STEERABLE GUIDEWIRE AND METHOD OF USE

摘要

A steerable guidewire. The steerable guidewire is fabricated includes an outer tube, an inner tube, a hub, and a distal articulating region. 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.

主权项

1. A steerable guidewire comprising:
an outer tube characterized by a proximal end a distal end, and a flexible region at the distal end, said flexible region also characterized by a proximal and a distal end; and an inner tube characterized by a proximal and a distal end, said inner tube having a flexible region near the distal end thereof and an atraumatic distal tip, said inner tube having a slotted portion near the distal end of the thereof, said slotted portion having a longitudinally oriented slot disposed in the inner tube; a central lumen within said outer tube and extending substantially the length of said tube, wherein the inner tube is radially constrained to concentrically reside and translate along the longitudinal axis of the outer tube; said inner tube being disposed within the outer tube, extending from the proximal end of the outer tube to the distal end of the outer tube, and terminating distally at the distal end of the outer tube, said inner tube longitudinally fixed to the outer tube at a point in the outer tube proximate the distal end of the flexible region of the outer tube; wherein the flexible region of the outer tube comprises a segment of the outer tube which is snake-cut with a plurality of radially oriented slots in the wall of the outer tube, said radially oriented slots being substantially radially aligned along one side of the outer tube; and the flexible region of the inner tube comprises a segment of the inner tube with a longitudinally oriented slot.