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  Guide wire torque deviceUSPTO Application #: 20070123826Title: Guide wire torque device Abstract: A device for gripping a guide wire includes a body portion having an opening therethrough, and has an open position and a closed position. When the device is in the open position the guide wire may be passed through the opening. When the device is in the closed position the guide wire is gripped at more than one location thereby allowing force or torque to be applied to the guide wire. A device according to the invention may optionally, or instead, include (a) a snout to act as a guide wire director, (b) a structure, such as an opening, configured to receive an end of a guide wire package, (c) a structure for securing a body member to the device, and/or (d) a mechanism for advancing or retracting a guide wire. If the device includes one of these optional features, it need not be designed to grip a guide wire at two or more locations. (end of abstract)
Agent: Squire, Sanders & Dempsey L.L.P. Two Renaissance Squire - Phoenix, AZ, US Inventors: John C. Opie, Stephen J. Joyce USPTO Applicaton #: 20070123826 - Class: 604164130 (USPTO) Related Patent Categories: Surgery, Means For Introducing Or Removing Material From Body For Therapeutic Purposes (e.g., Medicating, Irrigating, Aspirating, Etc.), Treating Material Introduced Into Or Removed From Body Orifice, Or Inserted Or Removed Subcutaneously Other Than By Diffusing Through Skin, Material Introduced Or Removed Through Conduit, Holder, Or Implantable Reservoir Inserted In Body, Body Piercer, Obturator Rod, Or Stylet Axially Movable Within Body Entering Conduit While Latter Is Disposed In Body, Guidewire Within Flexible Body Entering Conduit The Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20070123826. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION [0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Utility application Ser. No. 10/444,773, filed May 24, 2003, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0002] This invention relates to a device for gripping a guide wire in a manner such that torque and/or force can be applied to the guide wire to direct it during a medical procedure. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0003] Certain medical procedures include the use of a guide wire that is passed through one or more tubular vessels in the body, such as blood vessels. Among these procedures are (a) percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PCTA), wherein a balloon catheter is steered through a blood vessel to a given location and inflated in order to dilate a coronary artery, (b) stent or stent graft insertion, (c) blood vessel stripping, (d) blood vessel harvesting, (e) angiography, and (f) percutaneous transluminal angioplasty. [0004] For procedures involving a blood vessel the guide wire is typically introduced into a vessel via an opening made by a surgeon. For example, a guide wire may be introduced through a small needle hole made in the femoral artery in the groin area. The guide wire may then be maneuvered through the femoral artery and aorta and into branches of the vascular system until it reaches the desired location in the desired vessel. Maneuvering the guide wire requires the surgeon to apply torque to the end of the wire outside of the body (the "proximal end") to twist or rotate the wire, thereby changing the position of the end of the wire inside the body (the "distal end") to guide it into openings to branch vessels. [0005] Guide wires often have a slippery, hydrophilic coating to provide high lubricity thus allowing the wire to pass easily through an organ, such as a blood vessel. However, such guide wires may be so slippery that sufficient torque cannot be applied by simply rolling or twisting the proximal end of the guide wire between a thumb and forefinger. Consequently, a torque device is needed to grip the guide. wire for adequate torque to be applied. [0006] Traditional torque devices are comprised of a small tube, or body portion, having an opening therethrough. At one end of the tube is a structure, such as a collet having four fingers that can be pressed together, to grip the guide wire. A screw cap having a hole for the passage of the guide wire therethrough is secured to the tube, is positioned over the collet and has a tightened position and a loosened position. As the cap is moved to the tightened position, the fingers are compressed radially inward, gripping the guide wire positioned between them. The guide wire can then be manipulated by turning or twisting the torque device. [0007] A drawback of known torque devices is that the guide wire can only be threaded from one end, i.e., through the cap positioned at one end of the torque device, which may make the device difficult to thread in the operating room. Additionally, known torque devices grip a guide wire at just one location, which does not always sufficiently secure the guide wire to allow the application of adequate torque and/or force for steering or to pull the guide wire taut during certain procedures, such as vein harvesting (during which, additional longitudinal displacement forces may be encountered). Additionally, with known torque devices the guide wire must be advanced or retracted by holding the guide wire in one hand, which can be awkward. [0008] In addition, guide wires are packaged for shipping. A commonly-used guide wire package is a tubular plastic sheath into which the guide wire is placed. Typically, when packaged, an end of the guide wire extends outside of an end of the package and a guide wire director is positioned on the exposed end of the guide wire. The guide wire director has a first end that includes an opening dimensioned to receive the end of the guide wire package, thus securing the director and guide wire during shipping and handling, and a second end that includes an elongated snout, which is used to introduce the guide wire into a lumen, such as the lumen of a vein or catheter. It would be advantageous to provide a torque device that could be preapplied to the guide wire (rather than being applied in the operating room) and that could be positioned on an end of a guide wire package so it remained positioned thereon during shipping. It would also be advantageous if a torque device included a snout to assist in introducing a guide wire into a lumen. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0009] One device according to the invention is a guide wire torque device for gripping a guide wire at more than one location on the wire. The torque device has an opening extending therethrough, an open position and a closed position. When the torque device is in the open position the guide wire may be passed through the opening. When the device is in the closed position the guide wire is gripped at more than one location thereby allowing torque and/or force to be applied to the guide wire. [0010] One preferred embodiment of the torque device described above includes a body portion, a first cap secured to a first end of the body portion and a second cap secured to a second end of the body portion. The opening extends through the body portion. A first collet is formed at the first end of the body portion and a second collet is formed at the second end of the body portion. Each collet includes a plurality of compressable fingers for gripping a guide wire, however, any structure(s) for gripping a guide wire may be used. The first cap engages the first collet and may be tightened to the first end of the body portion, preferably by utilizing a threaded connection. When tightened, the first cap compresses the fingers of the first collet so that the fingers grip the guide wire. The second cap engages the second collet and may be tightened to the second end of the body portion, also preferably by utilizing a threaded connection. When tightened, the second cap compresses the fingers of the second collet so the fingers of the second collet grip the guide wire. [0011] An alternate torque device according to the invention includes an elongated snout (or simply "snout"), to assist in straightening and/or guiding a guide wire, such as an angled or J-tipped guide wire, into a lumen, such as the lumen of a vein or a cannula, and thus acting as a guide wire director. Such a device is configured to grip a guide wire at one or more locations when in the closed position. [0012] Another torque device according to the invention is configured to receive the end of a guide wire package. Such a torque device is preferably mounted to a guide wire extending outside the end of the package and the torque device is positioned so that the end of the guide wire package is received in an opening in the torque device. This secures the torque device to the guide wire package during shipping to help protect the guide wire and the torque device. Such a torque device is configured to grip a guide wire at one or more locations when in the closed position. [0013] A torque device according to the invention may also include a structure for securing a body member (such as a blood vessel) or other object to the device, the structure preferably being an annular bump or ridge, wherein the ridge is preferably positioned on an elongated snout of the device. [0014] Another torque device according to the invention includes a mechanism, such as a thumb wheel, for advancing or retracting a guide wire. Such a device may further include an elongated snout, a structure for securing a body member or other object thereto, and grips a guide wire at one or more locations when in the closed position. In this embodiment the guide wire may be gripped solely by the mechanism or by the mechanism and other structures on the device. [0015] Another device according to the invention includes an opening in the body portion of the device that exposes a guide wire contained therein. The exposed guide wire can then be advanced or retracted utilizing one's finger or thumb. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0016] A detailed description of the invention will be made with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein: [0017] FIG. 1 is a peripheral, exploded view of a preferred embodiment of one aspect of the present invention. [0018] FIG. 2 is a side view of the device shown in FIG. 1 with the components assembled. [0019] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the device shown in FIG. 2. Continue reading... Full patent description for Guide wire torque device Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Guide wire torque device patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. 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