Textured polymer coated guide wire and method of manufacture

Abstract

A guide wire for advancing a medical device such as a catheter through a patient's body lumen which has an elongated core with proximal and distal core section, a flexible tubular member such as a coil on the distal end. The wire core includes surface textures that are translated into the overlying coating. Alternatively, the coating has its own surface texture. The surface textures include randomly or non-randomly spaced bumps, divots, ridges, helical grooves, longitudinal grooves, undulations, etc.

1 . An intraluminal guide wire, comprising: 
 an elongated core having a proximal core section and a distal core section having a distal end, wherein at least a section of the elongated core includes randomized and non-randomized tactile surface contours, wherein the surface contours are spaced apart in a range of about 0.05 cm to 2 cm and have a surface-to-peak amplitude of about 0.0002 to 0.002 inch;    an uninterrupted polymer coating with a generally constant outside diameter adhering to at least a portion of the elongated core and having a surface contour that follows the randomized and non-randomized tactile surface contours in the elongated core; and    a flexible tubular member disposed over the distal core section.    
   
   
       2 . The intraluminal guide wire of  claim 1 , wherein the tactile surface contours can be detected by touch of a user's finger.  
   
   
       3 . The intraluminal guide wire of  claim 1 , wherein the tactile surface contours include at least a bump.  
   
   
       4 . The intraluminal guide wire of  claim 1 , wherein the tactile surface contours include at least a divot.  
   
   
       5 . The intraluminal guide wire of  claim 1 , wherein the tactile surface contours include at least a helical pattern.  
   
   
       6 . The intraluminal guide wire of  claim 1 , wherein the tactile surface contours include at least a rib.  
   
   
       7 . The intraluminal guide wire of  claim 1 , wherein the tactile surface contours include at least an undulation.  
   
   
       8 . The intraluminal guide wire of  claim 1 , wherein the tactile surface contours include at least a longitudinal groove.  
   
   
       9 . The intraluminal guide wire of  claim 1 , wherein the tactile surface contours include ridges and dips.  
   
   
       10 . The intraluminal guide wire of  claim 1 , wherein the tactile surface contours include at least a circumferential groove.  
   
   
       11 . The intraluminal guide wire of  claim 1 , wherein the polymer coating is disposed over the flexible tubular member.  
   
   
       12 . The intraluminal guide wire of  claim 1 , wherein the proximal core section includes a high strength steel and the distal core section includes a nickel-titanium alloy.  
   
   
       13 . The intraluminal guide wire of  claim 1 , wherein the polymer coating includes a fluoropolymer.  
   
   
       14 . An intraluminal guide wire, comprising: 
 an elongated core having a proximal core section and a distal core section including a taper transitioning to a distal end, wherein an exterior surface of the distal core section is substantially smooth and without interruptions;    a polymer coating of generally uniform thickness adhering to at least a portion of the distal core section with a coating profile following a tapered profile of the elongated core, the polymer coating having an exterior surface with at least one of randomized and non-randomized surface contours that can be detected by human touch; and    a flexible tubular member disposed over the distal core section.    
   
   
       15 . The intraluminal guide wire of  claim 14 , wherein the surface contours include a rib.  
   
   
       16 . The intraluminal guide wire of  claim 14 , wherein the surface contours include a helical pattern.  
   
   
       17 . The intraluminal guide wire of  claim 14 , wherein the tactile surface contours include a longitudinal groove.  
   
   
       18 . A method for providing an intraluminal guide wire, comprising: 
 providing an elongated core having a proximal core section and a distal core section having a substantially smooth exterior surface;    tapering a profile of the elongated core to transition into a distal end;    heating and extruding a polymer through a die to adhere to at least a portion of the elongated core to create a polymer coating; and    imparting into an exterior surface of the polymer coating at least one of randomized and non-randomized surface contours that are independent from the profile of the elongated core, wherein the at least one of the randomized and non-randomized surface contours have sufficient texture to be detectable by human touch.    
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the step of imparting into an exterior surface of the polymer coating further comprises providing a V-block, disposing the elongated core into the V-block, aiming an energized laser at right angle to the elongated core while advancing and rotating elongated core past the laser.