A guidewire includes a proximal guidewire portion and a distal guidewire portion. The proximal guidewire portion includes a proximal illumination fiber and a first connection portion. The distal guidewire portion includes at least one distal illumination fiber and a second connection portion. The first connection portion is configured to couple to the second connection portion to define a rotatable slip coupling. The distal guidewire portion is configured to rotate about the longitudinal axis relative to the proximal guidewire portion at the slip coupling. The slip coupling provides optical continuity between the proximal illumination fiber and the at least one distal illumination fiber. The slip coupling may include a rotation limiting feature configured to limit the rotation of the distal guidewire portion about the longitudinal axis relative to the proximal guidewire portion.

The present invention relates to a method of delivering drugs having e.g., anti-proliferative activity in the vascular, preferably, the cardiovascular, system locally or systematically using an at least partially drug-coated guidewire. The drug-coated guidewire, particularly an expansion member or portion thereof, is brought into contact with the target tissue or in circulation and the drugs are quickly released into the area surrounding the device in a short time after the contact step. Once the therapeutic drugs are released, they are quickly and effectively absorbed by the surrounding cells or circulation.

Intravascular diagnosis apparatus and methods are disclosed. In one aspect of the disclosed technology, a monitoring guidewire includes a core wire having or made of one or more of MP35N, L605, Elgiloy, and an alloy of nickel, cobalt, molybdenum and chromium, a sensor disposed in a distal region of the core wire, and a housing substantially coextensive with the core wire and surrounding the core wire, the housing being more flexible than the core wire for at least the distal portion of the housing.

A pressure sensing guidewire includes a distal end and a proximal end. The guidewire includes a tubular member having a distal portion and a proximal portion. The guidewire includes an optical pressure sensor disposed within the distal portion of the tubular member, and a polymer fiber optic cable extending proximally from the optical pressure sensor. The optical pressure sensor is located at a position that is about 3 centimeters or less from the distal end of the pressure sensing guidewire.

Medical devices and methods for making and using medical devices are disclosed. An example medical device may include a guidewire. The guidewire may include a core wire having a body region and a distal tip region. A distal tip member may be disposed along the distal tip region. The distal tip member may have a proximal end. A sleeve may be disposed along the body region. The sleeve may be disposed adjacent to the proximal end of the distal tip member and extending proximally therefrom. The sleeve may include a first member and a heat shrink member. The first member may have an uneven outer surface.

The present disclosure relates to guidewire devices having shapeable tips and effective torquability. A guidewire device includes a core having a proximal section and a tapered distal section. A tube structure is coupled to the core such that the tapered distal section of the core extends into and distally beyond the tube structure. The portion of the core extending distally beyond the tube forms a shapeable tip. One or more coils also extend distally beyond the tube. The tip is configured to reduce the tendency of resilient forces from the tube structure to disrupt a customized shape of the tip.

The present disclosure relates to guidewire devices having shapeable tips and effective torquability. A guidewire device includes a core having a proximal section and a tapered distal section. A tube structure is coupled to the core such that the tapered distal section of the core extends into and distally beyond the tube structure. The portion of the core extending distally beyond the tube forms a shapeable tip. A polymer covering encompasses the tip. The tip is configured to reduce the tendency of resilient forces from the tube structure to disrupt a customized shape of the tip.

A guide wire includes a core shaft, a coil body that is a wire wound around the core shaft, and a resin layer covering at least an outer peripheral surface of the coil body. The coil body includes a spaced part in which a gap is formed between adjacent wires, and is arranged to form a void between the coil body and the core shaft. The resin layer includes a protruding portion protruding inside the void toward the core shaft through the gap between the adjacent wires in the spaced part. The protruding portion extends toward the core shaft in a direction away from an inner peripheral surface of the coil body.

An access sleeve can be attached to a medical device having first and second ends, the first end being positioned inside of a patient and the second end being positioned external to a patient. The access sleeve can include a tubular sleeve body having first and second open ends that define a first lumen extending along a longitudinal axis of the sleeve body. An opening in the sleeve body can connect the first lumen to an outer surface of the sleeve body. The access sleeve can be selectively attached to the medical device (e.g. catheter of a heart pump) and inserted into the access site when the medical device is positioned in the patient. The access sleeve can maintain vascular access to a patient's access site such as an arteriotomy and can be removed without disturbing the position of the medical device.

The present disclosure relates to guidewire devices having shapeable tips and effective torquability. A guidewire device includes a core having a proximal section and a tapered distal section. A tube structure is coupled to the core such that the tapered distal section extends into the tube structure. The tube structure includes a plurality of bypass cuts formed tangentially within the tube structure to increase the flexibility of the tube structure and to reduce the tendency of resilient forces from the tube structure to disrupt a shaped distal tip of the guidewire device.