Patent ID: 7824345

Claim:
A medical device, comprising: a core wire having a distal tip, a proximal portion having a distal end, a distal portion having a proximal end, and an intermediate portion having a proximal and a distal end, the distal portion including the distal tip and extending from the distal tip to the distal end of the intermediate portion, the intermediate portion extending from the proximal end of the distal portion to the distal end of the proximal portion; and an outer member disposed over the core wire and extending from the distal tip to the proximal portion, the outer member having a generally constant flexibility; wherein the intermediate portion of the core wire is more flexible than the distal portion of the core wire and the proximal portion of the core wire, and wherein the distal portion has a length from the proximal end to the distal tip that is greater than the maximum width of the distal portion; and wherein the intermediate portion is configured to buckle when subjected to a force equal to a preselected force in the range of about 0.02 pound to about 0.5 pound.