Patent ID: 8337424

Claim:
A medical guidewire system for guiding thereon a medical implement, comprising: a surgical end effector for carrying out a medical procedure when actuated; an actuation guidewire having a distal end connected to said end effector; a control assembly having: a handle; a hollow shaft receiving therein at least a portion of said actuation guidewire, said shaft having: a proximal end connected to said handle; and a distal end removably connected to said end effector; an actuator movably connected to said handle and operatively connected to said actuation guidewire to actuate said end effector by said actuation guidewire through said shaft when said actuator is actuated, wherein said actuator, when actuated, moves said actuation guidewire within an actuation range; and a proximally directed force imparter movably connected to said handle and operatively connected to a portion of said actuation guidewire to disconnect said actuation guidewire from said handle when said proximally directed force imparter is actuated and, thereby, permit removal of said control assembly from said end effector and said actuation guidewire and, when said control assembly is removed, said end effector and said actuation guidewire forming a surgical guidewire for guiding thereon the medical implement, wherein said proximally directed force imparter, when actuated, moves said actuation guidewire outside said actuation range to disconnect said actuation guidewire from said control assembly.