SPRING WIRE INSERT APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR INSERTING TUBULAR MEDICAL DEVICES INTO THE BODY

摘要

This invention is a method and apparatus for preventing kinking in a thin walled tubular medical device during insertion and manipulation of the tubular device in a patient's body. The apparatus comprises a single helix spring wire insert (10) with a hub fitting (12) at a proximal end for interlocking with a hub at the proximal end of the tubular device. The spring wire insert is a coil spring having a low bending resistance and a high circumferential rigidity. After the tubular device is positioned in the patient's body, the spring wire insert can be slid out of the tubular device so that the spring wire insert does not interfere with the normal functions of the tubular device. The spring wire insert also comprises a lumen for allowing the apparatus to slide over an existing guide wire in a patient's body, and a polymer liner (20) to facilitate insertion over the guide wire.