An elongate flexible wire-like medical device, such as a guidewire for use with a catheter, is formed with a shaft in which the difference between the magnitude of the tensile yield stress and compressive yield stress of the shaft is substantially reduced. The guidewire exhibits superior kink resistance without compromising other desirable characteristics and enables a guidewire to be made in a smaller diameter without loss of performance. The guidewire shaft may be formed from a precipitation hardenable alloy such as an alloy of nickel, cobalt, molybdenum and chromium (MP35N and Elgiloy), 455PH stainless steel or stainless steel alloy 1RK91. Also disclosed is a process for increasing the modulus of elasticity of an alloy of nickel, cobalt molybdenum and chromium. Further, the disclosure relates to an improved management and manufacturing process for constructing the tip of a medical guidewire.

High performance wires for use in medical devices and alloys therefor

A guidewire for use with a catheter has varying radiopacity as well as at least one radiopaque marker in its distal end. In one embodiment, the guidewire includes a shaft that supports a distal radiopaque coil and a proximal radiopaque coil. The proximal and distal coils are spaced apart from one another. The non-radiopaque area between the two coils has at least one radiopaque marker band attached to the shaft. The marker bands provide several radiographically visible reference Lengths. A polymer sleeve encases the marker bands and the shaft between the first and second coils providing a uniform outer diameter to the distal region of the guidewire. In another embodiment, the proximal coil may be omitted. In a further embodiment, a radiopaque coil having varying pitch along its length is supported by and attached to a distal region of the core wire. The coil includes highly radiopaque distal and proximal sections, or highly radiopaque distal section and lightly radiopaque window section, and a more moderately radiopaque intermediate section. The intermediate section of the coil may include at least one smaller tightly wound radiographically dark coil section separated from the distal and proximal sections and from one another by loosely wound coil sections. A polymer sleeve is attached to the guidewire and covers a portion of the coil. In a fourth embodiment, the sleeve is attached to the guidewire only at its ends and covers the intermediate window section of the coil.

Catheter guidewire with radiopaque markers

A small diameter steerable guidewire adapted for use in percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty has three segments, each adapted to reside in a separate region of the arterial and coronary anatomy during angioplasty. The proximal segment is adapted to reside proximally of the aortic arch and has high torsional rigidity for enhanced pushability and rotational transmission. An intermediate segment is adapted to reside in the region of the aortic arch and is more flexible than the proximal section while maintaining a high degree of rotation transmission. The distal segment is more flexible than the intermediate segment and is dimensioned to reside from a region proximally of the primary curve of the guidewire to and into the coronary arteries.

Growing community of inventors

Londonberry, NH, United States of America

Lex P Jansen