Tunneling guidewire

Abstract

A medical device tunneling system, and a method of using the same, to subcutaneously route trocars, also commonly referred to as tunnelers, or introducers, having a cannula, stylet, and a guidewire stylet, inside a patient during a surgical procedure, such as a ventriculoperitoneal hydrocephalus shunt implantation, from a proximal entry point to a distal end point, in order to subcutaneously route and implant a medical device, such as shunt tubing, in a patient.

1 - 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A tunneling guidewire for subcutaneously routing through an opening, the tunneling guidewire comprising a stiffness, k, between about 100,000 and 30,000,000 Newtons per meter for extravascularly routing the guidewire between two incisions. 
     
     
         22 . The tunneling guidewire of  claim 21 , wherein the guidewire comprises a proximal end and a distal end, the proximal end being coupled to a stylet. 
     
     
         23 . The tunneling guidewire of  claim 22 , wherein the guidewire is permanently affixed to the stylet. 
     
     
         24 . The tunneling guidewire of  claim 22 , wherein at least a portion of the stylet has a first outer diameter and at least a portion of the guidewire has a second outer diameter that is less than the first outer diameter. 
     
     
         25 . The tunneling guidewire of  claim 22 , wherein the guidewire and stylet consist of stainless steel. 
     
     
         26 . The tunneling guidewire of  claim 21 , wherein the guidewire comprises a tip comprising an endpoint loop. 
     
     
         27 . The tunneling guidewire of  claim 21 , wherein the guidewire comprises a handle adjacent a proximal end of the guidewire, wherein the guidewire is steerable via the handle. 
     
     
         28 . The tunneling guidewire of  claim 21 , wherein the guidewire is pre-bent such that a portion of the guidewire comprises a minimum bend radius of about one centimeter. 
     
     
         29 . The tunneling guidewire of  claim 21 , wherein the guidewire comprises a tensile strength range from about 300 mega-pascals to about 3,500 mega-pascals. 
     
     
         30 . The tunneling guidewire of  claim 21 , wherein the guidewire comprises a Young's modulus of at least 30 giga-pascals, but not more than about 400 giga-pascals. 
     
     
         31 . The tunneling guidewire of  claim 21 , wherein the guidewire comprises a tip defining an eyelet. 
     
     
         32 . The tunneling guidewire of  claim 21 , wherein a distal end of the guidewire comprises a tip, the tip comprising a proximal end, a distal end, and an intermediate portion between the proximal end and the distal end, wherein an outer perimeter of the intermediate portion is greater than an outer perimeter of the proximal end and an outer perimeter of the distal end. 
     
     
         33 . The tunneling guidewire of  claim 21 , wherein the guidewire comprises stainless steel. 
     
     
         34 . A tunneling guidewire system for subcutaneously routing tubing through an opening, the system comprising a guidewire-stylet comprising a guidewire portion and a stylet portion, the guidewire portion being coupled to the stylet portion, wherein the guidewire portion comprises a stiffness, k, between about 100,000 and 30,000,000 Newtons per meter for extravascularly routing the guidewire portion. 
     
     
         35 . The tunneling guidewire system of  claim 34 , wherein at least a portion of the guidewire portion is pre-bent. 
     
     
         36 . The tunneling guidewire of  claim 34 , wherein the stylet portion comprises a proximal end and a distal end, and the guidewire portion extends from the distal end of the stylet portion, and a handle is coupled to the proximal end of the stylet portion. 
     
     
         37 . The tunneling guidewire of  claim 34 , wherein the guidewire portion is permanently affixed to the stylet portion. 
     
     
         38 . The tunneling guidewire of  claim 34 , wherein the stylet comprises a handle adjacent a proximal end of the stylet portion, wherein the guidewire portion is steerable via the handle.