Patent ID: 7334681

Claim:
A storable gas inflation/evacuation system and sealing system removably connectible to a proximal portion of a guidewire assembly which has an occlusive balloon at a distal portion thereof, including provision for indicating the presence of oxygen, comprising: a sealable container that isolates contents of the sealable container from ambient atmosphere when sealed; an oxygen-sensitive material located within the sealable container, the oxygen-sensitive material being inactive prior to exposure to radiation and activatable by exposure to radiation, the activation of the oxygen-sensitive material causing the oxygen-sensitive material to become sensitive to oxygen exposure only after activation and to remain sensitive to oxygen exposure after completion of radiation exposure and to undergo a visual change in response to such post-radiation oxygen exposure; means for evacuating the guidewire assembly; means for introducing a biocompatible gas into the guidewire assembly to inflate the occlusive balloon at the distal portion of the guidewire assembly a plurality of times; means for selectively sealing the guidewire assembly by forming successive permanent airtight seals at separate locations along the proximal portion of the guidewire assembly to retain the biocozupatible gas in the occlusive balloon a plurality of times, the means for selectively sealing including a mechanism selected from the group of mechanisms consisting of a crimping mechanism and a plugging mechanisn; and, wherein the oxygen-sensitive material is separate from the means for evacuating, the means for introducing, and the means for selectively sealing.