Importance

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Abstract

A guidewire for use in the placement of a catheter includes an elongate flexible core wire and a helical coil wrapped about the core wire. The pitch of the turns of the coil is relatively wide over most of the length of the guidewire with a distal segment having coil turns that are closely adjacent each other. The coil is formed from a radiopaque material. The wide pitch of the coil presented reduced contact area between the guidewire and the catheter, thereby reducing frictional drag between the two. The distal dip defines a relatively dark radiopaque image while the more proximal portions of the guidewire present a less radiopaque relatively gray image. The black/gray fluoroscopic images enable clear determination of the precise position and contour of the guidewire but without obstructing fluoroscopic visualization of radiopaque contrast liquid injected into the body lumen containing the guidewire and catheter.

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First Claim