FLUOROSCOPICALLY VIEWABLE MULTIFILAR CALIBRATED GUIDEWIRE

摘要

A calibrated guidewire for use in determining the magnitude of arterial occlusions in the body and a method of using the guidwire. The guidewire includes a flexible sleeve (9) having a distal end and a hemispherical tip (3) having a flat inner surface (4). A multifilar flexible coil (7) is disposed between the distal end of the sleeve and the tip. The coil has a uniform outer diameter and is formed by two sets of different wires (7a and 7b), one of which is radiotransparent and the other of which is radiopaque. The spacing between each of the sets is identical and is defined by the widths of each of the sets to provide regularly spaced radiotransparent areas of indicia that are observable as a fluoroscopic image to enable the user measure of the magnitude of an occlusion in a tubular structure in the body. The multifilar construction extends the entire length of the coil between the sleeve and the tip.