Patent ID: 7128718

Claim:
A bi-directional steerable guidewire having a deflectable tip which comprises: an elongated flexible tubing having proximal and distal portions; a flexible helical coil having proximal and distal ends, the proximal end of said helical coil is attached to the distal portion of the flexible tubing; an elongated deflection member having proximal and distal portions and being slidably disposed within said tubing and within said helical coil, the distal portion of said deflection member being flattened to form a deflection ribbon which extends in a plane; a retaining ribbon having proximal and distal ends, the proximal end of the retaining ribbon is attached to the distal portion of the flexible tubing and the retaining ribbon is oriented to extend in a plane which is generally parallel to the plane of the deflection ribbon; and, an attachment member engaging the distal end of the helical coil, the distal portion of the deflection member and the distal end of the retaining ribbon so that longitudinal movement of the deflection member in a distal direction causes the distal end of the helical coil to be deflected in one direction and longitudinal movement of the deflection member in a proximal direction causes the distal end of the helical coil to deflect in another opposite direction, said attachment member takes the form of a rounded bead which contacts the distal end of the helical coil to define a circular surface at the distal end of the coil and the deflection ribbon engages the rounded bead at a location offset from the center of the circular surface of the rounded bead, said distal end of the retaining ribbon engages the rounded bead at a location offset from the center of the circular surface in an opposite direction from the offset location of the deflection ribbon.