Patent ID: 8641717

Claim:
A guidewire insertion device, comprising: an outer sheath having an outer surface and an inner lumen extending therethrough; a dilator having an inner lumen extending therethrough and having a length greater than a length of the outer sheath and being configured to be removably disposable within the outer sheath such that a distal portion of the dilator is configured to extend from a distal end of the outer sheath and a proximal handle portion of the dilator is configured to extend from a proximal end of the outer sheath when the dilator is disposed in the outer sheath, the distal portion of the dilator having an outer diameter that increases proximally along a length of the distal portion; a guidewire configured to extend through the inner lumen of the dilator such that the guidewire is removably and replaceably disposable within the dilator and coupled thereto; and a locking member effective to selectively configure the guidewire between a locked position in which the guidewire is stationary relative to the dilator and an unlocked position in which the guidewire is movable relative to the dilator, wherein the locking member is in the form of a locking bolt having a lumen extending therethrough such that the bolt is configured to slide over the guidewire, the locking bolt having threads formed on a distal end thereof such that the locking bolt can mate with corresponding threads formed in a proximal end of the handle of the dilator to cause the distal end of the locking bolt to compress and lock the guidewire relative to the dilator in the locked position.