A guide wire of the present disclosure includes a core shaft having a distal end portion decreasing in cross-sectional area, a coil body wound to cover the distal end portion, and a distal end fixing portion fixing the core shaft and the coil body to each other. The distal end portion includes a small cross-sectional area portion, a large cross-sectional area portion, and a tapered portion between the small cross-sectional area portion and the large cross-sectional area portion. The core shaft and the coil body are fixed at a portion excluding the tapered portion. A first bending rigidity FR1 of the large cross-sectional area portion, a second bending rigidity FR2 of the small cross-sectional area portion, and a length L of the tapered portion satisfy the following expressions (1) and (2). In the following expressions (1) and (2), the unit of L is mm (millimeter).

(FR1/FR2).sup.0.25/L≥0.83   (1)

1≤L≤3   (2)

An introducer assembly includes a catheter having a proximal end, a distal end extending to a distal tip of the introducer assembly, and an outer catheter wall. The catheter includes a medical device holding portion proximate the distal end, a guide wire lumen extending between the proximal and distal ends, and a side opening extending through the outer wall to the guide wire lumen. The side opening and the guide wire lumen are simultaneously open and the guide wire lumen and side opening are able to receive a guide wire therethrough. The catheter is flexible at least in the location of the side opening. The catheter also includes a plurality of one stiffening mandrel lumens extending from the proximal end and a plurality of stiffening mandrels.

A guide wire is disclosed, which is capable of reducing an unintended deviation in a guide wire position while preventing an occurrence of discomfort with respect to usability. The guide wire has a flexible core wire, and has a distal core portion, a main body portion, and a rigidity changing portion that gradually decreases in rigidity from the main body portion toward the distal core portion. The rigidity changing portion includes a first tapered portion continuous with a distal end of the main body portion, a second tapered portion continuous with a distal end of the first tapered portion, and a third tapered portion continuous with a proximal end of the distal core portion. A boundary portion between the first tapered portion and the second tapered portion is located in a range of 300 to 400 mm from a foremost distal end of the distal core portion.

A guide wire includes a shaft body having a specific portion containing a radiopaque material; and a distal helical body formed into a spiral shape, which contains a radiopaque material and has at least a part located on a more distal end side relative to the shaft body. The guide wire includes a first radiopaque portion as a part of the guide wire in a longitudinal direction of the guide wire, which includes at least a part of the distal helical body. The guide wire further includes a second radiopaque portion as another part of the guide wire in the longitudinal direction of the guide wire, which is located on a more proximal end side relative to the first radiopaque portion, includes at least a part of the specific portion of the shaft body, and has a radiopacity different from that of the first radiopaque portion.

One embodiment of the present disclosure is directed to a selectively connectable medical device. The medical device may include a first flexible wire having an orifice on a distal end thereof and a flexible sleeve surrounding the first flexible wire. The flexible sleeve may be movable along the first flexible wire to a first orientation exposing the orifice, and a second orientation extending over the orifice. The device may further include a second flexible wire having a graspable region on an end thereof. The flexible sleeve may be configured, when the graspable region is threaded through the orifice, to be moved to the second orientation causing the graspable region to bend about an edge of the orifice, and to simultaneously cover the orifice and at least a portion of the graspable region, thereby locking the second wire to the first wire.

A support ring for an aortic prosthesis includes a helical coil extending in an arc and defining a space between a helical coil first end and helical coil second end in opposing relation to each other. A wire extending through the lumen defined by the helical coil includes a wire first end and a wire second end that are fixed to each other, and a length between the wire first end and the wire second end that traverses the space between helical coil first end and the helical coil second end. A branch sleeve assembly includes a graft sleeve having a proximal end that defines a plane that intersects a plane defined by the distal end of the graft sleeve, and a support ring fixed to the graft sleeve wall that is closer to the proximal end of the graft sleeve than to the graft sleeve distal end.

A reentry catheter for crossing a vascular occlusion includes an elongate flexible tubular body, having a proximal end, a distal end and at least one lumen extending there through. A reentry zone on the tubular body includes at least two and preferably three sets of opposing pairs of axially spaced exit apertures in communication with the lumen. The apertures are rotationally offset from each other and aligned in a spiral pattern around the tubular body. A method of crossing a chronic total occlusion includes the steps of advancing the reentry catheter across the occlusion via a channel formed in the subintimal space, and advancing a guidewire via a selected exit port into the native lumen distally of the occlusion. The catheter may be removed, leaving the guidewire across the occlusion to guide further interventional devices.

A method of delivering a catheter to a location of interest in the vasculature, the method including positioning a self-expanding sheath within a lumen of the catheter; advancing the catheter and the self-expanding sheath in tandem over a guidewire; and distally moving a distal end of the self-expanding sheath out from the lumen of the catheter thereby causing the self-expanding sheath to move from a collapsed state within the catheter to an expanded state outside the catheter, wherein when the self-expanding sheath is in the expanded state both the self-expanding sheath and the catheter are distally advanceable in tandem.

A guide wire including a core shaft, a coil body that covers an outer periphery of the core shaft, and a distal end joint that joins the core shaft and the coil body, The distal end joint includes tin-zinc based solder. The guide wire has secured joining strength between the core shaft and the coil body no matter the material used for the core shaft and the coil body, and especially when the core shaft and/or the coil body are formed of tungsten.

A medical device includes a guidewire extending between a proximal portion defining a proximal end and a distal portion defining a distal end. The distal portion includes a radially expandable part, and the guidewire is movable between a retracted configuration in which the part is radially retracted and an expanded configuration in which the part is radially expanded. The part is radiopaque.