Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research

Frederick S Halverson

Robert S Schwartz

David A Berry

James V Donadio, Iii

David R Holmes, Iii

An apparatus for use as a catheter, a guidewire, a catheter sheath for use with catheter introducers or a drug infusion catheter/guidewire. The apparatus includes a flexible tubular member with an encasing covering the tubular member that creates a fluid-tight seal around the periphery of the tubular member. The tubular member is self-supporting and includes a plurality of apertures therein in a predetermined configuration to increase the flexibility of the tubular member.

Flexible tubular device for use in medical applications

An apparatus for use as a catheter guidewire and a method for making a catheter guidewire. The apparatus comprises an elongate non-coiled wire having a proximal portion, a distal tip and a flexible portion located between the proximal portion and the distal tip having axially spaced grooves cut therein. The method for making the guidewire includes burnishing one end of a wire to create a rounded distal tip and cutting a predetermined pattern of axially spaced grooves in a length of wire adjacent to the distal tip to create a flexible portion.

Growing community of inventors

North Oaks, MN, United States of America

Frederick S Halverson