Patent ID: 7628763

Claim:
A method of crossing an occlusion or stenosis within a blood vessel body lumen comprising: providing a hollow guidewire having a distal end comprising a coil and a reinforcing wire connected to the coil; shaping the coil at the distal end of the hollow guidewire, wherein the reinforcing wire retains the coil shape until it is reshaped to a different configuration; positioning the hollow guidewire into the blood vessel with the shaped distal end thereof on a first side of the occlusion or stenosis, wherein the shaped distal end of the hollow guidewire is maintained and the hollow guidewire is manipulated to navigate the shaped distal end through the blood vessel; rotating a drive shaft within an inner lumen of the hollow guidewire with a distal tip of the drive shaft extending distally beyond the hollow guidewire, wherein the coil and reinforcing wire retain their shapes while the driveshaft is being rotated; and advancing the rotating distal tip of the drive shaft into the occlusion or stenosis in the blood vessel to create a path through and past the occlusion or stenosis to the other side.