Radial coil expandable medical wire

Abstract

An expandable medical wire can be used to entrain biological or foreign material during a medical procedure, such as lithotripsy. The wire also can be used to remove the material safely from the body. Generally, the wire includes a sleeve and a core, where the sleeve, the core, or both include a portion or portions that can be deployed to form an expanded coiled configuration. The expanded coiled configuration can be collapsed to facilitate positioning the wire within an anatomical lumen. In addition, the wire can be used as a conventional guide wire or as a self-anchoring guide wire.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A medical device comprising: 
 an elongate core; and    an elongate sleeve defining a lumen extending longitudinally within at least a portion of the elongate sleeve, the sleeve including a plurality of coils disposed in a conical shape when the core is removed from a section of the lumen extending through the plurality of coils, the coils being straightened and the sleeve being in a substantially linear configuration when the core is inserted within the section of the lumen extending through the plurality of coils.    
     
     
         2 . The medical device of  claim 1 , wherein the sleeve comprises a shape-memory material.  
     
     
         3 . The medical device of  claim 1 , wherein the sleeve and the core comprise different materials.  
     
     
         4 . The medical device of  claim 1 , wherein the sleeve further comprises at least one coiled element disposed in a portion of the sleeve distal to the plurality of coils, the at least one coiled element formed when the core is removed from a section of the lumen extending through the at least one coiled element and being in a substantially linear configuration when the core is inserted into the section of the lumen extending through the at least one coiled element.  
     
     
         5 . The medical device according to  claim 1 , wherein each of the sleeve and core has a cross-section selected from the group consisting of polygonal, arcuate, and combinations of arcuate and polygonal elements.  
     
     
         6 . The medical device of  claim 1 , wherein the sleeve includes a coating disposed on an external surface of the sleeve.  
     
     
         7 . The medical device of  claim 6 , wherein the coating comprises a polymeric material.  
     
     
         8 . The medical device of  claim 7 , wherein the polymeric material is selected from the group consisting of polytetraflouroethylene, expanded polytetraflouroethylene, ethylene-tetrafluoroethylene, and silicone.  
     
     
         9 . A medical device comprising: 
 an elongate sleeve defining a lumen extending longitudinally within at least a portion of the elongate sleeve, the sleeve comprising a first portion and a second portion more rigid than the first portion; and    an elongate core slidably disposable within the lumen, the core including a section that changes shape when disposed in the first portion to increase an outer diameter of the sleeve, the section being retained in a substantially linear configuration when disposed in the second portion.    
     
     
         10 . The medical device of  claim 9 , wherein the core comprises a shape-memory material.  
     
     
         11 . The medical device of  claim 9 , wherein the sleeve comprises a shape-memory material.  
     
     
         12 . The medical device of  claim 9 , wherein the first portion comprises an expandable balloon.  
     
     
         13 . The medical device of  claim 9 , wherein the section that changes shape forms a coiled configuration when disposed in the first portion.  
     
     
         14 . The medical device of  claim 13 , wherein the coiled configuration comprises a plurality of coils.  
     
     
         15 . The medical device of  claim 14 , wherein the plurality of coils form a shape selected from the group consisting of conical, spherical, helical, frusto-conical, and combinations thereof.  
     
     
         16 . The medical device of  claim 9 , wherein the first and second portions comprise walls, wherein a thickness of the first portion wall is substantially less than a thickness of the second portion wall.  
     
     
         17 . The medical device of  claim 9 , wherein the first portion and the second portion comprise different materials.  
     
     
         18 . The medical device of  claim 9 , wherein the sleeve includes a coating disposed on an external surface of the sleeve.  
     
     
         19 . The medical device of  claim 18 , wherein the coating comprises a polymeric material.  
     
     
         20 . The medical device of  claim 19 , wherein the polymeric material is selected from the group consisting of polytetraflouroethylene, expanded polytetraflouroethylene, ethylene-tetrafluoroethylene, and silicone.  
     
     
         21 . The medical device according to  claim 9 , wherein each of the sleeve and core has a cross-section selected from the group consisting of polygonal, arcuate, and combinations of arcuate and polygonal elements.  
     
     
         22 . A medical device comprising: 
 an elongate sleeve defining a lumen extending longitudinally within at least a portion of the elongate sleeve, the sleeve including a sleeve section that changes shape; and    an elongate core slidably disposable within the lumen, the core including a core section that changes shape, each of the sleeve and core sections retaining a substantially linear configuration when restrained and forming a substantially coiled configuration when aligned.    
     
     
         23 . The medical device of  claim 22 , wherein the sleeve comprises a shape-memory material.  
     
     
         24 . The medical device of  claim 22 , wherein the core comprises a shape-memory material.  
     
     
         25 . The medical device of  claim 22 , wherein the coiled configuration comprises a plurality of coils.  
     
     
         26 . The medical device of  claim 25 , wherein the plurality of coils form a shape selected from the group consisting of conical, spherical, helical, frusto-conical, and combinations thereof.  
     
     
         27 . The medical device of  claim 22 , wherein each of the sleeve and core sections forms the substantially coiled configuration when partially aligned.  
     
     
         28 . The medical device of  claim 22 , wherein each of the sleeve section and core section retains the substantially linear configuration when at least partially misaligned.  
     
     
         29 . The medical device of  claim 22 , wherein the sleeve includes a coating disposed on an external surface of the sleeve.  
     
     
         30 . The medical device of  claim 29 , wherein the coating comprises a polymeric material.  
     
     
         31 . The medical device of  claim 30 , wherein the polymeric material is selected from the group consisting of polytetraflouroethylene, expanded polytetraflouroethylene, ethylene-tetrafluoroethylene, and silicone.  
     
     
         32 . The medical device according to  claim 22 , wherein each of the sleeve and core has a cross-section selected from the group consisting of polygonal, arcuate, and combinations of arcuate and polygonal elements.