Patent ID: 7744574

Claim:
An intravascular catheter and guidewire system designed for reducing guidewire lock, comprising: an elongate tubular member having a proximal portion, a distal portion, an inner wall surface, and a lumen having a first inner diameter defined along the inner wall surface; a guidewire slidably disposed in the lumen, the guidewire having an outside diameter; a hub disposed adjacent the proximal portion of the tubular member; and a tubular rigid scraping member, the rigid scraping member having a second inner diameter and a continuous inner wall surface and a continuous outer surface, the outer surface of the rigid scraping member disposed along the inner wall surface of the tubular member adjacent the distal portion of the tubular member and extending into the lumen, wherein the scraping member is configured to provide radial reinforcement of the distal portion; wherein the first inner diameter is approximately 0.010 inches to 0.020 inches and the second diameter is approximately 0.008 inches to 0.018 inches; and wherein the second inner diameter of the scraping member has a first tolerance with the outside diameter of the guidewire, wherein the first inner diameter of the guidewire lumen has a second tolerance with the outside diameter of the guidewire, and wherein the first tolerance is tighter than the second tolerance.