Patent ID: 7481778

Claim:
A steerable guidewire having a deflectable tip, said steerable guidewire comprising: an elongated flexible tubing having proximal and distal portions; a flexible helical coil having multiple turns and having proximal and distal ends the proximal end of said helical coil is attached to the distal portion of the flexible tubing; a cylindrical elongated deflection member having a proximal portion and a distal end and being slidably disposed within said tubing and within said helical coil, the proximal portion of said cylindrical deflection member being generally cylindrical and having a first flattened side which tapers from an intermediate section to the distal end of the deflection member; 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 flattened side of the deflection member; wherein the retaining ribbon and the deflection member are normally biased in an arcuate configuration to thereby cause the distal end of the helical coil to be normally biased in a curved shape; and, an attachment member engaging the distal end of the helical coil, the distal end 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; wherein the 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 distal end of the deflection member engages the rounded bead at a location radially offset from the center of the circular surface of the rounded bead.