Multiple approaches to incorporating multiple conductors on a guidewire by building the multiple conductor traces of variable sizes and material compositions on separate insulating layers are described. The approaches described in the invention facilitate ease of assembly of sensors to the guidewire or catheter element. This approach is particularly useful in scenarios where electrical or mechanical properties of the device need to be altered in specific sections to either enhance device performance and reliability (e.g. selective abrasion resistance), or facilitate ease of assembly (e.g. soldering or connection ease), or in some instances achieve desired electrical characteristics (e.g. impedance). The desired properties are incorporated into the same device requiring an innovative approach to forming signal wires in an otherwise tight space without impacting the primary mechanical performance of the devices.

A guide wire having a conductive portion coated with an insulating film without impairing mobility of a diaphragm. The diaphragm and the conductive portion are on a surface perpendicularly intersecting with an axial line direction. A guide wire main body has a housing having an internal space with a pressure sensor therein. The pressure sensor includes a sensor main body having a distal end surface perpendicularly intersecting with an axial direction of the guide wire main body and facing a distal end, a diaphragm located on the distal end surface, resistive bodies each having a variable electrical resistance value by being deformed together with the diaphragm, terminals connected to the resistive bodies, conductive wires attached to the terminals with solder. Insulating films is formed by electrodeposition coating on a portion of the terminals, solder, and conductive wires.

Guidewires having conductive elements are described where in one variation, the guidewire may be formed by disposing an insulative layer upon a surface of the guidewire core, and printing one or more conductive traces directly upon a surface of the insulative layer.

An inlet passage portion, which is a substantially columnar space through which a tip end of a guide wire is inserted into an opening portion to pass the guide wire, a shaping portion, which is a space communicating with the inlet passage portion through an outlet portion, which is a portion located at a deepest part of the inlet passage portion, and flatly expanding from the outlet portion, an annular inner wall, which forms an inner circumferential portion of the shaping portion, an extension line intersection portion, which is an inner wall intersecting an extension line of a center line of the inlet passage portion at an obtuse angle, and an obtuse angle side inner wall portion, which is an inner wall extending from the outlet portion to the extension line intersection portion and forming an obtuse angle with the extension line are included.

A guide wire having a shaping property capable of shaping into a desired shape and a shape retaining property of retaining a shape at a time of shaping against an external force applied in a blood vessel, thereby allowing a procedure to be easily performed while maintaining high operability and blood vessel selectivity; and a method of manufacturing a guide wire. The guide wire includes an elongated core component including a flat portion at a distal end of the elongated core component. The flat portion is formed of a Ni-Ti alloy having an elastic portion of total indentation work of 46.0% to 59.5% and having a Martens hardness of 1300 N/mm.sup.2 to 3000 N/mm.sup.2, more preferably having a Martens hardness of 1300 N/mm.sup.2 to 2120 N/mm.sup.2.

A method of making a medical guidewire including providing a wire having a length that includes a proximal length and a distal length. The method further includes applying cold work to the distal length and not applying cold work to the proximal length, thereby imparting to the distal length a diameter that is smaller than the proximal length diameter; and applying a reducing process to the wire whereby the proximal length is reduced to have an outer diameter that is the same as the outer diameter of the distal length. The proximal length has an inner diameter and the distal length has an inner diameter that is less than the inner diameter of the proximal length.

Shapeable guide wire devices and methods for their manufacture. Guide wire devices include an elongate shaft member having a shapeable distal end section that is formed from a linear pseudoelastic nickel-titanium (Ni—Ti) alloy that has linear pseudoelastic behavior without a phase transformation or onset of stress-induced martensite. Linear pseudoelastic Ni—Ti alloy, which is distinct from non-linear pseudoelastic (i.e., superelastic) Ni—Ti alloy, is highly durable, corrosion resistant, and has high stiffness. The shapeable distal end section is shapeable by a user to facilitate guiding the guide wire through tortuous anatomy. In addition, linear pseudoelastic Ni—Ti alloy is more durable tip material than other shapeable tip materials such as stainless steel.

A method and apparatus are disclosed for a guidewire that comprises an elongate member with a proximal and distal portion. The distal portion includes a distal curved portion, ending in a distal tip, and a tapered region that reduces the cross-section from a larger cross-section to a smaller cross-section. The elongate member further includes a plurality of flattened regions positioned at discrete locations along the elongate member. Each of the plurality of flattened regions are separated from one another by an unflattened region whereby when a force is exerted onto the guidewire, the guidewire undergoes bending at the plurality of flattened regions.

The invention provides design, material, manufacturing method, and use alternatives for medical devices. An example medical device includes an elongate shaft having a distal region and a coil disposed along the distal region. The coil is formed from a winding member having a first filar region and a second filar region. The winding member has a first cross-sectional diameter along the first filar region, a second cross-sectional diameter different from the first cross-sectional diameter along the second filar region, a first centroid at a first position along the first filar region and a second centroid at a second position along the second filar region. The first centroid and the second centroid are axially-aligned.

Intraluminal and endovascular devices and methods of manufacturing intraluminal and endovascular devices may be provided. In one implementation, an intraluminal device may include a sheath having a flexible distal bending segment and a core wire arranged within the sheath. The core wire may include a distal end portion doubled back in a loop within the sheath such that the distal tip of the core wire is situated proximally from the loop. The intraluminal device may also include a movement restrictor within the sheath that is configured to limit axial movement of the distal tip of the core wire. Limiting the axial movement of the core wire distal tip may cause the loop of the core wire to buckle, resulting in a bend in the distal bending segment of the sheath, when a force is exerted on the core wire.