Claims
- 1. A guide wire, comprising:
- a) a core wire having a proximal and a distal end;
- b) at least one electrical lead provided on said core wire and extending along the length thereof, and adapted for connection to an electrical device provided at the distal end of said core wire;
- c) a male connector means provided at the proximal end of said core wire;
- d) a protective layer covering the core wire and said at least one electrical lead;
- e) wherein said at least one electrical lead, at least partially along the length of said core wire, is formed on a sheet of thin, flexible material;
- f) said at least one lead terminating at said male connector means at the proximal end in a contact element adapted for a mating female connector.
- 2. The guide wire as claimed in claim 1, further comprising at least two electrical leads, said leads being covered by an insulating material such as to not be short circuited by female contact elements in a mating female connector, said female contact elements corresponding respectively to one male contact point.
- 3. A guide wire, comprising:
- a) a core wire having a proximal and a distal end;
- b) at least one electrical lead provided on said core wire and extending along the length thereof, and adapted for connection to an electrical device provided at the distal end of said core wire;
- c) a male connector means provided at the proximal end of said core wire;
- d) a protective layer covering the core wire and said at least one electrical lead;
- e) wherein said at least one electrical lead, at least partially along the length of said core wire, is formed on a sheet of thin, flexible material;
- f) said at least one lead terminating at said male connector means at the proximal end in a contact element adapted for a mating female connector,
- wherein said at least one lead and said contact element are formed by etched conductive material provided on said sheet.
- 4. The guide wire as claimed in claim 3, wherein said thin, flexible material includes polyimide, and said conductive material includes copper.
- 5. A guide wire, comprising:
- a) a core wire having a proximal and a distal end;
- b) at least one electrical lead provided on said core wire and extending along the length thereof, and adapted for connection to an electrical device provided at the distal end of said core wire;
- c) a male connector means provided at the proximal end of said core wire;
- d) a protective layer covering the core wire and said at least one electrical lead;
- e) wherein said at least one electrical lead, at least partially along the length of said core wire, is formed on a sheet of thin, flexible material;
- f) said at least one lead terminating at said male connector means at the proximal end in a contact element adapted for a mating female connector,
- wherein said sheet has a wider portion at the proximal end, said wider portion being wrapped at least partially around the proximal end of said core wire.
- 6. The guide wire as claimed in claim 5, where said wider portion has at least one conductive strip extending over said portion in the transverse direction, said at least one strip being electrically connected to a respective lead.
- 7. The guide wire as claimed in claim 6, wherein each of said strips forms a contact surface of said male connector, and extends at least partially around the core wire when said wider proximal portion of said sheet is wrapped around said core wire.
- 8. The guide wire as claimed in claim 5, wherein said wider portion extends around said core wire and overlaps itself.
- 9. The guide wire as claimed in claim 1, wherein said sheet is at least partially wrapped around said core wire.
- 10. A guide wire, comprising:
- a) a core wire having a proximal and a distal end;
- b) at least one electrical lead provided on said core wire and extending along the length thereof, and adapted for connection to an electrical device provided at the distal end of said core wire;
- c) a male connector means provided at the proximal end of said core wire;
- d) a protective layer covering the core wire and said at least one electrical lead;
- said at least one electrical lead being formed on a sheet of thin, flexible material;
- e) said sheet being at least partially wrapped around said core wire along the length thereof;
- f) said sheet having a wider portion at the proximal end;
- said wider portion being wrapped at least one full turn around the proximal end of said core wire;
- g) said wider portion having at least one conductive strip extending over said portion in the transverse direction;
- h) said at least one strip being electrically connected to a respective lead;
- i) each strip forming a contact surface of said male connector means, and extending essentially around the entire core wire when said wider proximal portion of said flexible sheet is wrapped around said core wire.
- 11. The guide wire as claimed in claim 1, further comprising three electrical leads and three contact surfaces.
- 12. The guide wire of claim 11, further comprising a plurality of contact pads on said electrical device corresponding to said leads, for attaching terminal ends of said leads to said contact pads thereby forming a connection between leads and said electrical device.
- 13. A guide wire, comprising:
- a) a core wire having a proximal and a distal end;
- b) at least one electrical lead provided on said core wire and extending along the length thereof, and adapted for connection to an electrical device provided at the distal end of said core wire;
- c) a male connector means provided at the proximal end of said core wire;
- d) a protective layer covering the core wire and said at least one electrical lead;
- e) wherein said at least one electrical lead, at least partially along the length of said core wire, is formed on a sheet of thin, flexible material;
- f) said at least one lead terminating at said male connector means at the proximal end in a contact element adapted for a mating female connector;
- said guide wire further comprising:
- g) three electrical leads and three contact surfaces;
- h) a plurality of contact pads on said electrical device corresponding to said leads, for attaching terminal ends of said leads to said contact pads thereby forming a connection between leads and said electrical device; and
- i) an intermediate circuit board having a first end with a lead pattern matching said leads and contact pads attached to the terminal ends of said leads, and a second end attached to said contact pads.
- 14. The guide wire of claim 13, further comprising a connection between said leads on said flexible circuit board and said electrical device formed by first ends of intermediate insulated electrical wires attached to respective leads, and second ends of said wire attached to contact pads.
- 15. The guide wire of claim 1, wherein said electrical device is a pressure sensor.
- 16. The guide wire of claim 10, wherein said electrical device is a pressure sensor.
- 17. A method of precluding contamination by human or animal body fluids and the like in an electrical connection having a male member and a female member, comprising:
- a) providing an elongated guide wire having a proximal end and a distal end, the male member being positioned at the proximal end;
- b) forming a generally smooth surface on the male member, the member comprising a plurality of electrical conductors thereon and including forming a conductive layer on a sheet of thin, flexible material and etching away conductive material to form the plurality of conductors;
- c) inserting the distal end of the guide wire into the body in the presence of the body fluids;
- d) sliding a catheter over the guide wire and into the body wherein body fluids surround and enter at least a portion of the catheter;
- e) engaging the male member into the female member, the female member having complementing conductors therein;
- f) disengaging the male and female members;
- g) removing the catheter from the body by sliding the catheter over the guide wire wherein body fluids are deposited on the smooth surface of the male member; and
- h) removing the body fluids from the smooth surface without leaving body fluid on or between the conductors, thus precluding contamination.
Parent Case Info
The Applicants hereby claim the benefit of provisional application No. 60/042,396, filed Mar. 25, 1997.
US Referenced Citations (2)
Number |
Name |
Date |
Kind |
5178159 |
Christian |
Jan 1993 |
|
5445155 |
Sieben |
Aug 1995 |
|