Patent ID: 7575559

Claim:
A guide wire comprising a distal end portion and a main body portion, wherein said main body portion includes a center layer comprising a first material, a surface layer comprising a second material and defining an outermost periphery of said main body portion, and an intermediate layer having a predetermined thickness and a predetermined length comprising a mixture of said first material and said second material, wherein the mixture of said first material and said second material in said intermediate layer has a decreased proportion of said first material toward said surface layer and an increased proportion of said second material toward said surface layer, wherein a weight ratio of the first material to the second material in the material for forming the intermediate layer is in the range of 1:9 to 9:1, wherein said main body portion has a structure in which said center layer, said intermediate layer, and said surface layer are provided in this order from a center of said main body portion toward the outermost periphery of said main body portion, wherein said first material is a Ni-Ti based alloy, and wherein said second material is a metallic material higher in rigidity than said Ni-Ti based alloy.