Patent Grant
8939916
This invention relates generally to medical devices for navigating through anatomy and methods of making them.
Medical devices, such as endovascular or intravascular devices, have been used for many years for purposes such as performing various medical procedures. A medical device such as an intravascular device may be introduced into a patient's anatomy or vasculature at a relatively accessible location, and guided through the patient's anatomy to the desired location. X-ray fluoroscopy has been used to observe the tip of the medical device and the device has been rotated at bifurcations in the anatomy or vasculature before being pushed further to guide the device to the desired target location. Medical devices of this type may be solid, for example, a guidewire, or may be hollow and tubular, for example, a catheter. Guidewires may be used to guide one or more tubular intravascular devices to a particular location, and catheters may be used, for instance, to deliver fluids, extract fluids, or deliver various objects, agents, or devices to the particular location.
In many applications it is desirable that a medical device or intravascular device bend easily in order to allow it to make the various bends and turns that are necessary to navigate through the anatomy or vasculature, and in some cases also to minimize trauma to the anatomy or vasculature. However, in many applications it is also desirable that the medical device is stiff enough to not prolapse, for example, when navigating through relatively large vasculature. It may also be desirable that such medical devices be relatively stiff in torsion in order to allow precise control of rotation in order to guide the device through bifurcations in vasculature or around obstacles. Another desirable feature of many embodiments is that they minimize friction with the anatomy to facilitate their insertion, removal, or both. It may also be desirable for these medical devices to have adequate radiopacity, particularly at the distal end, to make them observable under X-ray fluoroscopy for purposes of navigation.
In addition, it is desirable that medical devices, such as guidewires, are strong and durable enough to assure their complete removal from the patient. Thus, it is desirable that such devices have adequate tensile strength and resist fatigue during use. Further, where expensive materials such as nitinol are used, or expensive fabrication techniques such as forming many slots, it is desirable that the quantity of these materials or techniques be limited to locations where they are actually needed in order to make the devices as inexpensive to manufacture as possible. Other features and benefits are also desirable, at least some of which are described herein or are apparent from this document.
The present invention provides medical devices including intravascular devices such as guidewires. Features of various embodiments of the present invention include that the devices provide the desired flexibility in bending, provide excellent stiffness in torsion, reduce friction with the anatomy, provide better radiopacity than the prior art, particularly at the distal end, resist fatigue, minimize trauma to the patient's anatomy, are capable of navigating through tortuous vasculature, provide the necessary tensile strength to assure complete removal of the medical device, and are inexpensive to manufacture. Other features and benefits are described herein or are apparent from this document, including features and benefits for particular embodiments of the present invention.
Accordingly, the present invention provides a medical device for navigation through anatomy having an elongate body with a proximal end, a distal end, and a longitudinal axis extending at least from the proximal end to the distal end. Such a medical device may include a helical coil formed from wire having a substantially non-circular cross section, and the cross section may have a greater dimension in the radial direction than in the axial direction. The body may include a tubular member with a plurality of slots, which may be configured to make the body or tubular member more flexible in bending. The coil may be located at or near the distal end of the tubular member, and may be made of a substantially radiopaque material. The body may further have a core wire, and at least part of the core wire may be located inside the tubular member, inside the coil, or both. Such a medical device may be a guidewire, for example.
The present invention also provides a medical device configured to be guided to a target location in anatomy, having a tubular member and a core wire extending proximally from the tubular member and attached there with a joint. This joint may have a coil circumscribing the core wire, and at least partially inside the tubular member, and may utilize solder, adhesive, or both. For instance, the core wire and the coil may be metal, and the joint may have solder attaching the coil to the core wire and adhesive attaching the coil, solder, core wire, or a combination thereof, to the tubular member. To allow room for solder, adhesive, or both between the windings, at least a portion of the coil may have a pitch of at least 1.5 times the diameter of the coil wire.
In some embodiments, the core wire may have a tapered portion, and the joint may be located at least partially within the tapered portion. And in some embodiments, the core wire may have a feature configured to facilitate mechanical interlock of the solder or adhesive, and the joint may be located at that feature. Such a feature may include, for example, a step, a ridge, or both. Thus, in some embodiments of the present invention, the core wire may have at least one abrupt change in cross-sectional dimension, for example, between its proximal and distal sections. The core wire may be attached to the tubular member with the proximal end of the tubular member abutting the abrupt change in cross-sectional dimension or abutting a proximal coil attached to the core wire. There may be a smaller diameter mesial coil circumscribing at least a portion of the core wire, which may be soldered to the core wire, and the tubular member may be attached to the mesial coil, for example, with adhesive. And in various embodiments, the core wire may further be attached to the tubular member at the distal end of the tubular member, at one or more locations intermediate the proximal end and the distal end, or both.
In some embodiments of the present invention, the core wire may generally have a substantially round cross section, but a distal section of the core wire located inside the tubular member may have a flattened cross section for at least a portion of its length. Such an embodiment may have substantially radiopaque material located inside the tubular member at the distal section or end, which may have a substantially semicircular cross section and may be located on opposite sides of the flattened cross section of the core wire.
In some embodiments of the present invention, there may be a coil extending distally from the distal end of the tubular member. Such a coil may be made of a substantially radiopaque material, and there may be a mesial coil of another material proximal to the radiopaque coil. The core wire may extend distal to the tubular member inside the coil, and may attach at the distal end of the coil, core wire, or both. In such embodiments, the core wire may be axially but not torsionally constrained relative to the coil at the distal tip of the core wire.
In other embodiments of the present invention, the tubular member may extend distal to the distal tip of the core wire and the medical device may have at least one piece of radiopaque material inside the tubular member, at or adjacent to the distal end of the tubular member, and distal to the distal tip of the core wire. In such embodiments, the core wire may be attached to the tubular member at the distal tip of the core wire. The radiopaque material may be in the shape of a helical coil, for example. In some embodiments, the tubular member may have superelastic properties, and at least part of the distal end may be heat treated to reduce its superelastic properties, for example, to make it shapeable by the user. And in some embodiments, the tubular member may have a chamfer at its proximal end.
The present invention still further provides embodiments having a tapered body, at least in its outside diameter over at least a portion of its length. The taper may have a decreasing outside diameter in the distal direction, and may be either continuous or incremental. In some embodiments, the core wire may have a larger outside diameter along at least a majority of its proximal section than that of the tubular member. But in some embodiments, the tapered portion may include the tubular member. In an incrementally tapered embodiment of the tubular member, the tubular member may have an outside diameter that changes in at least one step between the proximal end and the distal end. In some such embodiments, the tubular member may have a plurality of sections which may have different outside diameters, and the sections may be attached to each other to form the tubular member.
Various embodiments of the tubular member include a plurality of groups of slots formed therein, which may be substantially perpendicular to the axis, and these groups may include a plurality of slots at substantially the same location along the axis. At least a plurality of the longitudinally adjacent groups of slots may be rotated at an angle around the axis from the previous group, and the angle may be in the range of 180 degrees plus or minus no more than 40 degrees, that quantity divided by the number of slots in the group. In some embodiments, at least a plurality of the groups may have at least three slots or may consist of precisely three slots. In such embodiments, the angle of rotation between adjacent groups may be 180 degrees divided by the number of slots in the group, plus or minus no more than 10 degrees.
In some embodiments, each slot in at least a plurality of the groups may be substantially equal in size and equally spaced around the axis. But in some embodiments, in at least some groups, at least one slot may be substantially deeper than at least one other slot. In such embodiments, the medical device may be configured so that tensioning the core wire causes the distal end of the tubular member to change in shape, such as bending or changing the angle of bend. In addition, in some embodiments, the spacing between adjacent groups of slots may vary gradually or incrementally along at least part of the tubular member providing a varying bending stiffness along that distance, and these groups may be more closely spaced at the distal end.
Further, some embodiments of the present invention may have another tubular member. Thus, some embodiments of the present invention may have two tubular members which may share a common longitudinal axis, and may be attached to each other, to the core wire, or both. One or both tubular members may circumscribe at least a portion of the core wire, and the two tubular members may be concentric or in line with each other. One or both tubular members may have a plurality of slots configured to make it more flexible in bending, but one or both tubular members may also have a portion without slots, which may be proximal to the portion with slots. In some embodiments, one tubular member may lack slots altogether, and may be made of a polymer material. In some embodiments, one tubular member may be made of a substantially radiopaque material. There may also be at least one coil concentric with at least one of the tubular members, the core wire, or a combination thereof. One coil may be inside at least one of the tubular members, and some embodiments may have at least one coil circumscribing the core wire. At least one tubular member may be at least partially located inside a coil. Such coils may be used in joints, provide additional bending stiffness, or provide a greater or smoother outside diameter, for example.
The figures in this document illustrate various exemplary embodiments of the present invention. Embodiments of the present invention may include part or all of the features shown in one of these drawings, or may include features from two or more figures. Embodiments of the present invention may also include features described in the specification, or limitations to features described in the specification. Furthermore, embodiments of the present invention may include features that would be familiar to a person of ordinary skill in the art having studied this document.
The present invention provides medical devices and intravascular devices such as guidewires and catheters, improvements to such devices, and methods of making these devices. Included in the present invention are various embodiments providing substantially radiopaque material at or near the distal end to facilitate X-ray fluoroscopy including edge-wound coils, and substantially radiopaque material located inside a tubular member, which may be slotted to improve its bending flexibility. The present invention also includes various embodiments of flexible distal tips including extended coil tips, and tips with a flattened core wire. The present invention even further includes various embodiments of a mesial joint between a core wire and tubular member. Many such embodiments use a coil between the core wire and proximal end of the tubular member, and solder, adhesive, or both. The present invention still further includes various embodiments of medical devices with a coil or second tubular member sharing a common longitudinal axis with the first tubular member, which may reduce the necessary length of the first tubular member, provide radiopacity, reduce friction, seal the slots, provide better bending flexibility, or a combination of these benefits. The present invention also includes embodiments of various geometry of slots formed in a tubular member, including arrangements of slots in groups of two, three, or more, and geometries wherein different slots in at least some groups are unequal in depth. These later embodiments provide a steerable device. The present invention also provides embodiments having tapered bodies, which may include tapered tubular members.
Accordingly,
Core wire 150 may extend proximally from tubular member 130 (e.g. from proximal end 139 or joint 140 as shown). Core wire 150 may also extend distally from joint 140 inside tubular member 130 as shown. Core wire 150 may have a circular cross section, and may have a proximal section 159, which may have a constant outside diameter along part or all of its length, and a distal section 158, which may have a smaller diameter than proximal section 159. In some embodiments, proximal section 159 may have a substantially constant diameter along a majority of its length. In some embodiments, proximal section 159, distal section 158, portions thereof, or a combination of these, may be tapered with a decreasing diameter toward distal tip 137. Distal section 158 of core wire 150 may be located at least partially inside tubular member 130 as shown. In various embodiments, tubular member 130 may have an outside diameter that is smaller, larger, or the same size as proximal section 159 of core wire 150. The outside diameter of tubular member 130 may be substantially constant along all or a majority of its length, or may be tapered, exemplary embodiments of which are described below. Similarly, the inside diameter of tubular member 130, and the wall thickness, may be substantially constant along the length of tubular member 130, or may be tapered.
Guidewire 100 may be configured to be flexible in bending, particularly near distal end 138. The bending stiffness of guidewire 100 may gradually or incrementally decrease along guidewire 100 toward distal tip 137, or along a portion of guidewire 100. For example, the bending stiffness may be constant along proximal section 159 of core wire 150, but may decrease gradually along distal section 158 or tubular member 130, for instance, from proximal end 139 to distal end 138. This flexibility may be accomplished, at least in part, with a plurality of slots 135 formed in at least part of tubular member 130 as shown in several figures including
In some embodiments, the stiffness of all or part of core wire 150 (for example, distal section 158) may also change along its length by reducing in dimension or diameter. In some embodiments, varying flexibility along guidewire 100 may be accomplished or aided by using materials with different properties at different locations. In some embodiments, more flexible materials may be used at the distal end, while stiffer materials may be used at the proximal end. In some embodiments, more flexible materials may be used at the outside surface farther from the longitudinal axis, while stiffer materials may be used in the center or near the axis. Different components made of two or more different materials having different elasticity may be joined with joints. For example, tubular member 130 may be made of a superelastic material such as nitinol, to allow it to bend more without yielding or fatiguing. In comparison, core wire 150 may be made of a stiffer material having a greater modulus of elasticity, for example, stainless steel. As used herein, materials that have two percent recoverable strain, or more, are considered to be superelastic materials and have superelastic properties. Nitinol, for example, may have a recoverable strain of up to ten percent, depending on the chemistry, heat treatment, and the like. Nitinol having a recoverable strain of at least two percent is considered herein to be superelastic.
In embodiments wherein tubular member 130 is made of a superelastic material and core wire 150 is made of a stiffer or more common material such as stainless steel, there may be various advantages to using more of one component than the other, or relying on one component rather than the other to provide various properties such as is bending stiffness. For instance, a stainless steel core wire 150 may have a lower material cost than superelastic nitinol tubular member 130. In addition, it may be expensive to form slots 135 in tubular member 130. Thus, there may be a cost benefit to minimizing the length of tubular member 130. In addition, slots 135 may substantially reduce the tensile strength of tubular member 130. Therefore, it may be an advantage for core wire 150 to be as large as possible to provide adequate tensile strength when the medical device is removed. On the other hand, due to its superelastic properties, tubular member 130 may be able to bend or twist more without failing or deforming plastically. In addition, due to its shape or cross section, slotted tubular member 130 may provide a greater torsional stiffness relative to its bending stiffness, than core wire 150, thus providing greater rotational control of distal tip 137 from chuck 152. Thus, there may also be advantages to having a relatively long tubular member 130, or using tubular member 130 to provide bending stiffness rather than distal section 158 of core wire 150.
As an example, some embodiments of the present invention may have a proximal end 139 of tubular member 130 without slots 135 (illustrated, for example, in
Guidewire 100 is shown in
Accordingly, it is generally desirable that embodiments of the present invention move easily through anatomy 101. Various features and components are described herein which may facilitate such movement, for example, by reducing friction between guidewire 100 and anatomy 101. For instance, all or part of various embodiments of the present invention including guidewire 100 may be coated on its exterior surface with a lubricious coating or lubricant. As examples, guidewire 100 may be coated with a PTFE, Parylene, hydrophilic, or hydrophobic coating.
In some embodiments of the present invention, the tip or distal end 138 is constructed with a particular preformed bend 133. In embodiments having a distal end 138 made of a superelastic material, it may be difficult or impossible for a user to change bend 133. One reason for this may be that the superelastic material of tubular member 130, core wire 150, or both cannot be bent sharply enough to take a permanent set. Accordingly, embodiments of the present invention include a method for making a medical device or guidewire 100 that includes locally reducing the superelastic properties in the tip or distal end 138 of the medical device or guidewire 100, enough that the tip or distal end 138 can be shaped by bending it around a tight radius.
This may be done, for example, by first forming the medical device, at least part from a superelastic material such as nitinol, and then heat treating or annealing the part of the tip or distal end 138 that is desired to be shapeable. An example of such a cycle consists of heating the tip or distal end 138 to approximately 600 degrees C. for 10 seconds. The result may be a reduction in the superelastic effect in the heat treated zone which may provide the ability to achieve a permanent set or bend 133 in the material of distal end 138 when it is bent sharply.
A user of such a medical device or guidewire 100 with a shapeable tip, such a doctor or surgeon, may determine the optimal angle and location of bend 133, for example, from the type of procedure to be performed, the anatomy of the particular patient (e.g., the geometry of bifurcations 107 and 108), or both. The user may then bend tip 133, and proceed to insert guidewire 100 into opening 102 of anatomy 101 and into vasculature 105, and to observe distal end 138 of guidewire 100 with x-ray fluoroscopy, for example, while navigating guidewire 100 through vasculature 105. In some embodiments, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) may be used for observation instead or in addition. At bifurcations 107 and 108, the user may rotate chuck 152 to turn bend 133 to point distal tip 137 toward the desired direction and advance guidewire 100 to the target location. Once at the target location, the user may perform a medical procedure or advance a catheter over guidewire 100 to that location to perform a procedure. When the procedure is completed, or when the catheter is installed, the user may pull guidewire 100 out through opening 102.
The present invention includes techniques for construction and embodiments of small diameter guidewires 100. Various embodiments of the present invention may be advantageous, for example, in medical devices having small diameters (for example, outside diameter (OD) of the guidewire <0.014″). In such embodiments, the outer diameter of proximal section 159 of core wire 150 proximal to tubular member 130 may be larger than the outer diameter of tubular member 130. This may give proximal section 159 of core wire 150 more torsional stiffness, but this may be at the expense of greater bending stiffness. In many applications, the greater bending stiffness may not be a problem for small diameter guidewires 100 because the tortuosity of the anatomy (e.g., of vasculature 105) that the proximal section 159 of core wire 150 must traverse may be low enough to permit greater bending stiffness.
In some embodiments of the present invention, including small-diameter guidewires 100, it may be beneficial to have a relatively-stiff (in bending) portion of guidewire 100 proximal to distal end 138. Relatively-high stiffness in this area may prevent prolapsing when guidewire 100 is being advanced in relatively-large vessels 105, and may facilitate catheter tracking where a sharp branch is negotiated off a relatively-large vessel 105. This relatively-stiff portion may be created, for example, by spacing slots 135 further apart in this relatively-stiff portion of tubular member 130. As an example, guidewire 100 may be constructed with a bending stiffness of approximately 0.00005 pound inches squared (lb-in2) for the first one half centimeter (cm) of length from distal tip 137, followed by a gradual increase in stiffness to 0.0002 lb-in2 one cm from distal tip 137. The stiffness may then remain constant until about four cm from distal tip 137, at which location the stiffness may decrease gradually to about 0.0001 lb-in2 five cm from distal tip 137. The stiffness may then remain constant until about eight cm from distal tip 137, at which location the stiffness may increase gradually to about 0.0004 lb-in2 approximately twenty cm from distal tip 137. The bending stiffness may then remain substantially constant (e.g., along proximal section 159 of guidewire 100).
In a variety of embodiments, medical devices in accordance with the present invention, including guidewire 100, may have a dense material in distal end 138 or tip 137, for example, to make the end or tip more easily observable under x-ray fluoroscopy. An exemplary embodiment of a guidewire 100 with a substantially radiopaque coil 200 is illustrated in
One problem to be overcome in small diameter guidewires is providing adequate radiopacity. In order to increase the radiopacity coil 200 to a required or desired level, the diameter of the platinum or tungsten wire may be increased. But because the annular space between core wire 150 and the inner diameter of the micromachined tubular member 130 may be small, there may not be enough space to provide an adequately radiopaque coil 200 between core wire 150 and tubular member 130. In addition, increasing the diameter of the wire used to wind marker coil 200 may have the undesired effect of increasing the bending stiffness of marker coil 200. Several approaches in accordance with the present invention may be used to overcome this problem.
In an exemplary embodiment illustrated in
Helical coil 200 may be attached to distal end 138 of tubular member 130, and may extend distally therefrom, for example, to distal tip 137. Extended coil tip 300 may provide radiopacity, an atraumatic diameter to contact the anatomy that is significantly larger in diameter than core wire 150, or both. An extended coil tip 300 having helical marker coil 200 illustrated in
In some embodiments of the present invention, coil 200 may be wound from wire having a round or circular cross section. But other embodiments, wire with a non-circular or substantially non-circular cross section may be used. In some embodiments, such a non-circular cross section may have at least one flat side, or two, three, or four flat sides, for example. As illustrated in
The edge-wound flat, trapezoidal, or rectangular cross-section illustrated for coil 200 allows the construction of a coil 200 with a higher radiopacity (density), a lower bending stiffness, or both, in comparison with a coil 200 wound from round wire. This is because when a strip is wound on edge to form coil 200 (i.e., has a greater dimension in the radial direction than in the axial direction) it may result in a lower stiffness, and a greater density (and hence radiopacity), or both, when compared to a coil with the same inside diameter (ID) and outside diameter (OD) wound from round wire. Specifically, a rectangular strip coil 200 may have, for example, about 1/7th of the lateral stiffness and ⅓ more density, when compared with a round wire coil 200. The increase in density generally stems from better utilization of space. The stiffness may be decreased because there are more turns of a less stiff wire in a given length of the rectangular wire coil 200 than in the same length on round wire coil 200. For instance, coil 200 may have a 0.003-inch ID and a 0.009-inch OD. When made of a round wire, with a diameter of 0.003 inches, coil 200 may have a 0.005-inch pitch, a lateral stiffness of 20 (in2-lbs), and a density of 9 g/in. In comparison, a coil 200 with a rectangular cross section may have a thickness (in the axial direction) of 0.0016 inches, a width (in the radial direction) of 0.003 inches, a 0.0027-inch pitch, a lateral stiffness of 3 μ(in2-lbs), and a density of 12 g/in. This embodiment may be implemented, for example, in coronary or neuro guidewires.
Referring now to
Coil 200 may be wound from wire 420, which may have a substantially non-circular cross section 440. Cross section 440 may have two substantially flat opposite non-parallel sides 446 and 447. In some embodiments, sides 446 and 447 may be substantially parallel, and when wound into coil 200, sides 406 and 407 may be out of parallel, with side 408 longer than side 409. In some such embodiments, cross section 440 may have the shape of a rectangle, and cross section 405 may have the shape of a trapezoid. In another embodiment, sides 446 and 447 may be out of parallel by angle 444. Cross section 440 may also have substantially flat sides 448 and 449, which may be shorter than sides 446 and 447, and may form a trapezoid which may be an isosceles trapezoid. In an isosceles trapezoid cross section 440, sides 446 and 447 are of equal length, and sides 448 and 449 are parallel. In some embodiments, side 448, 449, or both, may be curved, and may be convex. Similarly, in some embodiments, side 408, 409, or both, may be curved, and may be convex. In some embodiments, the effect of this curvature may be small or insignificant. But in some embodiments where coil 200 forms the outer surface of the device (e.g., in the embodiments shown in
In some embodiments, angle 444 and the radius of coil 200 (half of ID 401, half of OD 402, or half of a nominal diameter between 401 and 402) may be selected such that sides 446 and 447 become substantially parallel when wire 420 is wound into coil 200, and sides 446 and 447 become sides 406 and 407 respectively. Thus the amount of keystone shape or angle 444 that may be needed or desirable may depend on the diameter (e.g., ID 401 or OD 402) of the coil 200 to be wound. The smaller the coil 200 diameter, the more keystone shape or angle 444 may be needed to compensate for the deformation in the wire 420 as it bends into coil 200. Other variables may affect the angle 444, including the thickness (in the axial direction) of cross section 405 (e.g., the length of side 408 or 409). The shape of cross section 440 may be determined by calculation, empirically, or a combination thereof, to obtain a desired cross section 405. Cross section 440 may be formed, for example, by drawing, rolling, grinding, or machining wire 420, or a combination thereof. Once the wire is formed with cross section 440, the wire may be wound into coil 200 with cross section 405. In various embodiments of the present invention, coil 200 may be wound onto a medical device such as guidewire 100, or may be installed onto the medical device in a separate step.
In embodiments having an extended coil tip 300, the distal end of coil 200 and the distal tip 257 of core wire 150 may be attached to each other directly or via tip 137. An exemplary embodiment is illustrated in
To solve this potential problem, the connection of core wire 150 to distal end 138 of tubular member 130, to coil 200, or to tip 137 may be configured in some embodiments to protect core wire 150 inside the extended coil tip 300 from exposure to excessive toque. For instance, in some embodiments, core wire 150 may not be bonded to distal end 138 of tubular member 130, or to coil 200 at that location. An example of such an embodiments is illustrated in
In another exemplary embodiment illustrated in
Another exemplary embodiment of the present invention that may provide adequate radiopacity is illustrated in
The length of tubular member 730 may be, for example, within the range from 0.5 cm to 5 cm. In various embodiments, the wall thickness of the radiopaque tubular member 730 may be substantially the same or different than that of tubular member 130. Coils or bushings 738, 757, or both may be used at the ends of tubular member 730 to center core wire 150 in the joint, to facilitate attachment, or both. Solder or adhesive 347 may be used to attach distal end 138 of tubular member 130, core wire 150, or both, to tubular member 730. Solder or adhesive 347 may also be used in some embodiments to attach tubular member 730 to distal tip 137 of guidewire 100, distal tip 257 of core wire 150, or both.
Still another exemplary embodiment of the present invention that may provide adequate radiopacity is illustrated in
Various embodiments of the present invention include medical devices, such as guidewire 100, with a tip or distal end 138 with a relatively high flexibility, a relatively high tensile strength, or both, as well as methods for constructing such devices. Specifically, in many embodiments of the present invention, it may be desirable that the tip or distal end 138 of guidewire 100, for example, be of low stiffness to prevent perforation or dissection, for example, of anatomy 101 or vasculature 105. This may be achieved by grinding distal section 158 of core wire 150 to a small diameter or by creating a flat or ribbon shaped wire at the distal end. In guidewire 100, tubular member 130 may carry the torsion load (e.g., during removal of guidewire 100), at least in the section distal to joint 140, and section 158 of core wire 150 may only be required to carry tensile loads in that section. It may also be desirable to allow tubular member 130 (rather than section 158 of core wire 150) to provide most of the desired bending stiffness in the section distal to joint 140 because this may maximize the torque carrying ability of tubular member 130.
Thus, referring to
In embodiments of the present invention wherein section 158 of core wire 150 has a plurality of metal strands 958, for example braided or twisted stainless steel cable or wire rope, distal section 158 may be attached to proximal section 159 of core wire 150 with solder or adhesive 347 as shown in
In embodiments having a flattened distal tip 1057, one or more pieces of substantially radiopaque material 1001 may be located inside tubular member 130, for example, at distal end 138. Material 1001 may be in the form of one or more pieces which may have a substantially semicircular cross section, be slotted disks, or be in the shape of a coil or a coil with a notch formed in the ID, for example. Material 1001 may be located on opposite sides of the substantially flat cross section of the distal section 158 or distal tip 257 of core wire 150.
The present invention also includes medical devices having a number of embodiments of joint 140, for example, medical devices such as guidewire 100 having tubular member 130 and core wire 150. Various embodiments of joint 140 are illustrated, as examples, in
Referring now to
Various embodiments of the present invention may have one or more intermediate bonds between core wire 150 and tubular member 130. In such embodiments of the present invention, tubular member 130 may be bonded (e.g., with adhesive 1148) directly to core wire 150, or to a coil, which may be similar to coil 1141. Such bonds may be, for example, at one or more points intermediate proximal end 139 and distal end 138 of tubular member 130. These bonds may transfer torsional or axial forces or both between the two structural members (tubular member 130 and core wire 150). This embodiment may be implemented, for example, in neuro guidewires.
In exemplary embodiment 1240 of the present invention illustrated in
In order to provide a smoother diameter transition, particularly for embodiments of guidewire 100 that have a relatively short micromachined tubular member 130, a proximal coil 345 may be used. Proximal coil 345 is shown, for example, in FIGS. 3 and 12-15. Proximal coil 345 may have an outside coil diameter that may be about the same as that of proximal section 159 of core wire 150, slotted tubular member 130, or both. Proximal coil 345 may be made, for instance, of stainless steel or other metals. In various exemplary embodiments, the length of proximal coil 345 may range from 1 to 30 cm. The termination of proximal coil 345 on its proximal end may be, for example, at the point where the inner diameter of proximal coil 345 matches the outer diameter of core wire 150. This embodiment of the present invention may be implemented, for instance, in a coronary wire.
In embodiments having solder 1147 and adhesive 1148, the quantity of solder 1147 in the spaced or stretched coil 1141 (or section 1141 of the mesial coil 1243) may be controlled so that coil 1141 may be soldered to core wire 150 but solder 1147 does not completely fill the spaces between the loops of coil 1141. Tubular member 130 may then be slid over coil 1141, mesial coil 1243, or both, and may butt up against proximal coil 345. Adhesive or glue 1148 may then be wicked into the space between the core wire and the tube in the location shown, attaching core wire 130 at its proximal end 139 to coil 1141 and core wire 150. Adhesive 1148 may form a mechanical interlock against coil 1141, within slots 135, or both.
Referring to
Ridged section 1351 may be formed, for example, by grinding down the remainder of core wire 150, or by installing a coil or sleeve on core wire 150, which may be soldered, welded, bonded, shrunk fit, cast, or crimped in place. A coil 1141, which may be part of a mesial coil 1143, may be soldered to core wire 150 just distal to the ridge 1351 as shown. Again, the quantity of solder 1147 in the spaced coil section 1141 of the mesial coil 1143 may be controlled so that the coil 1141 may be soldered to the wire but, in some embodiments, solder 1147 may not fill the spaces between the loops of coil 1141. In some embodiments, a proximal coil 345 may be soldered to the proximal section 159 of core wire 150, to ridge 1351, or both. Tubular member 130 may then be installed over core wire 150, for instance, to the point where proximal end 139 butts up to proximal coil 345. Adhesive or glue 1148 may be wicked into the space between tubular member 130 and core wire 150 in the location shown.
The embodiment of joint 140 illustrated in
Joint 140 with step 1551 may be useful, for example, on guidewires that have a short length of tubular member 130, for instance, a coronary wire with a 5 cm tubular member 130. In such an exemplary embodiment, core wire 150 may be substantially smaller than the inner diameter of tubular member 130. Step 1551 in core wire 150 may allow joint 140 at proximal end 139 of tubular member 130 to have sufficient strength in bending. Step 1551 in core wire 150 may, as examples, either be ground in place on core wire 150, or a distal tube may be slid over proximal section 159 of core wire 150 and soldered or bonded, for instance, to core wire 150 as a separate operation.
The present invention also includes various embodiments of arrangements and configurations of features making it more flexible in bending, for example, slots 135. As mentioned with reference to
Adjacent groups 235 or 1635 of slots 135 may be rotated by an angle relative to each other (i.e., from the adjacent or previous group 235 or 1635) about the axis of tubular member 130 as illustrated in
In some embodiments, the angle of rotation may be slightly more or slightly less than the angle given by this formula. Thus, segments 236 may be a slight angle from lining up with the midpoint of slots 135 in adjacent groups. Thus, slots 236 may form a helical pattern along tubular member 130. This slight angle may be, for example, 1 to 20 degrees for groups 235 of two slots 135 each, and may be the same or less for groups having more than two slots 135. In general, the angle of rotation may be 180 degrees plus or minus no more than 40 degrees, that quantity divided by the number of slots 135 in the group (e.g., group 235 or 1635). In other words, the angle of rotation may be within the range of 140 to 220 degrees divided by the number of slots 135 in the group (e.g., group 235 or 1635). In other embodiments, the angle of rotation may be 180 degrees plus or minus an angle between 1 and 25 degrees, that quantity divided by the number of slots 135 in the group (e.g., group 235 or 1635). In other embodiments, the angle of rotation may be 180 degrees plus or minus no more than 5 degrees, that quantity divided by the number of slots 135 in the group (e.g., group 235 or 1635). In still another embodiment, the angle of rotation may be 180 degrees divided by the number of slots in the group, plus or minus no more than 10 degrees or 1 to 10 degrees.
In some embodiments of the present invention, it may be advantageous to form slots 135 of one or more of the configurations and arrangements described herein in a solid member or wire rather than in a tubular member (e.g., tubular member 130). For example, groups 235 of two slots 135 each may be formed in a solid circular cylinder or wire, which may be formed from nitinol or stainless steel, for example. In some embodiments, different materials may be joined, for example, a stainless steel proximal section and a nitinol distal section, both of which or just the distal section being slotted. Tapering or changes in diameter may also facilitate a lower bending stiffness at the distal end. In comparison with a slotted tubular member 130, for example, a slotted solid member may have greater tensile strength due to the center portion.
As an exemplary embodiment, slots 135 may be formed in part or all of proximal section 159 or distal section 158 of core wire 150 of the exemplary embodiment's described or illustrated herein. In one embodiment, such a slotted wire may form a guidewire, which may have a coil (e.g., an external radiopaque coil 200), tubular member (e.g., 130), coating, or a combination of these. Some embodiments may be encapsulated with a radiopaque polymer compound, for example. In some embodiments, there may be a slotted wire in a slotted tubular member 130, in a radiopaque slotted tubular member 730 (shown in
In some embodiments, slots 135 may be substantially equally spaced around the axis, as shown, for example, in
Medical device 2000 may be steerable by controlling the shape or amount or angle of bend 133 by applying tension to core wire 150, for example, with control knob 2052. Increasing the angle of bend 133 may be accomplished, for example, by pulling on or turning (screwing) control knob 2052 relative to tubular member 130, inducing bending at unequally sized or offset slots 1835a and 1835b. Unequally sized slots 1835a and 1835b may be located along a portion of tubular member 130, for example, where bend 133 is desired. This location may be at or near distal end 138, for example. In one embodiment, medical device 2000 is a guidewire, and control knob 2052 is removable to guide a catheter over device 2000. In other embodiments, tubular member 130 may function as a catheter, which may be usable without a separate guidewire.
Further, in various embodiments of the present invention, it may be advantageous to reduce the compressive stiffness along the axis or column strength or stiffness of at least part of the medical device or tubular member 130, for example, to avoid dissection of vasculature 105. In the embodiment illustrated in
The present invention also includes various features for obtaining the desired torsional and bending stiffness of a medical device such as guidewire 100. Accordingly,
Still referring to
As illustrated, some embodiments of the present invention having two tubular members (e.g., 130 and 2130) may have one or more abrupt changes in cross-sectional dimension or diameter of core wire 150, such as steps 2151, 2152, or both, which may be at the proximal ends of the tubular members. For example, tubular member 2130 may abut against step 2151, and tubular member 2130 may abut against step 2152. Steps 2151 and 2152 may be located farther apart along the axis of core Wire 150 than what is shown. Other embodiments may have a gradual taper in core wire 150 at joint 140, may comprise coils such as those illustrated in other figures, or may omit section 159 of core wire 150 proximal to proximal ends 139 and 2139. Some embodiments having two tubular members may be used in conjunction with extended coil tip 300 described above.
The embodiment of the present invention with concentric tubular members 130 and 2130 illustrated in
In some embodiments of the present invention, it may be desirable for all or part of the outside diameter of a medical device such as guidewire 100 to taper gradually or incrementally (e.g., by stepping) to a smaller OD at distal tip 137. This tapering may facilitate producing a lower bending stiffness in the distal direction. In addition, a smaller outside diameter in the distal end may be desirable, for example, where the medical device is to navigate through progressively smaller vasculature 105, and less space is available where distal end 138 is to navigate. As mentioned with reference to
In the alternative, or in addition, the OD of tubular member 130 may taper in the distal direction. This taper may be a continuous gradual taper or an incremental taper, for example. The inside diameter (ID) of tubular member 130 may also reduce in the distal direction, or may remain constant. Thus, the wall thickness of tubular member 130 may also reduce gradually or incrementally in the distal direction along tubular member 130, or in some embodiments, may remain substantially constant.
Tubular member 130 may be tapered, for example, by machining or grinding its outside surface. In another embodiment, a plurality of different outside diameter sections of tubular member 130 may be joined together forming a tubular member 130 that tapers incrementally, for example, in one or more steps or tapered portions. The different outside diameter sections may butt together for joining or may overlap for a distance concentrically, for example, and may be joined with an adhesive or solder joint or a weld, for example. In such incrementally tapered embodiments of tubular member 130, the steps or changes in outside diameter may be machined or ground to form a chamfer or gradual taper, either along the entire length of tubular member 130 (i.e., a continuous taper) or between sections having substantially constant diameters (i.e., an incremental taper). Such chamfers or gradual tapers at changes in diameter may reduce friction and facilitate navigation of the medical device through anatomy 101. Chamfering or tapering these changes in diameter may also produce more gradual changes in stiffness, reduce stress concentration, or both.
As an exemplary embodiment, and as shown best in
Referring back to
Sleeve 2162 may be shrunk over tubular member 130, tubular member 2130, proximal section 159 of core wire 150, or a combination thereof, or may fit loosely (e.g., with a clearance fit) over other components, and may be affixed for example, with an adhesive. Sleeve 2162 may be affixed, for example, at both of its ends. In some embodiments, sleeve 2162 may be affixed at one or more intermediate locations as well. Sleeve 2162 may improve the lubricity of tubular member 130 by covering slots 135 and preventing friction between slots 135 and anatomy 101. Sleeve 2162 may also seal slots 135, for example, to facilitate using the medical device as a catheter. Further, Sleeve 2162 may increase the stiffness or strength of the medical device, may increase the OD of the medical device, or a combination of these effects. In comparison with other changes that may increase stiffness or OD, sleeve 2162 may avoid reducing the maximum radius of bend that can be achieved without plastic deformation, may avoid reducing fatigue life for a given radius of bend, or both.
In still another exemplary embodiment of the present invention illustrated by
Another exemplary embodiment of the present invention having a second tubular member is illustrated in
As illustrated, such a guidewire 100 may also have a substantially radiopaque marker, such as coil 200, located at or near distal tip 137. Tubular member 2330 my be polymer, may be shrunk fit over section 2356 of core wire 150, or may be attached with an adhesive. Tubular member 2330 may be attached just at its ends, at intermediate locations as well, or along the entire length or at least a portion of tubular member 2330. The use of a polymer tubular member 2330, or tubular member 2330 made of a non-superelastic material, may reduce the necessary length of tubular member 130, reducing the cost of guidewire 100. Tubular member 2330 may also provide a more lubricious surface (e.g., in comparison with the surface of slotted tubular member 130), thus reducing friction between guidewire 100 and anatomy 101 at that location along the longitudinal axis. Further, tubular member 2330 may provide a larger diameter and stiffer section than section 2356 of core wire 150 alone, thus reducing the likelihood of dissection of vasculature 105 and increasing the stiffness of guidewire 100 at that location without reducing bending capability or fatigue resistance.
In other embodiments, tubular member 2330 may be slotted, and may be made of a superelastic metal. In some embodiments, tubular member 130 may be made of a substantially radiopaque material. In embodiments where tubular member 2330 is metal, it may be attached to other metal components with either solder or adhesive 337, for example.
In embodiments wherein distal portion of tubular member 130 or second tubular member 2439 is a separate piece from tubular member 130, there may be a joint 2440 between second tubular member 2439 and tubular member 130, an exemplary embodiment of which is shown. Bushing or coil 2441 may be located part way inside second tubular member 2439 and part way inside tubular member 130, and may be attached to each tubular member (i.e., 2439 and 130) with solder or adhesive 347. In embodiments having core wire 150, bushing or coil 2441 may also serve as a spacer centering core wire 150, and may be attached to core wire 150, for example, with solder or adhesive 347. In another exemplary embodiment of joint 2440, second tubular member 2439 may be welded to tubular member 130.
Distal portion of tubular member 130 or second tubular member 2439 may have an un-tapered (e.g., constant OD) section at its proximal end. In various embodiments, chamfers 231 may be provided at one or both ends of portion or member 2439. In embodiments wherein distal portion of tubular member 130 or second tubular member 2439 is part of tubular member 130, the assembly (i.e., tubular member 130) may be made of a superelastic material such as nitinol. In embodiments with a separate tubular member 2439, tubular member 130, tubular member 2439, or both may be made of a superelastic material such as nitinol. Or tubular member 2439 may be made of a polymer or stainless steel, for example. In some embodiments, tubular member 130 may be made of a substantially radiopaque material.
Referring once again to
The rounded bumps of coil 2266 or 345 may provide a lower friction surface than the slotted exterior surface of tubular member 2130 or 130, for example. In addition, coating 2269 between the windings of coil 2266 may provide lubricity even when lubricious coating 2269 from the outermost surface has been worn away. Embodiments of the present invention having an extended coil tip 300, (illustrated in
The above embodiments are illustrative of the present invention, but are not intended to limit its scope. Numerous modifications and alternative arrangements may be devised by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention, and the appended claims are intended to cover such modifications and arrangements.
This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/604,504 filed Jul. 25, 2003, now U.S. Patent Publication No. US 2004/0181174 A2, which claims the benefit of priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/399,046, filed Jul. 25, 2002, the entire disclosures of which are all hereby incorporated by reference.
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1553227 | Feyk et al. | Sep 1925 | A |
| 1866888 | Hawley | Jul 1932 | A |
| 2275827 | Plensler | Mar 1942 | A |
| 2413805 | Vickers | Jan 1947 | A |
| 2441166 | Raspert | May 1948 | A |
| 2561890 | Stoddard | Jul 1951 | A |
| 2722614 | Fryklund | Nov 1955 | A |
| 2857536 | Light | Oct 1958 | A |
| 2864017 | Waltscheff | Dec 1958 | A |
| 2871793 | Michie et al. | Feb 1959 | A |
| 3249776 | Anderson et al. | May 1966 | A |
| 3322984 | Anderson | May 1967 | A |
| 3334253 | Hill | Aug 1967 | A |
| 3363470 | Yavne | Jan 1968 | A |
| 3452227 | Welch | Jun 1969 | A |
| 3452742 | Muller | Jul 1969 | A |
| 3463953 | Maxwell | Aug 1969 | A |
| 3512019 | Durand | May 1970 | A |
| 3544868 | Bates | Dec 1970 | A |
| 3625200 | Muller | Dec 1971 | A |
| 3686990 | Margolien | Aug 1972 | A |
| 3841308 | Tate | Oct 1974 | A |
| 3890977 | Wilson | Jun 1975 | A |
| 3906938 | Fleischhacker | Sep 1975 | A |
| 4000672 | Sitterer et al. | Jan 1977 | A |
| 4003369 | Heilman et al. | Jan 1977 | A |
| 4020829 | Willson et al. | May 1977 | A |
| 4142119 | Madey | Feb 1979 | A |
| 4215703 | Willson | Aug 1980 | A |
| 4330725 | Hintz | May 1982 | A |
| 4425919 | Alston, Jr. et al. | Jan 1984 | A |
| 4476754 | Ducret | Oct 1984 | A |
| 4482828 | Vergues et al. | Nov 1984 | A |
| 4545390 | Leary | Oct 1985 | A |
| 4563181 | Wijayarathna et al. | Jan 1986 | A |
| 4574670 | Johnson | Mar 1986 | A |
| 4580551 | Siegmund et al. | Apr 1986 | A |
| 4583404 | Bernard et al. | Apr 1986 | A |
| 4635270 | Gürs | Jan 1987 | A |
| 4665906 | Jervis | May 1987 | A |
| 4721117 | Mar et al. | Jan 1988 | A |
| 4737153 | Shimamura et al. | Apr 1988 | A |
| 4763647 | Gambale | Aug 1988 | A |
| 4774949 | Fogarty | Oct 1988 | A |
| 4781092 | Gaiser | Nov 1988 | A |
| 4781186 | Simpson et al. | Nov 1988 | A |
| 4786220 | Fildes et al. | Nov 1988 | A |
| 4790331 | Okada et al. | Dec 1988 | A |
| 4800890 | Cramer | Jan 1989 | A |
| 4811743 | Stevens | Mar 1989 | A |
| 4827941 | Taylor et al. | May 1989 | A |
| 4831858 | Yoshizawa | May 1989 | A |
| 4832047 | Sepetka et al. | May 1989 | A |
| 4846186 | Box et al. | Jul 1989 | A |
| 4846193 | Tremulis et al. | Jul 1989 | A |
| 4867173 | Leoni | Sep 1989 | A |
| 4875489 | Messner et al. | Oct 1989 | A |
| 4884579 | Engelson | Dec 1989 | A |
| 4911148 | Sosnowski et al. | Mar 1990 | A |
| 4917102 | Miller et al. | Apr 1990 | A |
| 4922164 | Jacobsen et al. | May 1990 | A |
| 4922777 | Kawabata | May 1990 | A |
| 4932959 | Horzewski et al. | Jun 1990 | A |
| 4934380 | Toledo | Jun 1990 | A |
| 4953553 | Tremulis | Sep 1990 | A |
| 4954022 | Underwood et al. | Sep 1990 | A |
| 4955384 | Taylor et al. | Sep 1990 | A |
| 4955862 | Sepetka | Sep 1990 | A |
| 4960410 | Pinchuk | Oct 1990 | A |
| 4964409 | Tremulis | Oct 1990 | A |
| 4966163 | Kraus et al. | Oct 1990 | A |
| 4968306 | Huss et al. | Nov 1990 | A |
| 4985022 | Fearnot et al. | Jan 1991 | A |
| 4989608 | Ratner | Feb 1991 | A |
| 4990143 | Sheridan | Feb 1991 | A |
| 4994069 | Ritchart et al. | Feb 1991 | A |
| 4998923 | Samson et al. | Mar 1991 | A |
| 5007434 | Doyle et al. | Apr 1991 | A |
| 5009137 | Dannatt | Apr 1991 | A |
| 5040543 | Badera et al. | Aug 1991 | A |
| 5050606 | Tremulis | Sep 1991 | A |
| 5052404 | Hodgson | Oct 1991 | A |
| 5059177 | Alcebo et al. | Oct 1991 | A |
| 5063935 | Gambale | Nov 1991 | A |
| 5095915 | Engelson | Mar 1992 | A |
| 5106455 | Jacobsen et al. | Apr 1992 | A |
| 5109830 | Cho | May 1992 | A |
| 5125395 | Adair | Jun 1992 | A |
| 5135531 | Shiber | Aug 1992 | A |
| 5144959 | Gambale et al. | Sep 1992 | A |
| 5147317 | Shank et al. | Sep 1992 | A |
| 5181668 | Tsuji et al. | Jan 1993 | A |
| 5205830 | Dassa et al. | Apr 1993 | A |
| 5211183 | Wilson | May 1993 | A |
| 5228441 | Lundquist | Jul 1993 | A |
| 5238004 | Sahatjian et al. | Aug 1993 | A |
| 5242759 | Hall | Sep 1993 | A |
| 5243996 | Hall | Sep 1993 | A |
| 5250069 | Nobuyoshi et al. | Oct 1993 | A |
| 5254106 | Feaster | Oct 1993 | A |
| 5254107 | Soltesz | Oct 1993 | A |
| 5256144 | Kraus et al. | Oct 1993 | A |
| 5257974 | Cox | Nov 1993 | A |
| 5259393 | Corso, Jr. et al. | Nov 1993 | A |
| 5267979 | Appling et al. | Dec 1993 | A |
| 5267982 | Sylvanowicz | Dec 1993 | A |
| 5279562 | Sirhan et al. | Jan 1994 | A |
| 5284128 | Hart | Feb 1994 | A |
| 5300032 | Hibbs et al. | Apr 1994 | A |
| 5304131 | Paskar | Apr 1994 | A |
| 5306252 | Yutori et al. | Apr 1994 | A |
| 5308435 | Ruggles et al. | May 1994 | A |
| 5315906 | Ferenczi et al. | May 1994 | A |
| 5315996 | Lundquist | May 1994 | A |
| 5322064 | Lundquist | Jun 1994 | A |
| 5329923 | Lundquist | Jul 1994 | A |
| 5333620 | Moutafis et al. | Aug 1994 | A |
| 5334145 | Lundquist et al. | Aug 1994 | A |
| 5336205 | Zenzen et al. | Aug 1994 | A |
| 5341818 | Abrams et al. | Aug 1994 | A |
| 5345937 | Middleman et al. | Sep 1994 | A |
| 5345945 | Hodgson et al. | Sep 1994 | A |
| 5358493 | Schweich et al. | Oct 1994 | A |
| 5365942 | Shank | Nov 1994 | A |
| 5365943 | Jansen | Nov 1994 | A |
| 5368564 | Savage | Nov 1994 | A |
| 5376084 | Bacich et al. | Dec 1994 | A |
| 5381782 | DeLaRama et al. | Jan 1995 | A |
| 5406960 | Corso, Jr. | Apr 1995 | A |
| 5411476 | Abrams et al. | May 1995 | A |
| 5437288 | Schwartz et al. | Aug 1995 | A |
| 5438993 | Lynch et al. | Aug 1995 | A |
| 5439000 | Gunderson et al. | Aug 1995 | A |
| 5441483 | Avitall | Aug 1995 | A |
| 5441489 | Utsumi et al. | Aug 1995 | A |
| 5447812 | Fukuda et al. | Sep 1995 | A |
| 5454787 | Lundquist | Oct 1995 | A |
| 5460187 | Daigle et al. | Oct 1995 | A |
| 5470330 | Goldenberg et al. | Nov 1995 | A |
| 5476701 | Berger | Dec 1995 | A |
| 5477856 | Lundquist | Dec 1995 | A |
| 5496294 | Hergenrother et al. | Mar 1996 | A |
| 5497785 | Viera | Mar 1996 | A |
| 5507301 | Wasicek et al. | Apr 1996 | A |
| 5507729 | Lindenberg et al. | Apr 1996 | A |
| 5507751 | Goode et al. | Apr 1996 | A |
| 5507766 | Kugo et al. | Apr 1996 | A |
| 5514128 | Hillsman et al. | May 1996 | A |
| 5520194 | Miyata et al. | May 1996 | A |
| 5520645 | Imran et al. | May 1996 | A |
| 5531719 | Takahashi | Jul 1996 | A |
| 5533985 | Wang | Jul 1996 | A |
| 5546958 | Thorud et al. | Aug 1996 | A |
| 5551444 | Finlayson | Sep 1996 | A |
| 5554139 | Okajima | Sep 1996 | A |
| 5562619 | Mirarchi et al. | Oct 1996 | A |
| 5569197 | Helmus et al. | Oct 1996 | A |
| 5569200 | Umeno et al. | Oct 1996 | A |
| 5569218 | Berg | Oct 1996 | A |
| 5571073 | Castillo | Nov 1996 | A |
| 5573520 | Schwartz et al. | Nov 1996 | A |
| 5584821 | Hobbs et al. | Dec 1996 | A |
| 5599326 | Carter | Feb 1997 | A |
| 5599492 | Engelson | Feb 1997 | A |
| 5601539 | Corso, Jr. | Feb 1997 | A |
| 5605162 | Mirzaee et al. | Feb 1997 | A |
| 5622184 | Ashby et al. | Apr 1997 | A |
| 5630806 | Inagaki et al. | May 1997 | A |
| 5637089 | Abrams et al. | Jun 1997 | A |
| 5656011 | Uihlein et al. | Aug 1997 | A |
| 5658264 | Samson et al. | Aug 1997 | A |
| 5666968 | Imran et al. | Sep 1997 | A |
| 5666969 | Urick et al. | Sep 1997 | A |
| 5669926 | Aust et al. | Sep 1997 | A |
| 5676659 | McGurk | Oct 1997 | A |
| 5676697 | McDonald | Oct 1997 | A |
| 5682894 | Orr et al. | Nov 1997 | A |
| 5690120 | Jacobsen et al. | Nov 1997 | A |
| 5720300 | Fagan et al. | Feb 1998 | A |
| 5722609 | Murakami | Mar 1998 | A |
| 5728063 | Preissman et al. | Mar 1998 | A |
| 5741429 | Donadio, III et al. | Apr 1998 | A |
| 5746701 | Noone | May 1998 | A |
| 5769830 | Parker | Jun 1998 | A |
| 5772609 | Nguyen et al. | Jun 1998 | A |
| 5782809 | Umeno et al. | Jul 1998 | A |
| 5788653 | Lorenzo | Aug 1998 | A |
| 5788654 | Schwager | Aug 1998 | A |
| 5788707 | Del Toro et al. | Aug 1998 | A |
| 5792124 | Horrigan et al. | Aug 1998 | A |
| 5797856 | Frisbie et al. | Aug 1998 | A |
| 5800454 | Jacobsen et al. | Sep 1998 | A |
| 5807075 | Jacobsen et al. | Sep 1998 | A |
| 5807249 | Qin et al. | Sep 1998 | A |
| 5810885 | Zinger | Sep 1998 | A |
| 5813996 | St. Germain et al. | Sep 1998 | A |
| 5827225 | Ma Schwab | Oct 1998 | A |
| 5827242 | Follmer et al. | Oct 1998 | A |
| 5833632 | Jacobsen et al. | Nov 1998 | A |
| 5836926 | Peterson et al. | Nov 1998 | A |
| 5843050 | Jones et al. | Dec 1998 | A |
| 5843244 | Pelton et al. | Dec 1998 | A |
| 5851203 | van Muiden | Dec 1998 | A |
| 5895378 | Nita | Apr 1999 | A |
| 5897537 | Berg et al. | Apr 1999 | A |
| 5902254 | Magram | May 1999 | A |
| 5902290 | Peacock, III et al. | May 1999 | A |
| 5904657 | Unsworth et al. | May 1999 | A |
| 5906618 | Larson, III | May 1999 | A |
| 5911715 | Berg et al. | Jun 1999 | A |
| 5911717 | Jacobsen et al. | Jun 1999 | A |
| 5916177 | Schwager | Jun 1999 | A |
| 5916178 | Noone | Jun 1999 | A |
| 5916194 | Jacobsen et al. | Jun 1999 | A |
| 5931830 | Jacobsen et al. | Aug 1999 | A |
| 5935108 | Katoh et al. | Aug 1999 | A |
| 5947940 | Beisel | Sep 1999 | A |
| 5951539 | Nita et al. | Sep 1999 | A |
| 5971975 | Mills et al. | Oct 1999 | A |
| 6001068 | Uchino et al. | Dec 1999 | A |
| 6004279 | Crowley et al. | Dec 1999 | A |
| 6014919 | Jacobsen et al. | Jan 2000 | A |
| 6017319 | Jacobsen et al. | Jan 2000 | A |
| 6022343 | Johnson et al. | Feb 2000 | A |
| 6022369 | Jacobsen et al. | Feb 2000 | A |
| 6024730 | Pagan | Feb 2000 | A |
| 6027461 | Walker et al. | Feb 2000 | A |
| 6042553 | Solar et al. | Mar 2000 | A |
| 6045547 | Ren et al. | Apr 2000 | A |
| 6048339 | Zirps et al. | Apr 2000 | A |
| 6056702 | Lorenzo | May 2000 | A |
| 6063101 | Jacobsen et al. | May 2000 | A |
| 6063200 | Jacobsen et al. | May 2000 | A |
| 6066361 | Jacobsen et al. | May 2000 | A |
| 6106485 | McMahon | Aug 2000 | A |
| 6106488 | Fleming et al. | Aug 2000 | A |
| 6139510 | Palermo | Oct 2000 | A |
| 6165292 | Abrams et al. | Dec 2000 | A |
| 6171296 | Chow | Jan 2001 | B1 |
| 6183410 | Jacobsen et al. | Feb 2001 | B1 |
| 6193686 | Estrada et al. | Feb 2001 | B1 |
| 6197014 | Samson et al. | Mar 2001 | B1 |
| 6203485 | Urick | Mar 2001 | B1 |
| 6214042 | Jacobsen et al. | Apr 2001 | B1 |
| 6228073 | Noone et al. | May 2001 | B1 |
| 6248082 | Jafari | Jun 2001 | B1 |
| 6251092 | Qin et al. | Jun 2001 | B1 |
| 6254549 | Ramzipoor | Jul 2001 | B1 |
| 6260458 | Jacobsen et al. | Jul 2001 | B1 |
| 6273404 | Holman et al. | Aug 2001 | B1 |
| 6273876 | Klima et al. | Aug 2001 | B1 |
| 6290656 | Boyle et al. | Sep 2001 | B1 |
| 6296616 | McMahon | Oct 2001 | B1 |
| 6296631 | Chow | Oct 2001 | B2 |
| 6302870 | Jacobsen et al. | Oct 2001 | B1 |
| 6325790 | Trotta | Dec 2001 | B1 |
| 6338725 | Hermann et al. | Jan 2002 | B1 |
| 6346091 | Jacobsen et al. | Feb 2002 | B1 |
| 6352515 | Anderson et al. | Mar 2002 | B1 |
| 6355005 | Powell et al. | Mar 2002 | B1 |
| 6355027 | Le et al. | Mar 2002 | B1 |
| 6368315 | Gillis et al. | Apr 2002 | B1 |
| 6368316 | Jansen et al. | Apr 2002 | B1 |
| 6375628 | Zadno-Azizi et al. | Apr 2002 | B1 |
| 6375774 | Lunn et al. | Apr 2002 | B1 |
| 6379369 | Abrams et al. | Apr 2002 | B1 |
| 6390993 | Cornish et al. | May 2002 | B1 |
| 6398758 | Jacobsen et al. | Jun 2002 | B1 |
| 6428489 | Jacobsen et al. | Aug 2002 | B1 |
| 6428512 | Anderson et al. | Aug 2002 | B1 |
| 6431039 | Jacobsen et al. | Aug 2002 | B1 |
| 6440088 | Jacobsen | Aug 2002 | B1 |
| 6478778 | Jacobsen et al. | Nov 2002 | B1 |
| 6488637 | Eder et al. | Dec 2002 | B1 |
| 6491648 | Cornish et al. | Dec 2002 | B1 |
| 6491671 | Larson, III et al. | Dec 2002 | B1 |
| 6503244 | Hayman | Jan 2003 | B2 |
| 6508803 | Horikawa et al. | Jan 2003 | B1 |
| 6524301 | Wilson et al. | Feb 2003 | B1 |
| 6530934 | Jacobsen et al. | Mar 2003 | B1 |
| 6547779 | Levine et al. | Apr 2003 | B2 |
| 6553880 | Jacobsen et al. | Apr 2003 | B2 |
| 6556873 | Smits | Apr 2003 | B1 |
| 6579246 | Jacobsen et al. | Jun 2003 | B2 |
| 6602280 | Chobotov | Aug 2003 | B2 |
| 6610046 | Usami et al. | Aug 2003 | B1 |
| 6623448 | Slater | Sep 2003 | B2 |
| 6636758 | Sanchez et al. | Oct 2003 | B2 |
| 6638266 | Wilson et al. | Oct 2003 | B2 |
| 6652508 | Griffin et al. | Nov 2003 | B2 |
| 6682493 | Mirigian | Jan 2004 | B2 |
| 6712826 | Lui | Mar 2004 | B2 |
| 6730095 | Olson, Jr. et al. | May 2004 | B2 |
| 6749560 | Konstorum et al. | Jun 2004 | B1 |
| 6766720 | Jacobsen et al. | Jul 2004 | B1 |
| 6777644 | Peacock, III et al. | Aug 2004 | B2 |
| 6811544 | Schaer | Nov 2004 | B2 |
| 6837898 | Boyle et al. | Jan 2005 | B2 |
| 6866642 | Kellerman et al. | Mar 2005 | B2 |
| 6887235 | O'Connor et al. | May 2005 | B2 |
| 6918882 | Skujins et al. | Jul 2005 | B2 |
| 6997937 | Jacobsen et al. | Feb 2006 | B2 |
| 7001369 | Griffin et al. | Feb 2006 | B2 |
| 7074197 | Reynolds et al. | Jul 2006 | B2 |
| 20020013540 | Jacobsen et al. | Jan 2002 | A1 |
| 20020019599 | Rooney et al. | Feb 2002 | A1 |
| 20030009208 | Snyder et al. | Jan 2003 | A1 |
| 20030060732 | Jacobsen et al. | Mar 2003 | A1 |
| 20030069522 | Jacobsen et al. | Apr 2003 | A1 |
| 20040167437 | Sharrow et al. | Aug 2004 | A1 |
| 20040181174 | Davis et al. | Sep 2004 | A2 |
| 20040181176 | Jafari et al. | Sep 2004 | A1 |
| 20060189896 | Davis et al. | Aug 2006 | A1 |
| 20060264904 | Kerby et al. | Nov 2006 | A1 |
| 20080021347 | Jacobsen et al. | Jan 2008 | A1 |
| 20080021348 | Jacobsen et al. | Jan 2008 | A1 |
| 20080021400 | Jacobsen et al. | Jan 2008 | A1 |
| 20080021401 | Jacobsen et al. | Jan 2008 | A1 |
| 20080021402 | Jacobsen et al. | Jan 2008 | A1 |
| 20080021403 | Jacobsen et al. | Jan 2008 | A1 |
| 20080021404 | Jacobsen et al. | Jan 2008 | A1 |
| 20080021405 | Jacobsen et al. | Jan 2008 | A1 |
| 20080021406 | Jacobsen et al. | Jan 2008 | A1 |
| 20080021407 | Jacobsen et al. | Jan 2008 | A1 |
| 20080021408 | Jacobsen et al. | Jan 2008 | A1 |
| 20080077119 | Snyder et al. | Mar 2008 | A1 |
| Number | Date | Country |
|---|---|---|
| 723040 | Dec 1997 | AU |
| 733966 | Apr 1998 | AU |
| 7338966 | Apr 1998 | AU |
| PI 9712829 | Jan 2000 | BR |
| 2266685 | May 2006 | CA |
| 2255781 | Mar 2007 | CA |
| 1230914 | Oct 1999 | CN |
| 2539191 | Mar 1976 | DE |
| 285514 | Dec 1990 | DE |
| 0 045 931 | Feb 1982 | EP |
| 0 069 522 | Jan 1983 | EP |
| 0 087 933 | Sep 1983 | EP |
| 0 111 044 | Jun 1984 | EP |
| 0 181 174 | May 1986 | EP |
| 0377453 | Jul 1990 | EP |
| 0 565 065 | Jun 1996 | EP |
| 0 778 038 | Jun 1997 | EP |
| 0 778 039 | Jun 1997 | EP |
| 0 778 040 | Jun 1997 | EP |
| 0 812 599 | Dec 1997 | EP |
| 0 865 772 | Sep 1998 | EP |
| 0 865 773 | Sep 1998 | EP |
| 0 521 595 | May 1999 | EP |
| 0 917 885 | May 1999 | EP |
| 0 937 481 | Aug 1999 | EP |
| 0 790 066 | Apr 2000 | EP |
| 0 608 853 | Apr 2003 | EP |
| 0 935 947 | Dec 2004 | EP |
| 0 934 141 | Nov 2005 | EP |
| 2214354 | Aug 1989 | GB |
| 2257269 | Jan 1993 | GB |
| 58-8522 | Jan 1983 | JP |
| 60091858 | May 1985 | JP |
| 61022752 | Jan 1986 | JP |
| 62023361 | Jan 1987 | JP |
| 62089470 | Apr 1987 | JP |
| 62299277 | Dec 1987 | JP |
| 6393516 | Apr 1988 | JP |
| 63-181774 | Jul 1988 | JP |
| 63217966 | Sep 1988 | JP |
| 1089956 | Apr 1989 | JP |
| 1135363 | May 1989 | JP |
| 1158936 | Jun 1989 | JP |
| 2107268 | Apr 1990 | JP |
| 3081831 | Apr 1991 | JP |
| 03-122850 | Dec 1991 | JP |
| 4061840 | Feb 1992 | JP |
| 4099963 | Mar 1992 | JP |
| 4213069 | Aug 1992 | JP |
| 4213070 | Aug 1992 | JP |
| 4236965 | Aug 1992 | JP |
| 5149969 | Jun 1993 | JP |
| 5-506806 | Oct 1993 | JP |
| 5-309159 | Nov 1993 | JP |
| 5-507857 | Nov 1993 | JP |
| 6-501179 | Feb 1994 | JP |
| 631749 | Apr 1994 | JP |
| 6169996 | Jun 1994 | JP |
| 6-63224 | Sep 1994 | JP |
| 6312313 | Nov 1994 | JP |
| 728562 | May 1995 | JP |
| 7124164 | May 1995 | JP |
| 7124263 | May 1995 | JP |
| 7136280 | May 1995 | JP |
| 7148264 | Jun 1995 | JP |
| 7505561 | Jun 1995 | JP |
| 7037199 | Jul 1995 | JP |
| 7185009 | Jul 1995 | JP |
| 7255855 | Oct 1995 | JP |
| 7275366 | Oct 1995 | JP |
| 751067 | Nov 1995 | JP |
| 8-229888 | Sep 1996 | JP |
| 8229888 | Sep 1996 | JP |
| 8509141 | Oct 1996 | JP |
| 8317988 | Dec 1996 | JP |
| 9000164 | Apr 1997 | JP |
| 9-276413 | Oct 1997 | JP |
| 9276413 | Oct 1997 | JP |
| 9-294813 | Nov 1997 | JP |
| 9294813 | Nov 1997 | JP |
| 10-118193 | May 1998 | JP |
| 10-305039 | Nov 1998 | JP |
| 10305039 | Nov 1998 | JP |
| 10328191 | Dec 1998 | JP |
| 11-226131 | Aug 1999 | JP |
| 11-267224 | Oct 1999 | JP |
| 2000-197704 | Jul 2000 | JP |
| 2000-510722 | Aug 2000 | JP |
| 2000-511083 | Aug 2000 | JP |
| 2001-500808 | Jan 2001 | JP |
| 2002-529137 | Sep 2002 | JP |
| 2002-542901 | Dec 2002 | JP |
| 2002-543896 | Dec 2002 | JP |
| 2003-517893 | Jun 2003 | JP |
| 3649604 | Feb 2005 | JP |
| 2005-534407 | Nov 2005 | JP |
| 712908 | Jan 1980 | SU |
| 758421 | Aug 1980 | SU |
| 1529365 | Dec 1989 | SU |
| WO 9002520 | Mar 1990 | WO |
| WO 9113364 | Sep 1991 | WO |
| WO 9204072 | Mar 1992 | WO |
| WO 9207619 | May 1992 | WO |
| WO 9304722 | Mar 1993 | WO |
| WO 9311313 | Jun 1993 | WO |
| WO 9524236 | Sep 1995 | WO |
| WO 9619255 | Jun 1996 | WO |
| WO 9710022 | Mar 1997 | WO |
| WO 9725914 | Jul 1997 | WO |
| WO 9743949 | Nov 1997 | WO |
| WO 9744083 | Nov 1997 | WO |
| WO 9744086 | Nov 1997 | WO |
| WO 9810694 | Mar 1998 | WO |
| WO 9904847 | Feb 1999 | WO |
| WO 9911313 | Mar 1999 | WO |
| WO 0027303 | May 2000 | WO |
| WO 0030710 | Jun 2000 | WO |
| WO 0048645 | Aug 2000 | WO |
| WO 0057943 | Oct 2000 | WO |
| WO 0066199 | Nov 2000 | WO |
| WO 0067845 | Nov 2000 | WO |
| WO 0072907 | Dec 2000 | WO |
| WO 0128620 | Apr 2001 | WO |
| WO 0136034 | May 2001 | WO |
| 0145912 | Jun 2001 | WO |
| WO 0145773 | Jun 2001 | WO |
| WO 0193920 | Dec 2001 | WO |
| WO 0213682 | Feb 2002 | WO |
| WO 02062540 | Aug 2002 | WO |
| WO 03004086 | Jan 2003 | WO |
| WO 03008148 | Jan 2003 | WO |
| WO 2004012804 | Feb 2004 | WO |
| 2004047899 | Jun 2004 | WO |
| Entry |
|---|
| “Mechanical Design and Systems Handbook”, H.A. Rothbart, 1964, p. 33-13 (one sheet). |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20080021403 A1 | Jan 2008 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60399046 | Jul 2002 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 10604504 | Jul 2003 | US |
| Child | 11831900 | US |
