An intraluminal guide wire may include an elongated shaft extending between a distal and a proximal end. The guide wire may include a user actuation segment positioned proximal to the proximal end of the shaft and configured for movement relative to the shaft. The guide wire may include a core wire affixed to the user actuation segment and the distal end of the shaft. The guide wire may also include an inner member having a proximal end situated at least partially within and fixed relative to the user actuation segment and a distal end situated partially within the shaft, the core wire passing through the inner member. The guide wire may be configured with a distal segment of the inner member within the shaft exhibiting a friction-based restraint on movement within the shaft. The friction-based restraint on movement may be a frictional force between the inner member and the shaft.

A microtube guide has a microtube combined with a free-floating and removable core. The microtube is generally hollow with a tube shaft and a distal ring, the tube shaft and the distal ring formed from flexible plastic. The distal ring is conformable to the core and straightenable for insertion into a patient's body, and deploys when the core is withdrawn to form a loop. The core is received by the microtube and is configured to advance into the distal ring to cause a diameter of the distal ring to expand, retract, or straighten. The distal ring diameter is thus adjustable by the user.

The invention relates to a method for introducing a catheter in a vein, comprising the following steps: puncturing the vein, introducing a guide in the punctured vein, fixing a catheter on the distal coupler of a connector, introducing a mandrel in the catheter, introducing the set formed by the catheter and the mandrel in the vein by having said set slide on the guide, withdrawing the mandrel and the guide, and connecting a fluid injection device on the second proximal coupler of the connector.

This invention is a transvascularly placed steerable guidewire, further including internal steerability and the ability to articulate in a direction at right angles to its longitudinal axis at or near its distal end. The steerable guidewire is generally fabricated from stainless steel and includes an outer tube, an inner tube, hub structures, and a distal articulating region. The steerable guidewire can be advanced through a body lumen in its straight configuration and then be selectively articulated or curved to permit negotiation of tortuous curvature. The steerable guidewire hub can be removed to permit advancement of catheters over its proximal end followed by re-attachment of the hub to permit deflection of the distal end of the steerable guidewire. Removal of the hub can result in a limp guidewire or maintenance of a forced curvature of the distal end of the guidewire.

A device (10) which serves as a stiff guide wire for surgical procedures includes a tube (12) having an internal channel, and a central rod (14) in close-fitting sliding engagement within the tube. The tips of the tube and the central rod are in rigid mechanical engagement or interconnection. A region of the tube (12) is longitudinally slotted to form deflectable strips (18) so that advancing of the tube (12) relative to central the rod (14) causes outward deflection of the strips (18) to form an anchoring configuration. The central rod (14) and the tube (12) together define a stiff guide wire preferably having a length-to-width ratio in excess of 100:1.

This invention is a transvascularly placed steerable guidewire, further including internal steerability and the ability to articulate in a direction at right angles to its longitudinal axis at or near its distal end. The steerable guidewire is generally fabricated from stainless steel and includes an outer tube, an inner tube, hub structures, and a distal articulating region. The steerable guidewire can be advanced through a body lumen in its straight configuration and then be selectively articulated or curved to permit negotiation of tortuous curvature. The steerable guidewire hub can be removed to permit advancement of catheters over its proximal end followed by re-attachment of the hub to permit deflection of the distal end of the steerable guidewire. Removal of the hub can result in a limp guidewire or maintenance of a forced curvature of the distal end of the guidewire.

An introducer assembly (10) includes a catheter (12) having a proximal end (14), a distal end (16) extending to a distal tip of the introducer assembly, and an outer catheter wall. The catheter (12) includes a medical device holding portion (34) proximate the distal end, a guide wire lumen (100) extending between the proximal and distal ends, and a side opening (50) extending through the outer wall to the guide wire lumen. The side opening (50) and the guide wire lumen (100) are simultaneously open and the guide wire lumen and side opening are able to receive a guide wire therethrough. The catheter (12) is flexible at least in the location of the side opening, such that a guide wire (28) fed from the distal end (16) can pass through to the proximal end (14) when the catheter is substantially straight and can pass from the distal end through the side opening (50) when the catheter is curved at the location of the side opening. The catheter (12) also includes a plurality of one stiffening mandrel lumens (104, 106) extending from the proximal end (14) and a plurality of stiffening mandrels sized to fit within the stiffening mandrel lumens and in some forms able to slide therewithin and in other forms enclosed within the stiffening mandrel lumens. The mandrels have different lengths disposed along the length of the catheter and can be of substantially uniform diameter.

Endovascular and intravascular devices and methods of manufacturing endovascular and intravascular devices may be provided. In one implementation, an intravascular device including an elongated sheath and an elongated coil distal to the sheath may be provided. The coil may include a first coil segment formed from a plurality of wires helically-wound at a first coil angle; a second coil segment formed from a first subset of the plurality of wires that is helically-wound at a second coil angle that is different from the first coil angle; and a third coil segment formed from a second subset of the plurality of wires that is helically-wound at a third coil angle that is different from the first and second coil angles. The coil segments may be configured such that flexibility of the coil increases in a longitudinal direction toward the distal end of the coil.

A guide wire-catheter assembly includes a catheter tube having a longitudinal channel, and a guide wire configured to be movable in the longitudinal channel. The catheter tube includes a bendable part near its distal end. The bendable part includes, in the circumferential direction of the catheter tube, a varying flexibility, such that exerting a longitudinal compression force in a proximal direction at a compression location distally of the distal end part results in bending of the bendable part. The guide wire includes an expandable part, where the expandable part is movable between a non-expanded position, in which a cross section of the expandable part is smaller than a smallest cross section of the longitudinal channel of the catheter tube and an expanded position. When the expandable part is in the non-expanded position, the guide wire can be moved completely in and out of the longitudinal channel of the catheter tube.

The disclosure provides various embodiments of catheters having articulable ends that can be used for various procedures. Embodiments of methods are also provided that can be performed with catheters in accordance with the present disclosure.