Patent ID: 7115134

Claim:
A guide catheter for steering a guidewire from a first body passage to a second, branched body passage having a diameter of not more than 4 mm, the guide catheter comprising: a catheter body defining a lumen; and a reinforcement braid extending along the catheter body; wherein the catheter defines: a proximal section, an intermediate section extending from the proximal section and defining a longitudinal axis, a distal section extending from the intermediate section and forming a distal tip having an outer diameter sized for deployment within a body passage having a diameter of not more than 4 mm and capable of maintaining a curved shape relative to the longitudinal axis; and further wherein the distal tip is characterized by a varying flexibility along a length thereof such that in the curved shape, the distal tip is configured to steer a guide wire from a first body passage to a second, branched body passage extending at an angle from the first body passage.