Patent ID: 7785275

Claim:
A coupling wire guide for coupling to a previously introduced wire guide during intracorporeal procedures, the coupling wire guide comprising: a main body having a distal end defining a longitudinal axis, the distal end having a closed distal end surface; a coupling tip connected to the distal end of the main body, the coupling tip including an elongated tubular member having an attachment portion, a coupling portion and a tip portion; the tip portion including a closed distally facing end surface having an atraumatic shape; and the coupling portion including a cylindrical wall defining a coupling passageway having a proximal port and a distal port, the proximal and distal ports being spaced away from the proximal and distal ends of the elongated tubular member, respectively, the proximal and distal ports both opening radially and being elongated in a longitudinal direction, the proximal and distal ports each spanning an axial distance greater than about three times the diameter of the previously introduced wire guide.