| 主权项 |
1. A vascular occlusion coil deployment system for use in placing a coil at a preselected site within a vessel comprising:
an elongated flexible delivery member having a lumen extending therethrough and having proximal and distal ends; an embolic coil having a proximal portion; a heat-activated coupling member that is a biocompatible polymer tube joining said embolic coil to the distal end of the delivery member, said coupling member tube being coaxial with the delivery member and having a proximal end portion that is attached to the distal end of the elongated flexible delivery member, said coupling member tube having a distal end portion that is bonded to the proximal portion of the embolic coil, and said coupling member tube having an internal annular section that is attached to neither the delivery member nor the embolic coil; said internal annular section of the coupling member tube is coaxial with the delivery member and the coupling member is of substantially uniform thickness throughout; an elongated flexible detachment member having a lumen extending therethrough, the detachment member being coaxial with the delivery member and slidably positioned within the lumen of the delivery member and having proximal and distal ends; a heating element mounted on the distal end of the detachment member, said heating element being an electrically heated coil that is unattached to the elongated delivery member, is unattached to the coupling member tube while the embolic coil is fixedly attached to the delivery member, and is slidably positioned within the delivery member and within the coupling member tube; a marker at a selected location proximal of the distal end of the delivery member; another marker at a predetermined location proximal of the distal end of the detachment member, said marker predetermined location aligns with said selected location of the marker of the delivery Member when said heating element aligns with said internal annular section of the coupling member tube of the delivery member; and said internal annular section of the coupling member tube softens in response to heat radiating from said thereby aligned heating element and, upon being so heated, breaks when said delivery member is retracted with respect to said coil to release said embolic coil and movement of said delivery member severs the internal annular section of the coupling member tube to release said embolic coil. |
