Abstract:
A catheter guidewire advancement device comprised of an at least partially transparent housing having scale markings, a guidewire, and a thumb roller, said guidewire being coiled within said housing, said markings being aligned with the coiled guidewire such that upon extension of the guidewire, the marking adjacent to the distal end of the wire correlates with the length of wire extended from the housing.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    The present invention relates generally to catheter guidewires and specifically to a catheter guidewire advancement device that may be used in cardiac and endovascular procedures and surgeries. 
         [0003]    2. Description of the Prior Art 
         [0004]    Medical guidewires are used in numerous medical procedures, including cardiac catheterization, interventional radiology, and endovascular surgery. Surgical guidewire may be passed through arteries to, for example, guide and place arterial catheters. Such guidewires are generally inserted through a cannula within a blood vessel and advanced to a predetermined point within the vascular system. One common type of guidewire is known as a “J type” guidewire which has a flexible “J” shaped tip which allows the guidewire to be more easily maneuvered through the vessel. 
         [0005]    Some procedures require the use of long guidewires. In some cases, up to 56 cm may be advanced through a patient&#39;s blood vessels. Naturally, the longer the guidewire, the more susceptible it may be to contamination, especially during insertion. Long guidewires frequently become entangled during insertion. Manually untangling a guidewire may result in destroying its sterility. Moreover, because of the great length inserted, it becomes difficult for the health care provider to know how much of the wire has been extended or the approximate location of the guidewire tip in the vessel. 
         [0006]    To solve the problems encountered in using guidewires, the present invention provides a calibrated housing for use with a coiled length of guidewire. The housing allows the user to accurately advance the guidewire a desired length into the patient. 
         [0007]    There are other guidewire advancement devices known in the art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,903,826 issued to Pearce discloses a surgical wire dispenser having a spirally formed guidewire channel. U.S. Patent Publication, Heh 20040082880 discloses a guidewire dispenser with a roller wheel. However, the prior art guidewire advancement devices fail to provide an accurate way for a physician to readily determine the amount of guidewire extended. It is also known in the art to mark the guidewire itself. However, such markings are difficult to see, interpret, or follow. 
         [0008]    What is needed is a guidewire advancement device that is compact, easily sanitized, easily used and which readily permits a physician to accurately determine the length of guidewire extended. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0009]    It is an object of the invention to provide a guidewire advancement device that is compact, easily sanitized, and permits a physician to accurately determine the length of guidewire extended. 
         [0010]    The guidewire advancement device of the present invention is comprised of a partially transparent housing, a spiral passage for a guidewire, and thumb roller. In the preferred embodiment, the housing is comprised of a lower housing and an upper housing. The lower and upper housing are each further comprised of a thumb wheel opening and a tapered portion. The passage is structured and arranged such that a guidewire comprised of a proximal end and a distal end may be coiled within the housing. The thumb roller is rotatably positioned distal to the tapered portion between the upper and lower housing. When placed within the housing, the guidewire is coiled such that the proximal end extends from an end opening in the tapered portion. A portion of the guidewire may be frictionally coupled to the thumb roller such that when the roller is turned the guidewire moves. 
         [0011]    The housing is ring shaped and has markings calibrated to the length of the guidewire extended from the housing. In the preferred embodiment, a physician using the guidewire advancement device may determine the amount of guidewire extended by comparing the position of the guidewire&#39;s distal end with a calibration marking on the housing that corresponds with the length of guidewire extended. In a preferred embodiment, the guidewire&#39;s distal end is adjacent to the marking “00” in the fully retracted position. When the proximal end is extended, the distal end will move towards the marking associated with the length extended. In the preferred embodiment, the increments are placed at 1 cm. 
         [0012]    The thumb roller may be used by the physician to advance the guidewire from the housing. The outside surface of the housing has a transparent portion through which the physician can visually inspect the length of wire remaining, and in particular, the marking at which the distal end is located. 
         [0013]    In one embodiment, the housing has an access port through which a sanitizer may be injected. 
         [0014]    In another embodiment of the present invention, the distal end is of one color and the remainder of the guidewire is of a different color. 
         [0015]    In another embodiment of the present invention, the housing has a transparent cover. 
         [0016]    In another embodiment of the present invention, the guidewire is of one color and an inside surface of the housing is of a different color. 
         [0017]    In another embodiment, the housing has a transparent back. 
         [0018]    In another embodiment, the housing has a contoured gripping portion. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0019]      FIG. 1  is top side plan view of the catheter guidewire advancement device of the present invention in accordance with a preferred embodiment with the cover in place. 
           [0020]      FIG. 2  is top side plan view of the catheter guidewire advancement device of the present invention in accordance with a preferred embodiment without the cover in place. 
           [0021]      FIG. 3  is top side plan view of the catheter guidewire advancement device of the present invention, in accordance with an alternative embodiment, with the cover in place. 
           [0022]      FIG. 4  is top side plan view of the catheter guidewire advancement device of the present invention, in accordance with an alternative embodiment, without the cover in place. 
           [0023]      FIG. 5  is top side plan view of the catheter guidewire advancement device of the present invention in accordance with another embodiment. 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0024]    In  FIGS. 1 and 2 , there is shown the catheter guidewire advancement device  14  in accordance with a preferred embodiment. In  FIGS. 3 and 4 , an alternative embodiment of the catheter guidewire advancement device  14  is shown. In  FIG. 5 , still another embodiment is shown. The catheter guidewire advancement device  14  of the present invention is comprised of a partially transparent housing  18 , a spiral passage  42  for a guidewire  16 , and thumb roller  24 . In the preferred embodiment, the housing  18  is generally ring shaped and has a hollow central portion  48  and referring to  FIG. 5 , in one embodiment, the housing  18  is comprised of a contoured gripping portion  50  which allows the user to easily grasp and maneuver the device  14 . In the preferred embodiment, the housing  18  is further comprised of a lower housing  22  coupled to an upper housing  20 . The lower  22  and upper  20  housing  18  are each further comprised of a thumb roller opening  34  and a tapered portion  36 . The lower housing  22  of the preferred embodiment is comprised of a channel  42  formed by a generally spirally arranged channel side wall  44 , a base  46 , and a top  20 . Because the channel side wall  44  is spirally arranged, the channel side wall  44  forms both sides  44 ,  44  of the channel  42 , while the base  46  and upper housing  20  form a bottom wall  46  and top wall  20 , respectively. Thus, the channel is comprised of four walls—the channel side walls  44 ,  44 , the base  46 , and upper housing  20 . These walls  44 ,  44 ,  46 ,  20  confine the guidewire  16  within the channel  42  such that, when so configured, the guidewire  16  may only be removed though an opening  38  in the tapered portion  36 . The channel  42  is structured to coil a guidewire  16  comprised of a proximal end  28  and a distal end  26  within the channel  42 . The thumb roller  24  is rotatably positioned distal to the tapered portion  36  between the lower  22  and upper  20  housing  18 . The guidewire  16  is coiled within the channel  42  of the housing  18  such that the proximal end  28  extends from the opening  38  in the tapered portion  36 . A portion of the guidewire  16  is frictionally coupled to the thumb roller  24  such that when the roller  24  is turned the guidewire  16  moves. 
         [0025]    The upper housing  20  has markings  23  calibrated to the length of the guidewire  16  extended from the housing  18 . For example, in  FIG. 1 , the guidewire&#39;s  16  distal end  26  is adjacent to the marking  23  “00” which indicates the guidewire  16  is in the fully retracted position. When the proximal end  28  is extended, the distal end  26  will move towards the marking  23  associated with the length extended. By way of example, if the proximal end  28  of the guidewire  16  were extended 4 cm, the distal end  26  would align with the “04” marking  23 . 
         [0026]    Referring to the figures, the thumb roller  24  may be used by the physician to advance the guidewire  16  from the housing  18 . Further, as shown in  FIG. 3 , the upper surface  20  of the housing  18  has a transparent portion  32  through which the physician can visually inspect the length of guidewire  16  remaining, and in particular, the marking  22  at which the distal end  26  is located. 
         [0027]    To facilitate atraumatic passage into a vessel, the proximal end  28  of the guidewire  16  of the preferred embodiment has a “J” tip  30 . “J” tip  30  guidewires  16  are preferred by some practitioners over a straight tip because such practitioners find that in certain procedures they are easier to negotiate around anatomical angulations, and, thus, reduce the occurrence of traumatic vessel injury. Although the guidewire  16  of the preferred embodiment has a “J” tip  30 , the tip need not be “J” shaped. Rather, the proximal end  28  of the guidewire  16  may be either J-shaped, straight, or some other configuration. 
         [0028]    Referring to  FIG. 3 , in one embodiment, the housing  18  has an access port  40  through which a sanitizer may be injected. In this embodiment, the access port  40  is a small orifice  40  that acts as a one way valve such that the sanitizer may be injected into the housing  18 . Injected sanitizer circulates throughout the interior of the housing  18 , cleansing and sanitizing the guidewire  16  and housing  18  interior. Injected sanitizer, after circulating throughout the housing  18  interior, exits through the openings  34 ,  38 . 
         [0029]    The practitioner determines the length of extended guidewire  16  by comparing the position of the distal end  26  with the markings  23 . In another embodiment of the present invention, the distal end  26  is of one color and other portions of the guidewire  16  are of one or more different colors. The contrasting colors may, in some circumstances, allow the physician to more easily see the position of the distal end  26 , and, thus, more readily determine the length of guidewire  16  extended. 
         [0030]    In another embodiment of the present invention, the guidewire  16  is of one color and an inside surface of the housing  18  is of a different color. 
         [0031]    Although in an alternative embodiment ( FIG. 3 ), the physician views the guidewire  16  contained within the housing  18  through openings  32 , the device  14  need not have such openings  32 . For example, in another embodiment of the present invention, the upper housing  20  is transparent such that the entire length of guidewire  16  may be examined instead of just the portions visible through the openings  32 . 
         [0032]    In some circumstances, the lower housing  22  may be more convenient for the physician to view, for example, when the physician is left handed. In another embodiment, the lower housing  22  is transparent. In this embodiment, the physician may examine the guidewire  16  through the lower housing  22 . 
         [0033]    The housing  18  and thumb roller  24  may be formed of any conventional material such as metal or plastic. In the preferred embodiment, the housing  18  and thumb roller  24  are formed from polycarbonate. The guidewire  16  may be any conventional and commercially available guidewire  16  suitable for the desired procedure and capable of being placed within the channel  42  of the housing  18 . 
         [0034]    The device  14  may be manufactured and assembled for use with many different lengths of guidewire  16 . In the preferred embodiment, and as depicted in  FIG. 1 , the device  14  is assembled for use with a 60 cm guidewire  16 . However, the device  14  can be manufactured to accommodate various lengths of guidewire  16 . 
         [0035]    The operation and use of the guidewire advancement device  14  will now be described. The guidewire advancement device  14  is assembled for use by placing the guidewire  16  within the housing  18  by inserting the guidewire  16  distal end  26  into the end opening  38 . The guidewire  16  distal end  26  is then moved over the thumb roller  24  and into the channel  42  until the distal end  26  aligns with the “00” calibration marking  23 . The ringed configuration of the device  14  permits the physician to grasp the device  14  through the hollow central portion  48  so that the physician&#39;s thumb is positioned above the thumb roller  24 . The physician may then use the thumb roller  24  to advance the guidewire  16  from the housing  18  and through a cannula within a blood vessel to a predetermined point within the vascular system by comparing the position of the guidewire  16  distal end  26  with the calibration marking  23  that corresponds with the length of guidewire  16  extended from the housing  18 . Once the guidewire  16  has been used, it may be retracted within the housing  18  in a reverse fashion as that which has been described above. 
         [0036]    The guidewire advancement device  14  may then be sanitized by injecting a sanitizer through the injection port  40  and circulating the sanitizer throughout the interior of the housing  18 , so as to cleanse and sanitize the guidewire  16  and housing  18  interior. The injected sanitizer, after circulating throughout the housing  18  interior, will exit through the openings  34 ,  38 . 
         [0037]    While there has been illustrated and described what is, at present, considered to be a preferred embodiment of the present invention, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made, and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the true scope of the invention. Therefore, it is intended that this invention not be limited to the particular embodiment disclosed as the best mode contemplated for carrying out the invention, but that the invention will include all embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims.