Patent ID: 7981091

Claim:
An intravascular catheter to be passed over a guidewire, the catheter comprising: a rigid screw portion comprising a rigid hollow cylindrical shaft having a substantially constant diameter, the rigid hollow shaft defining a cylindrical lumen longitudinally therethrough and said screw portion having a rigid helical thread portion extending outwardly from an outer surface of the hollow shaft; and a tubular portion formed from a substantially rigid material, having a length, joined substantially coaxially to the screw portion and defining a lumen that is continuous with the lumen of the screw portion, the tubular portion including at least two slits defined along at least some of the tubular portion, the two slits having a pattern geometry that limits torsional displacement of at least a portion of the catheter, the at least two slits having a first end and a second end, the first end and the second end being longitudinally displaced from one another along the length of the tubular portion, wherein the lumen of the screw portion and the lumen of the tubular portion are dimensioned to pass over a guidewire.