High torque guidewires and methods for making and using them are provided. A guidewire may include an inner core wire movable relative to an outer jacket. The outer jacket includes proximal and distal ends, a lumen extending there between, thereby defining a longitudinal axis, and one or more helical slots adjacent the distal end. The core wire includes a proximal portion, a distal portion slidably received in the outer jacket lumen and terminating in a curved distal tip that extends from the outer jacket distal end, and one or more pins on the distal portion, each pin slidably received in a respective helical slot in the outer jacket such that axial movement of the core wire relative to the outer jacket causes the pin to slide within the helical slot and rotate the distal tip relative to the outer jacket distal end.

A medical guide wire with excellent visibility is provided. A medical guide wire including: a wire body (2) that is flexible and long; a covering layer (3) covering a surface of the wire body (2); and a wire material (4) helically arranged on the covering layer (3), wherein the covering layer (3) is formed of a transparent material same as a transparent material of the wire material (4), and the wire material (4) is arranged at a regular pitch along the longitudinal direction of the wire body (2).

A method for producing a guidewire, the method includes producing a position sensor by providing a shaft-section having a solid profile, which is sized and shaped to move in an anatomical material transportation system. A wire is wound around an axis of the shaft-section and first and second ends of the wire are coupled to respective first and second locations on an outer surface of the shaft-section. A guidewire-shaft is provided, and the position sensor is coupled to a distal end of the guidewire-shaft.

Conventionally, a coil formed in an irregular shape is used on a distal end side of the coil of a guide wire or a distal joining section is used on the tip of the guide wire to shorten a length in a longitudinal direction of a rigid joint portion for improving the passing performance to the occluded lesion. However, it is not enough especially in the completely occluded lesion. Thus, it is an important technical problem to improve both the passing performance and safety. An outer coil having a coil inclined portion and a distal joining section connected with the coil inclined portion are provided on a distal end portion of the guide wire. In the coil inclined portion, each one turn of a coil wire is continuously inclined in a longitudinal direction. Thus, both the passing performance and safety can be remarkably improved especially in the completely occluded lesion.

A method for measuring a distance in a body vessel and introducing an implant into the body vessel, the method comprising: providing a guide wire, wherein the guide wire comprises a proximal end and a distal end, wherein the distal end comprises a spiral which has at least two adjoining spiral sections as markings, wherein at least a surface of one spiral section comprises a first material and at least a surface of the second spiral section comprises a second material, and further wherein the first material is different than the second material; inserting the guide wire into the body vessel; measuring the distance in the body vessel using the markings on the guide wire; and delivering the implant over the guide wire to the body vessel.

A wire guide includes a solid core mandrel that is initially received in a flat wire coil that has a rest inner diameter that is greater than a uniform diameter of the solid core mandrel. The flat wire of the flat wire coil is in tension between a proximal location and a distal location so that the flat wire coil has a reduced inner diameter that is smaller than its rest inner diameter. The tension in the flat wire is introduced by torquing the mandrel relative to the flat wire coil as part of attaching the coil to the mandrel.

There is described a pressure guidewire. It comprises a sensor housing and a sensor assembly embedded in the sensor housing and comprising a pressure sensor. There is a band to support the pressure sensor assembly, the band being embedded inside the sensor housing and fixed to the pressure sensor assembly for holding the pressure sensor inside the sensor housing.

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.

One aspect provides a medical guidewire including a core wire extending from a proximal tip of a proximal end section to a distal tip of a distal end section. A polymer layer covers a perimeter surface of at least a portion of the distal end section, the polymer layer covering the distal tip and extending proximally to a proximal end portion defining a proximal edge. A strengthening feature is disposed about a perimeter surface of at least the core wire at the proximal end portion of the polymer layer, the strengthening feature beginning at a location proximally spaced from the proximal edge of the polymer layer and extending distally at least until the proximal edge of the polymer layer, the strengthening feature to prevent damage to the proximal end portion of the polymer layer.

A composite wire, such as a guide wire, may include a principal section with a relatively large outer diameter, as well as one or more reduced sections with smaller outer diameters. The relatively small outer diameter of each reduced section may be defined by an inner element of the composite wire, while the relatively large outer diameter of the principal section may be defined by one or more outer elements that reside on, and may surround, the inner element. The inner and outer elements may be formed from materials that impart the composite wire with one or more desired characteristics, such as a stiffness, hardness and flexibility. In specific embodiments, the inner element may comprise a standard, small diameter guide wire, while the outer element comprises a polymer.