Patent ID: 8231927

Claim:
A method of manufacturing a coated helically wound medical guide wire, said method comprising: (a) applying a first coating to a first portion of an outer surface of a helically wound medical guide wire, said first coating including: (i) a first pigment of a first color, and (ii) a plurality of particles of a first low-friction material; (b) at least partially curing said first coating; (c) holding a first end of the medical guide wire; (d) turning a second end of the medical guide wire a designated quantity of times to twist the medical guide wire along a central longitudinal axis of the medical guide wire; (e) after turning the second end of the medical guide wire: (i) holding the second end of the medical guide wire, (ii) blocking a first portion of the coated surface of the medical guide wire, said first portion extends in the direction of the central longitudinal axis of the medical guide wire, (iii) applying a second coating to a second, unblocked portion of the coated surface of the medical guide wire, said second portion extends in the direction of the central longitudinal axis of the medical guide wire and said second coating including: (A) a second pigment of a second color, said second color being of a contrasting hue than the first color, and (B) a plurality of particles of a second low-friction material, and (iv) partial curing the second coating; (e) releasing at least one of the first end and the second end of the medical guide wire to allow the medical guide wire to untwist such that a spiral marking of the second coating extends in the direction of the central longitudinal axis of the medical guide wire; and (f) final curing said second coating and any uncured first coating.