Patent ID: 8608726
Filing Date: 2013-12-17
Classification: A61M

Abstract:
1. An apparatus for use in interventional or diagnostic access to a vascular system, said apparatus comprising: a guidewire having an electrically operable actuator at a distal end portion of said guidewire, an inner wire which is connected with a first end portion of said actuator, and an outer wire which is connected with a second end portion of said actuator, said outer wire has a plurality of turns which extend around said inner wire and are electrically insulated from said inner wire; and a manually engageable guidewire controller to which force can be manually applied to transmit torque to said guidewire to rotate said guidewire about a longitudinal central axis of said guidewire and to which force can be manually applied move said guidewire along the longitudinal central axis of said guidewire, said controller being adapted to be positioned and re-positioned at a plurality of locations along the length of said guidewire, said controller engages at least one turn of said plurality of turns of said outer wire to enable electrical current to be conducted between said outer wire and said controller and to enable force to be transmitted from said controller to said outer wire, said controller includes a switch which is manually actuatable between an on condition in which a flow of electrical current is conducted between said controller and said outer wire to effect operation of said actuator and an off condition in which the flow of electrical current between said controller and said actuator is interrupted.