A Medical Guidewire That Bends to Protect Tissue
This patent describes a medical guidewire assembly designed to safely puncture a body wall, featuring a flexible tip that automatically forms a protective shape once it exits a guiding tube, preventing the sharp piercing tool from accidentally harming nearby healthy tissue.
Original patent title: “Medical guidewire assembly having predetermined spatial geometry”
This patent describes a medical guidewire assembly designed to safely puncture a body wall, featuring a flexible tip that automatically forms a protective shape once it exits a guiding tube, preventing the sharp piercing tool from accidentally harming nearby healthy tissue. Granted in 2026.
Coverage
What does this patent actually cover?
This medical guidewire assembly helps doctors safely puncture a biological wall inside a patient's body. It uses a 'guidewire introducer,' which is like a guiding tube, placed near the wall. The assembly has a 'flexible distal shaft section' (the tip) that extends through this tube. Once this flexible tip leaves the introducer, it automatically takes on a 'predetermined spatial geometry' (a specific, pre-set shape). This shape is designed to keep the 'piercing stylet device' (a sharp tool within the guidewire) from touching any healthy tissue nearby after it punctures the wall. For example, if a doctor needs to puncture a blood vessel wall, this guidewire would ensure the sharp tip is immediately shielded by the guidewire's bent shape once it's through, protecting surrounding organs.
The gap
What does this patent NOT cover?
- Does not cover guidewires that do not form a specific, predetermined shape after exiting the introducer.
- Does not cover guidewires where the formed shape fails to prevent contact between the piercing stylet and adjacent tissue.
- Does not cover guidewire assemblies that do not include a separate piercing stylet device for puncturing.
- Does not cover guidewires where the flexible distal shaft section does not move through a guidewire introducer.
- Does not cover guidewires used for purposes other than puncturing a biological wall within a patient's body.
These exclusions are unique to PatentBrief — derived from the actual claim language, not patent-office boilerplate.
Key facts
What made this novel
The clever part is the guidewire's ability to automatically change shape into a protective barrier as soon as its flexible tip exits the guiding tube. This 'predetermined spatial geometry' instantly shields the sharp piercing tool, preventing it from accidentally damaging adjacent tissues after the initial puncture.
Schematic visualization of the patent's claim structure. Hand-drawn diagrams in progress for each landmark patent.
Where you've seen this
Real-world examples
Catheter insertion for angioplasty
Biopsy procedures requiring tissue sampling
Placement of drainage tubes
Stent delivery in vascular interventions
Accessing specific body cavities for diagnostic imaging
Why it matters
The bigger picture
Medical procedures often require puncturing internal body structures, such as blood vessel walls or organ linings. Accidental damage to surrounding healthy tissue during these punctures can lead to serious complications for patients. This guidewire design aims to significantly reduce such risks by providing an immediate, built-in safety mechanism, making interventional procedures safer and more precise.
Filed
January 27, 2021
Granted
September 15, 2026
Market context
Who's building on this
Companies in this space
Companies like Medtronic, Boston Scientific, Abbott, and Teleflex are major players in the medical guidewire and catheter markets. These companies continuously innovate in guidewire design to improve safety, steerability, and patient outcomes in a wide range of interventional procedures, including those requiring precise tissue puncture.
Market impact
This type of innovation directly impacts patient safety in minimally invasive procedures, potentially reducing complications and improving recovery times. By making punctures safer, it could enable wider adoption of certain interventional techniques and reduce the need for more invasive open surgeries. This focus on safety is a constant driver for competition and development in the medical device industry.
Claim 1 — Plain English
What this patent covers
This medical guidewire assembly helps doctors safely puncture a biological wall inside a patient's body. It uses a 'guidewire introducer,' which is like a guiding tube, placed near the wall. The assembly has a 'flexible distal shaft section' (the tip) that extends through this tube. Once this flexible tip leaves the introducer, it automatically takes on a 'predetermined spatial geometry' (a specific, pre-set shape). This shape is designed to keep the 'piercing stylet device' (a sharp tool within the guidewire) from touching any healthy tissue nearby after it punctures the wall. For example, if a doctor needs to puncture a blood vessel wall, this guidewire would ensure the sharp tip is immediately shielded by the guidewire's bent shape once it's through, protecting surrounding organs.
The clever bit
The clever part is the guidewire's ability to automatically change shape into a protective barrier as soon as its flexible tip exits the guiding tube. This 'predetermined spatial geometry' instantly shields the sharp piercing tool, preventing it from accidentally damaging adjacent tissues after the initial puncture.
What it does not cover
- Does not cover guidewires that do not form a specific, predetermined shape after exiting the introducer.
- Does not cover guidewires where the formed shape fails to prevent contact between the piercing stylet and adjacent tissue.
- Does not cover guidewire assemblies that do not include a separate piercing stylet device for puncturing.
- Does not cover guidewires where the flexible distal shaft section does not move through a guidewire introducer.
- Does not cover guidewires used for purposes other than puncturing a biological wall within a patient's body.
Patent timeline
Application submitted to the patent office
Patent officially issued
PatentBrief Score
Impact Score
Early stage
Citation count
0/40
No citations yet
Claim breadth
0/20
Narrow claimsclaimsThe numbered statements at the end of a patent that legally define what the inventor owns.Read more →
Recency
20/20
Granted within 5 years
Assignee scale
0/20
Independent or smaller assigneeassigneeThe entity that owns the patent — usually the inventor's employer or a company.Read more →
PatentBrief Impact Score — based on citation count, claim breadth, recency, and assignee scale. Not a legal assessment.
Heuristic Value Estimate
What this patent might be worth
$26K – $84K
Midpoint $53K · 14.3 yr remaining · industry ×2.2
Heuristic only — blends forward/backward citation counts, claim scope, time remaining, litigation history, and CPC-derived industry baseline. Real valuations need a professional appraisal.
Claim text not yet imported for this patent
Concepts involved
Cite this patent
(2026). A Medical Guidewire That Bends to Protect Tissue (U.S. Patent No. 12,734,341). U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/12734341/medical-guidewire-assembly-having-predetermined-spatial-geometry
Auto-generated from the patent record. Double-check author order and the issue date against the official USPTO document before submitting.
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Common Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
What does A Medical Guidewire That Bends to Protect Tissue cover?
This patent describes a medical guidewire assembly designed to safely puncture a body wall, featuring a flexible tip that automatically forms a protective shape once it exits a guiding tube, preventing the sharp piercing tool from accidentally harming nearby healthy tissue.
When does this patent expire?
This patent is expected to expire on September 15, 2046, when the invention enters the public domain.
What problem does this patent solve?
Medical procedures often require puncturing internal body structures, such as blood vessel walls or organ linings. Accidental damage to surrounding healthy tissue during these punctures can lead to serious complications for patients. This guidewire design aims to significantly reduce such risks by providing an immediate, built-in safety mechanism, making interventional procedures safer and more precise.
What does this patent NOT cover?
Does not cover guidewires that do not form a specific, predetermined shape after exiting the introducer.
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