Patent ID: 6926707

Claim:
A flexible tubular instrument arranged to be used with a guide-wire or other elongated guide member, the guide-wire or other elongated guide member having a longitudinal axis, a distal end portion and a proximal end portion, the distal end portion of the guide-wire or other elongated guide member being arranged to be extended to some interior position within a lumen in the body of a living being, with the proximal end portion being located outside the body of the being, said tubular instrument having a distal end portion including a releasable connector arranged to readily connect said instrument to the guide-wire or other elongated guide member so that said tubular instrument is oriented generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of the guide-wire or other elongated guide member without requiring access to either end of the guide-wire or other elongated guide member, whereupon said tubular instrument can be slid along the guide-wide or other elongated guide member to a desired position within the body of the being guided by said connector, said connector establishing a longitudinal path along said instrument, said path extending parallel to the longitudinal axis of the guide-wire or other elongated member and having a space into which a portion of the guide-wire or other elongated guide member that is oriented transversely to said path can be inserted said path being arranged so that when the transversely oriented portion of the guide-wire or other elongated instrument is within said space it can be twisted to bring it into said path, said connector comprising at least one member extending outward of said distal end portion of said instrument to form said path.