IES20090529A2 - Electronic guide wires torque device - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides a simple, microprocessor controlled electronic guide wire torque device as a solution to the difficulties in practice operations with conventional torque devices. The present invention securely holds and controls a guide wire with one hand and with smooth operation. The device is simple to use, much faster to load/unload the guide wire, faster to grip/ungrip, safer for the patient, and free of jerking wire movements during catheter-based operating procedures. These systems give the physician more precision and accuracy of movement, very importatnt when precision positioning guide wire in operational area inside vessel. 360 degrees freedom of rotation direction of the guide wire provides comfort and relaxed position of the physician's hand during navigation inside vessel process. The funnel (2) on entrance side to guide wire canal (10) is shaped and prepared using many wires sizes including 0.005 to 0.050 inch in diameter, including option to use introducer for j-tip shaped guide wire and pre-shaped straight guide wire. <Figure 1>

Description

The present invention relates to catheter guide wires, and to a device for feeding, holding and 5 controlling a catheter guide wire during a medical procedure. There are many operations or procedures made possible by using catheter based intravascular methods which are less invasive than traditional surgery. Typical intravascular procedures are transluminal coronary angioplasty, directional coronary atherectomy, stenting, angioplasty and others. In a procedure of this kind, a guide wire followed by a catheter is inserted through a small hole made in the femoral artery in the groin area, and then is slowly fed through the femoral artery hole and manoeuvred through the vascular system to an operating area. In moving to this position, the guide wire is often steered around tight corners and small openings. The steering is most often done by using a guide wire with a specially prepared bent tip and by rotating the wire - torqueing - and feeding forwards and backwards, A new development guide wire provides very slippery hydrophilic coating allowing the guide wire to slide through a vessel without damaging it. The constant feeding, manoeuvring, positioning and repositioning of the guide wire requires constant gripping and ungripping ofthe guide wire in the torque device, while trying to place the guide wire in operation position. This is a difficult and tedious job, often requiring the guide wires to move around tight corners or into tiny vessels. The positioning and repositioning of the guide wire and catheter requires quick removal and reinsertion ofthe guide wire into the catheter and torque device, several times during operation. This is a tedious and time consuming job. Existing guide wire torque device technology is broken down into two types of guide wire torque devices: a collet design, and a one-handed slide wedge lock design. For a traditional collet device in use, the guide wire is fed through the centre of the device. By tightening the screw cap, the cap clamps four fingers inside to clamp the wire like collet; of a machine tool. In orderto grip and ungrip the guide wire, the screw cap must be tightened and loosened, so it needs three hands to do this job: one hand holding the wire in position, second hand holds the collet torque device, and the third hand loosing or tightening the screw cap. A similar situation, plus problem, with feeding a guide wire inside a device is with a one-handed torque device, where in practice, the device requires two hands: one to hold the wire in position and another to operate the device. There have been many catheter-based operating procedures creating a need for improved instrumentation to make this aspect of operation faster, more ergonomic for the physician and safer for the patient. They require more accurate feeding, holding and controlling of a guide wire. Gripping and ungripping a guide wire using present technology is not a smooth CS IEO 9 Ο 5 29 action and the wire tends to be dislocated from the vessel or loses position. When this happens it is a great inconvenience, time wasting and is a danger for the patient while the physician needs to reposition the guide wire.

Objectives of the invention The objective of the invention is to provide a new improvement guide wire torque device.

Another objective of the invention is to provide a torque guide wire device that is more ergonomic, easier to manipulate and rotate with one hand.

Another objective of the invention is to provide microprocessor controlled guide wire torque devices for more accurate movements of guide wire.

Another objective of the invention is to provide the guide wire torque device with a funnel and interior canal for smooth and easy feeding procedure of guide wire into catheter.

Another objective of the invention is to provide a guide wire torque device with an electronic joystick which can by operated by one finger using the thumb which is intuitive to medical personnel.

Another objective of the invention is to provide a guide wire torque device with high mechanical advantage that remains constant with back and forward movements of guide wire and a 360° rotation in clockwise or counter-clockwise directions.

Another objective of the invention is to provide a guide wire torque device that fits to a range of guide wire sizes.

Another objective (and a future objective) of the invention is to expand an electronic torque device for electronic positioning and a travel measurement system for easier orientation and positioning of the tip of the guide wire inside the vessel. A preferred shape of the invention has been chosen for detailed description to enable those having ordinary skills in the art to readily understand how construction and use of the invention. This is shown in accompanying drawings in which: Fig.l is a perspective view of a present invention of an electronic guide wire torque device Fig.2 is a perspective view of a present invention with transparent body to show the electronic and mechanical system inside the electronic guide wire torque device. ΙΕο 9 0 5 2 9 Fig.3a and Fig.3b are two options of a basic concept of the mechanical construction movement and rotation head used in electronic guide wire torque device.

Fig.4a and Fig.4b is a movement/torque diagram. It shows how the guide wire responds with the position of joystick.

Fig.5 is a joystick's movement possibilities diagram.

Detailed description of the invention Referring to the drawing, a present electronic guide wire torque device Fig.l comprises of a tubular body 8 made from medical graded PVC, moulded to an anatomic construction of the human hand with soft, rubber grips 4 and a thumb support rubber pad 7, tapered nose 1, joystick 3 located on the top of the device, rear section 2 with funnel 10 for loading guide wire W passing axially through the device, two push buttons for gripping 5 and ungripping 6 the guide wire in the operational process. The funnel 10 with conical internal entry into the guide wire canal 22 supports the guide wire W inside movement/rotation head 13 with two rubber/silicone wheels 15 and exit canal 9 to the nose 1. Both electric micro motors for pulling the wire 14 and rotating the wire 23 is controlled by microprocessor board 12 and energised by the battery 11. Buttons for gripping 5 and ungripping 6 the guide wire W are connected to microprocessor board 12 and is used to open and close silicone gripping wheel 16 in movement/rotation head 13. Position of the joystick 3 is translated by microprocessor board 12 for movement of guide wire W. When joystick 3 is push to nosel direction Fig.4a then the microprocessor board 12 sends a signal to push/pull the motor 14 in moving the rotation head 13 to push the guide wire W. When joystick 3 is push to rear section 2, then microprocessor board sends a signal to push/pull motor 14 in movement/rotation head 13 to pull the guide wire W. When joystick 3 is pushed to the left or to the right direction Fig,4b then the microprocessor board 12 sends a signal to the torque motor 23 for movement/rotation head 13 to rotate the guide wire W in CW or CCW directions along guide wire axis. The physician can also make a combination of torque and directional movements Fig.5, and sometimes control rotation and travel of the guide wire W inside the vessel systems of a patient's body. As note, the movement/rotation head 13 centrally located on the device body 8 and the distance from the nose 1 is approximately equal to one-third the overall length of the tubular body 8. In this way the device has perfect weight balance and can be manipulated in one hand being held with index finger lio9 0 5 29 supporting the nose 1, the middle and ring -fingers on the grip 4 and operates buttons to grip 6 and ungrip 5 guide wires W, and the thumb supported by grip pad 7, on the joystick 3. Accordingly, by using these fingers, a physician may rotate, push or pull and grip or ungrip the guide wire W through an operation process. To use the electronic guide wire torque device Fig.l the physician loads the guide wire W with or without introducer to the funnel 10 in rear section 2 ofthe device body 8, pushes the guide wire W trough the canai 22. When the guide wire W passes the optic sensor 24, the gripping wheel 16 is switched to the close position Fig.6b and guide wire W is automatically pull inside movement/rotation head 13 and trough the exit canal 9 and outside nose 1, then is hold in this position. This operation can be made manually when the ungrip button 5 is held. In this case the gripping wheel 16 is held in the open position Fig.6a so that the guide wire W passes the optical sensor 24. When guide wire W is on position outside nose 1, device is ready to feed the guide wire W inside catheter and operate. From now, all movements of the guide wire are made by joystick 3.

Claims (3)

1. A electronic guide wire torque device comprising: a tubuiar body with a longitudinal channel for receiving and manipulate a guide wire, 5 a nose, an enlarged mid-section with soft rubber grip pads, a rear section with funnels for easy load guide wire procedure, a joystick on the top of device body to manipulate the guide wire, push-buttons to grip and ungrip the guide wire inside the device, 10 and a microprocessor board to control and encode signals from joystick.

2. An electronic guide wire torque device as defined in claim 1 in which the longitudinal channel accommodates wires in a diameter range of 0.005 to 0.05 inches (0.12 to 1.2 mm).

3. An electronic guide wire torque device as defined in either of claim 1 or 2, which may be gripped in one hand such that the index finger supports the nose, the middle and ring-fingers operate the grip and ungrip buttons, and the thumb operates the joystick and controlling guide wire movements.