Rotatable endovascular device with actuated working end

Description

FIELD

[0001] This disclosure relates generally to endovascular devices.

[0002] US 2014350568 A1 describes a guide wire including elements in a telescoping arrangement which impart stiffness to the guide wire for maneuverability in the tortious cardiac vessels. This arrangement also creates engagements between an inner shaft and the tip, that when released, result in a tip which can move outward with forces sufficient to penetrate a lesion in the coronary vessels.SUMMARY

[0003] According to an aspect, there is provided an endovascular device as set forth in the appended claims. Other features will be apparent from the dependent claims, attached figures and the description which follows.

[0004] The design of endovascular devices which incorporate a control wire, operate to help allow a physician to transfer a movement in a proximal actuator or handle to a distal working element. The physician may control the handle outside of a patient's body with the working element acting at a target location in the patient. While this design allows for the transmission of axial forces from the proximal handle to the distal working element, because the elongated shaft is typically round and hollow and the control wire is hollow, it may be limited in its ability to transmit radial movement from the proximal to the distal end.

[0005] This limitation may be caused, for example, in view of the control wire and elongated shaft being connected only at the distal end. As a result, rotating the elongated shaft in its proximal part does not necessarily result in rotating of the control wire due to some of the radial torque transmitted to the shaft elastic deformation. In an exemplary endovascular device of the present disclosure, a fixture may enable transmission of the radial force of the elongated shaft to the control wire with a 1:1 ratio. This may be achieved, for example, by preventing the axial rotation between the control wire and the elongated shaft without preventing the axial movement between these two members.

[0006] Preventing axial rotation between the control wire and the elongated shaft without preventing the axial movement between these two members may be achieved, for example, by deforming at least a portion of the control wire and making at least a portion of the inner cross section of the round elongated shaft non-round respectively. In accordance with exemplary embodiments of a endovascular device, there may be an overlap between the two rectangular portions even during axial movement of the control wire compare to the elongated shaft.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0007] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate disclosed embodiments and, together with the description, serve to explain the disclosed embodiments. Figure 1 is an illustration of a control wire for an exemplary endovascular device, consistent with at least one of the disclosed embodiments; Figure 2 is an illustration of an exemplary endovascular device with the control wire of Figure 1, consistent with at least one of the disclosed embodiments; Figure 3 is an illustration of an inner cross section of a section of the exemplary endovascular device of Figure 2, consistent with at least one of the disclosed embodiments; Figure 4 is an illustration of an inner cross section of a section of the exemplary endovascular device of Figure 2, consistent with at least one of the disclosed embodiments; Figure 5 is an illustration of an inner cross section of a section of the exemplary endovascular device of Figure 2, consistent with at least one of the disclosed embodiments; Figure 6 is an illustration of a control wire for another exemplary endovascular device, consistent with at least one of the disclosed embodiments; Figure 7 is an illustration of an exemplary endovascular device with the control wire of Figure 6, consistent with at least one of the disclosed embodiments; Figure 8 is an illustration of an inner cross section of a section of the exemplary endovascular device of Figure 7, consistent with at least one of the disclosed embodiments; Figure 9 is an illustration of an inner cross section of a section of the exemplary endovascular device of Figure 7, consistent with at least one of the disclosed embodiments; and Figure 10 is an illustration of an inner cross section of a section of the exemplary endovascular device of Figure 7, consistent with at least one of the disclosed embodiments.

[0008] Annotations appearing in the figures are exemplary only, and are not restrictive of the invention as claimed.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0009] Reference will now be made in detail to the present embodiments (exemplary embodiments) of the disclosure, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

[0010] Figure 1 illustrates a control wire 101 of an exemplary endovascular device in accordance with the disclosure, which may be deformed or flattened in two zones 101-3, and may be round in other areas along its axis 101-2. Figure 2 illustrates an exemplary endovascular device 201 using control wire 101 in accordance with the disclosure. (Solely to illustrate the position of zones 101-2 and 101-3 in endovascular device 201, with the understanding that control wire 101 is part of endovascular device 201, Fig. 2 also separately depicts control wire 101 of Fig. 1, with zones 101-3 and 101-2 generally aligned to endovascular device 201.) As shown in Fig. 2, endovascular device 201 also includes an elongated shaft 204 which may include a tube 205, a cable of wires 206, and a single wire coil 207. A distal tip 210 of the elongated shaft 204 may be attached to control wire 101, for example. At a proximal end of the elongated shaft 204, the control wire 101 may be connected to a slider 211 of a handle 209, with the elongated shaft 204 connected to the handle 209 to facilitate the relative movement. (In Figure 2, handle 209 is not depicted to the same scale as that of elongated shaft 204.) In accordance with at least some examples, two polymers 208 may be inserted between the elongated shaft 204 and the control wire 101 to prevent the radial movement between the control wire 101 and the elongated shaft 204.

[0011] Consistent with the example shown in Figs. 9 and 10, in an exemplary endovascular device of the disclosure, the cable of wires 206 and the single wire coil 207 of the elongated shaft 204 may be elliptical. This elliptical shape resists relative rotation of the elongated shaft 204 and the control wire 101, enabling torqueing of the device. Alternatively, other non-symmetrical shapes (e.g., cross-sections) may be employed to resist rotation and to permit torqueing.

[0012] An exemplary endovascular device of the disclosure may encompass a fixture enabling transmission of a radial force of the elongated shaft 204 to the control wire 101 with 1:1 ratio. This may be achieved, for example, by preventing axial rotation between the control wire 101 and the elongated shaft 204 without preventing the axial movement between the control wire 101 and the elongated shaft 204. And such axial rotation prevention (without axial movement prevention) may be achieved, for example, by deforming at least a portion of the control wire 101 and making at least a portion of the inner cross section of the round elongated shaft 204 non-round respectively. For example, there may be an overlap between the two rectangular (or flattened) portions 101-3 even during axial movement of the control wire 101 compared to the elongated shaft 204.

[0013] A control wire 101 with at least some flat or rectangular section or sections may be achieved by, for example, selectively pressing the control wire 101, by adhesion of additional materials to form a non-round shape, or by other means.

[0014] Achieving a non-round inner cross section may be achieved, for example, by attaching rectangular shaped materials 208 to an inner wall of the elongated shaft 204. As another example, a polymer 208 may be inserted through the wire cable to create a non-round cross section. The polymer 208 may be heated and inserted through holes in the wall of the elongated shaft 204 and shaped as needed by a rectangular mandrel.

[0015] As shown in Fig. 3, which illustrates an inner cross section A-A of a section of exemplary endovascular device 201, the control wire 101 may be made from 0.14mm Nitinol wire. A distal tip of the wire 101 may be gradually grinded to an outer diameter of about 70um. The elongated shaft 204 may be made from a 130cm Nitinol tube with an inner diameter of 0.18mm which may be bonded to a PTFE covered cable often 70um Nitinol wires and the distal section may be a single 70um wire which may be coiled.

[0016] As shown in Fig. 4, which illustrates an inner cross section B-B of a section of exemplary endovascular device 201, the control wire 101 may be pressed to create flat sections 101-3 of about 0.16mm X 0.12mm of 30mm of length. Using a rectangular mandrel, a polymer 208 may be inserted through the wire cable 206 to create a non-round cross section in areas that overlap the non-round sections of the control wire 101. As a result, relative axial movement between the control wire 101 and the elongated shaft 204 may be maintained while the axial rotation between the control wire 101 and the elongated shaft 204 (which includes cable 206) may be prevented.

[0017] Fig. 5 illustrates an inner cross section C-C of a section of exemplary endovascular device 201, similar to cross section B-B of Fig. 4. Again, as a result, relative axial movement between the control wire 101 and the elongated shaft 204 may be maintained while the axial rotation between the control wire 101 and the elongated shaft 204 (which includes single wire coil 207) may be prevented.

[0018] In a further example, Figure 6 illustrates a control wire 601 of an exemplary endovascular device, which may be deformed or flattened in zone 601-3, and may be round in other areas along its axis 601-2. Figure 7 illustrates an exemplary endovascular device 701 using control wire 601 in accordance with the example. (Solely to illustrate the position of zones 601-2 and 601-3 in endovascular device 701, with the understanding that control wire 601 is part of endovascular device 701, Fig. 7 also separately depicts control wire 601 of Fig. 6, with zones 601-3 and 601-2 generally aligned to endovascular device 701.) As shown in Fig. 7, endovascular device 701 also includes an elongated shaft 704 which may include a tube 705, a cable of wires 706, and a single wire coil 707. A distal tip 710 of the elongated shaft 704 may be attached to control wire 601, for example. At a proximal end of the elongated shaft 704, the control wire 601 may be connected to a slider 211 of a handle 209, with the elongated shaft 704 connected to the handle 209 to facilitate the relative movement. (In Figure 7, handle 209 is not depicted to the same scale as that of elongated shaft 704.)

[0019] Fig. 8 illustrates an inner cross section D-D of a section of exemplary endovascular device 701. The control wire 601 may be made from 0.14mm Nitinol wire. A distal tip of the wire 601 may be gradually grinded to an outer diameter of about 70um. The elongated shaft 704 may be made from a 130cm Nitinol tube with an inner diameter of 0.18mm which may be bonded to a PTFE covered cable often 70um Nitinol wires and the distal section may be a single 70um wire which may be coiled.

[0020] As shown in Figs. 9 and 10, which illustrates inner cross sections E-E and F-F of a section of exemplary endovascular device 701, the control wire 601 may be pressed to create flat sections 101-3 of about 0.16mm X 0.12mm of 30mm of length. As mentioned above, in Figs. 9 and 10, the cable of wires 706 and the single wire coil 707 of the elongated shaft 704 may be elliptical. This elliptical shape resists relative rotation of the elongated shaft 704 and the control wire 601, enabling torqueing of the device. Alternatively, other non-symmetrical shapes (e.g., cross-sections) may be employed to resist rotation and to permit torqueing.

[0021] In other examples, a single wire coil may be provided, extending from a multi-wire cable with a control wire that runs through the core of both. This enables the control wire to steer the more flexible coiled end of the coil, without causing the multi-wire cable to appreciably bend.

[0022] The elements in the claims are to be interpreted broadly based on the language employed in the claims and not limited to examples described in the present specification or during the prosecution of the application, which examples are to be construed as non-exclusive.

Claims

1. An endovascular device (201), comprising: a hollow shaft (204) having a proximal end and a distal end, the hollow shaft being sized for insertion into a blood vessel; a control line (101) having a proximal end and a distal end, and extending through the hollow shaft; an actuatable working element located beyond the distal end of the hollow shaft, and configured to receive an actuation force transmitted via the distal end of the control line; and an actuator (209) configured to exert the actuation force on the proximal end of the control line, to thereby cause relative movement between the control line and the hollow shaft and to actuate the working element, wherein the control line (101) is formed of a single wire and the device (201) comprises: at least one control line rotation restrictor (101-3) integral with the control line and located within the hollow shaft, the at least one control line rotation restrictor (101-3) including at least one deformation in a cross-sectional area of the single wire, wherein the at least one control line rotation restrictor (101-3) includes at least a first deformation in an elongated region of the control line within the hollow shaft (204) and at least a second deformation of the control line in an elongated region of the working element; and at least one rotation restrictor element (208) associated with at least one of the hollow shaft and the working element, and configured to engage with the control line rotation restrictor (101-3) to thereby substantially impede the control line from rotating relative to the working element, while permitting relative axial movement between the control line and the hollow shaft.

2. The endovascular device of claim 1, wherein the at least one control line rotation restrictor (101-3) includes at least one deformation of the control line (101).

3. The endovascular device of claim 2, wherein the at least one deformation includes at least one flattened portion of the control line (101).

4. The endovascular device of claim 3, wherein the control line includes a region of round cross-section adjacent to the at least one deformation.

5. The endovascular device of claim 1, wherein the hollow shaft (204) is formed of at least one wound wire, or the hollow shaft includes a cable formed of a plurality of wires.

6. The endovascular device of claim 1, wherein the working element includes a bendable tip formed of a coiled wire section beyond the distal end of the hollow shaft (204).

7. The endovascular device of claim 6, wherein the coiled wire section has a flexibility greater than a flexibility of the hollow shaft (204); and optionally wherein the at least rotation restrictor element (208) includes a first rotation restrictor element in the hollow shaft and a second rotation restrictor element in the coiled wire section.

8. The endovascular device of claim 1, wherein the actuator (209) includes a control handle configured to transmit at a ratio of approximately 1:1, rotational force exerted on the control handle to rotational force on the working element.

9. The endovascular device of claim 1, wherein the at least one rotation restrictor element (208) includes at least one deposit of material within at least one of the hollow shaft (204) and the working element, and wherein the deposit of material narrows a portion of a channel in at least one of the hollow shaft and the working element.

10. The endovascular device of claim 9, wherein the deposited material is a polymer, or wherein the at least one rotation restrictor element (208) includes a first rotation restrictor element (208) in the hollow shaft (204) and a second rotation restrictor element (208) in a channel of the working element.

11. The endovascular device of claim 8, wherein the control handle (209) is configured to enable pulling of the control line (101), to thereby cause the coiled section to bend and to transmit rotational torque to the bent coiled section when the control handle is rotated; or the endovascular device (201) is configured to permit a user to exert an applied relative rotational force of between the distal tip (210) and control line to the control handle, and the control line rotation restrictor (101-3) and the rotation restrictor element (208) are configured to transmit the applied force to the working element without substantial slippage between the control line rotation restrictor and the rotation restrictor element.

12. The endovascular device of claim 1, wherein the control line rotation restrictor (101-3) and the rotation restrictor element (208) each have an axial length, such that when axially moved relative to each other, the control line rotation restrictor and the rotation restrictor element remain engaged.

13. The endovascular device of claim 1, wherein the hollow shaft (204) includes a hollow metallic tube and the working element includes a coiled wire distal to the hollow metallic tube, or wherein the hollow shaft includes a polymeric tube and the working element includes a coiled wire distal to the polymeric tube.