Patent · US Expired

Apparatus and method for formable guide wire tip

US5497786A · kind A · utility

56Cited by
10References
9Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateAug 18, 1994
Grant dateMar 12, 1996
Priority date
Expiry dateAug 18, 2014

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC A)Human Necessities
  • CPC primaryA61M2025/09175
  • WIPO fieldMedical technology
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

An apparatus and method for a catheter guide wire having a helical coil encasing or covering at least a portion of the distal end section of the wire. At least one region of the distal end is heat treated to facilitate bending or forming a J-tip. The treated regions are of a size to cover only a small portion of the distal end section of the wire, thus preserving the resilience and flexibility of the tip for steerage through a lumen of a body. This improved method and device enables the bending or forming of the guide wire tip with comparative ease with regard to non-treated tips, without sacrificing tip performance as often occurs when the entire or major portion of the distal tip is heat treated, or bent without treatment simply by force.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.