A guidewire having a first region having a first property, a second region having a second property different than the first property and a joint formed by a niobium coated nickel titanium alloy sleeve joined onto a first section of the first region and a second section of the second region. A method of joining two metal components for forming a guidewire is also provided including placing a first and second metal component into a sleeve, the first sleeve composed of a nickel titanium alloy and having niobium deposited thereon, and increasing the temperature of the first sleeve so the niobium reacts to form a joint joining the first and second components.

In an embodiment, an intraluminal device is disclosed. One embodiment of the intraluminal device comprises a flexible elongate body comprising a distal portion configured to be positioned within a body lumen of a patient and a functional device disposed at the distal portion of the flexible elongate body, the functional device configured to obtain physiological data or perform a treatment within the body lumen. The intraluminal device further comprises a stiffening member moveably disposed within and along a longitudinal length of the flexible elongate body without extending beyond a distal end of the flexible elongate body, the stiffening member being moveable during an intraluminal procedure to selectively vary a stiffness of the intraluminal device.

An infusion catheter system may deliver a therapeutic agent to a desired location in the body. The system may include an elongate catheter shaft having a proximal end region, a distal end region, a distal opening, and a lumen extending between the proximal end region and distal opening. The distal end region may include a coiled portion having a preformed coiled configuration including a plurality of helically wound rings. A plurality of apertures may be formed through a sidewall of the coiled portion. A guidewire may be configured to be slidably disposed within the lumen of the catheter shaft. The guidewire may include a proximal end region having a first cross-sectional dimension, an enlarged distal end region having a second cross sectional dimension greater than the first cross-sectional dimension, and an intermediate region disposed between the proximal end region and the distal end region.

The disclosure is directed to a targeting guidewire. The guidewire includes a distal portion including four portions and three transition zones between the adjacent portions. A first and a third portions have a smaller stiffness than a second and a fourth portions. The first and the third portions may also have a smaller overall outer diameters than the second and the fourth portions. The three transition zones comprises marking elements so as to delineate their locations.

Guidewires and thin-film catheter-sheaths, fabricated using vacuum deposition techniques, which are monolayer or plural-layer members having ultra-thin wall thicknesses to provide very-low profile delivery assemblies for introduction and delivery of endoluminal devices.

A medical guidewire includes a flexible spiral coil, a fiber, and a strengthening element. The coil is configured to guide a medical device into a patient body. The fiber extends along at least part of the coil, is coupled to the at least part of the coil at one or more first predefined locations and is configured to mechanically strengthen the at least part of the coil. The strengthening element is coupled to one or more second predefined locations along a distal section of the coil, and is configured to mechanically strengthen the distal section.

Embodiments of the present invention comprise a fiber optic guidewire having a hypotube with a plurality of openings that provide variable stiffness and tracking characteristics between at least one proximal segment and one distal segment of the guidewire. In some embodiments, the guidewire further comprises a mandrel disposed within the hypotube, the mandrel cooperating with the optical fibers to permit the distal end of the hypotube to be shaped as desired by a user. Methods of manufacturing and using the guidewire are also disclosed.

A rigidizing guiderail includes a rigidizing elongate tube having a tubular inner layer, a stiffening layer positioned radially outwards of the tubular inner layer, an outer layer over the tubular inner layer and the stiffening layer, and a vacuum or pressure inlet between the tubular inner layer and tire outer layer and configured to attach to a source of vacuum or pressure. The inner diameter of the tubular inner layer forms a guide wire lumen. The rigidizing elongate tube is configured to have a rigid configuration when vacuum or pressure is applied through the inlet and a flexible configuration when vacuum or pressure is not applied through the inlet.

A guidewire including a thin elongated structure and an outer shell around at least a portion of the thin elongated structure. The outer shell includes a first portion and a second portion. The first portion and the second portion of the outer shell are each coupled to the thin elongated structure. The first portion is spaced from the second portion by a gap. The guidewire is configured to move between a flexible state and a rigid state. The gap has a first distance when the guidewire is in the flexible state and the gap has a second distance greater than the first distance when the guidewire is in the rigid state.

A system a guidewire and a tensioning mechanism. The guidewire includes a thin elongated structure and an outer shell around a first portion of the thin elongated structure. A second portion of the thin elongated structure is exposed outside the thin elongated structure. The tensioning mechanism is configured to engage the second portion of the thin elongated structure to move the guidewire between a flexible state and a rigid state.