Boston Scientific Scimed, Inc.

Scimed Life Systems, Inc.

Boston Scientific Corporation

Patrice A Weststrate

Laurence D Brenner

Changqing Li

Mark L Adams

John A Griego

Donald C Hovey

Boyd Colvin

William Lucas Churchill

Laddvanh Bouphavichith

John C Holmes

Herbert Alan Sundheimer

Gary Wood

A medical instrument such as a guidewire that is designed to have controlled torque transmission along its length. Specially treated areas are placed in selected and equal areas along the entire length of the elongated shaft of the medical instrument, and are separated from one another by untreated areas. This process ensures that any torque is transmitted distally, in a smooth manner, regardless of the guidewire position, thus resulting in a substantial reduction in whipping. In one embodiment, a stainless steel guidewire is utilized, and is subjected to annealing heat treatment in selected areas. This annealing process creates a mandrel that has repeated temper properties along its length. Torque applied at one end of this mandrel is transmitted to the opposite end in an even and controlled manner, even when the mandrel is formed into a loop.

Medical instrument with controlled torque transmission

A method for percutaneously implanting a medical catheter, such as a gastrostomy feeding tube, and a medical catheter implanting assembly. In one embodiment, the implanting assembly includes a gastrostomy feeding tube, an inner sheath and an outer sheath. The feeding tube has an internal bolster integrally formed at its distal end. The inner sheath includes a bore extending distally from its proximal end to a point prior to its distal end and a transverse window communicating with the bore. The outer sheath includes a proximal end, a distal end and a longitudinal bore. The outer sheath is inserted over the inner sheath, and the feeding tube is inserted into the inner sheath, with the internal bolster being folded and tucked into the window and retained therein by the outer sheath. Movement of the outer sheath relative to the inner sheath to expose the window allows the bolster to decompress.

Method for percutaneously implanting a medical catheter and medical catheter implanting assembly

An access needle well-suited for percutaneous implantation in a body lumen, such as the stomach or the jejunum. In one embodiment, the access needle comprises a cannula, a needle, a retractable stopper and a spreader. The cannula is a tubular member having a proximal end, a distal end, a lumen and a pair of side windows providing access to the lumen. The needle is slidably mounted within the cannula lumen and comprises a needle stem and a needle handle, the needle stem having a proximal end, a distal end and a longitudinal lumen, the needle handle extending outwardly from the needle stem proximate to the proximal end thereof. The stopper is coupled to the needle stem for translational movement, the stopper comprising a pair of outwardly-biasing wings removably insertable through the side windows for engaging an interior surface of a patient. The spreader is mounted within the cannula and spreads the wings outwardly as the wings are inserted out the side windows.

Access needle well-suited for percutaneous implantation in a body lumen

A medical catheter assembly including a multi-piece connector. In one embodiment, the medical catheter assembly is a PEG implanting assembly comprising a tubular dilator and a silicone feeding tube having an internal bolster at its rear end. The assembly also comprises a multi-piece connector comprising an inner ring, a fitting and an outer ring. The inner ring has an outer diameter greater than the inner diameter of the feeding tube and is coaxially disposed within the feeding tube by a friction-fit. The fitting comprises a front portion, an intermediate portion and a rear portion, the intermediate portion including a shoulder having an outer diameter greater than the inner diameter of the feeding tube. The front portion of the fitting is inserted through the rear end of the dilator and is secured to the dilator by a plurality of barbs. The shoulder and the rear portion of the fitting are inserted into the feeding tube through its rear end, with the rear portion of the fitting being inserted into the inner ring and secured thereto by mating threads. The outer ring is inserted over the feeding tube and is positioned between the shoulder and the inner ring, the outer ring being sized to securely retain the feeding tube between the outer ring and the inner ring and between the outer ring and the shoulder.

Medical catheter assembly including multi-piece connector

An adaptor for use with a medical catheter comprises a housing having a first tubular channel with a first longitudinal axis, a dial having a second tubular channel with a second longitudinal axis, and an adaptor fitting removably connected to the second tubular channel. The dial is rotatable between an open position and a closed position when the adaptor fitting is connected thereto. In the open position the first tubular channel is fluidly connected to the second tubular channel, and in the closed position the first tubular channel is not fluidly connected to the second tubular channel. The dial may be configured such that it is not rotatable between the open position and the closed position when the adaptor fitting is not connected thereto. The housing may comprise an upper housing member, an intermediate housing member, and a lower housing member.

Low profile adaptor for use with a medical catheter

An access needle well-suited for percutaneous implantation in a body lumen, such as the stomach or the jejunum. In one embodiment, the access needle comprises a cannula, a needle, a retractable stopper and a spreader. The cannula is a tubular member having a lumen and a pair of side windows providing access to the lumen. The needle is slidably mounted within the cannula lumen and comprises a needle stem and a needle handle, the needle handle extending outwardly from the needle stem proximate to the proximal end thereof. The stopper is coupled to the needle stem for translational movement, the stopper comprising a pair of outwardly-biasing wings removably insertable through the side windows for engaging an interior surface of a patient. The spreader is mounted within the cannula and spreads the wings outwardly as the wings are inserted out the side windows.

Connector for use with a medical catheter assembly and medical catheter assembly including the connector. In one embodiment, the connector comprises a rear portion, an intermediate portion, and a front portion. The rear portion is frusto-conical in shape and tapers rearwardly in cross-sectional diameter from its front end. A centrally-disposed, smaller-diameter, longitudinal bore is provided in the rear portion, the bore being appropriately dimensioned to receive a guidewire therethrough. The intermediate portion is generally cylindrical and is shaped to include a centrally-disposed, larger-diameter longitudinal bore and a pair of longitudinally-extending slots providing access to the larger-diameter bore. The front portion is frusto-conical in shape and tapers forwardly in cross-sectional diameter from its rear end. In use, a silicone tube is inserted into the larger-diameter bore of the intermediate portion, and the rear and intermediate portions of the connector are inserted into a gastrostomy feeding tube. A silicone glue is then used to bond the silicone tube to the gastrostomy feeding tube. The front end of the connector is inserted into a dilator and is secured thereto by spin-welding.

Connector for use with a medical catheter and medical catheter assembly including said connector

Connector for use with a medical catheter and medical catheter assembly

Low profile adaptor for use with gastrostomy feeding tube. In a preferred embodiment, the adaptor comprises a disc-shaped housing, the housing being provided with a bottom opening and a side slot, the side slot having a uniform width, except for an enlarged area at one end thereof. A tube is disposed within the housing, the tube having a first end, a second end, and a longitudinal bore. The first end is aligned with the bottom opening and is adapted to be inserted into the proximal end of a gastrostomy feeding tube. A ratchet-type clamp is disposed within the housing and is used to secure the gastrostomy feeding tube to the first end of the tube. A lateral slot is formed in the tube at its second end and is in fluid communication with the longitudinal bore. A dial is disposed within the housing and is rotatably mounted on the second end of the tube, the dial including a radial channel. When the outer end of the channel is aligned with the enlarged end of the side slot, the inner end of the channel is not in fluid communication with the lateral slot of the tube. When, however, the outer end of the channel is aligned with the opposite end of the slot, the inner end of the channel is in fluid communication with the lateral slot. Movement of the channel between these two positions is effected with an adaptor fitting. The adaptor fitting has a first end insertable into a food delivery tube and a second end insertable into and removable from the outer end of the channel only when the outer end of the channel is aligned with the enlarged end of the side slot.

Growing community of inventors

Norwood, MA, United States of America

Patrice A Weststrate