Patent ID: 8128580

Claim:
A guide wire comprising: a wire body comprised of a plurality of sections including an elongate reshapeable section, an elongate constant diameter section and an elongate tapering section; the constant diameter section having an outer diameter that is constant along an entirety of a longitudinal extent of the constant diameter section; the tapering section having an outer diameter that tapers from a larger outer diameter to a smaller outer diameter toward the reshapeable section; the constant outer diameter section and the tapering section both being positioned proximally of the reshapeable section; the elongate reshapeable section being made of a superelastic alloy and possessing an outer circumferential surface; a plurality of spaced apart grooves formed in the outer circumferential surface of the reshapeable section, each groove extending around less than half the outer circumferential surface of the reshapeable section, and each groove extending in a direction different from the longitudinal direction of the reshapeable section; and wherein the reshapeable section is plate-shaped having oppositely positioned sides, the grooves being provided in both sides of the plate-shaped reshapeable section.