Guide wire

#This application claims priority to Japanese Application No. 2014-228130 filed on Nov. 10, 2014, and Japanese Application No. 2014-032993 filed on Feb. 24, 2014, the contents of which are incorporated by reference herein in their entirety.

#The disclosed embodiments relate to a medical device. Specifically, the disclosed embodiments relate to a guide wire to be inserted into a body cavity for treatment or examination.

#Various conventional medical devices are available for treatment or examination by insertion into a tubular organ (such as a blood vessel, a gastrointestinal tract, and a urinary duct), or into a body tissue. For example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2007-501648 discloses a guide wire including a core wire and a coil body covering an outer surface of a distal portion of the core wire. The coil body includes a straight section that extends distally in a straight state from the proximal end of the coil body, and a bent section arranged distally of the straight section.

#FIG. 1 is a partial cross-sectional enlarged view illustrating a guide wire of the disclosed embodiments;

#FIG. 2 is a partial cross-sectional enlarged view illustrating another guide wire of the disclosed embodiments;

#FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken from A-A of a coil body in FIG. 2;

#A guide wire of the disclosed embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, the left side corresponds to a distal end to be inserted into a body, while the right side corresponds to a proximal end to be operated by a technician such as a physician. Note that the dimensions in the drawings are not necessarily shown to scale.

#FIG. 1 shows a guide wire 10 that may be used to facilitate positioning of a catheter in a cardiovascular system, for example. The guide wire 10 includes a core shaft 20 and a coil body 30 covering the outer periphery of a distal portion of the core shaft 20.

#First, the core shaft 20 is described. The core shaft 20 includes a small diameter portion 22a, a tapered portion 22b, and a large diameter portion 22c in this order from the distal end to the proximal end of the core shaft. The small diameter portion 22a terminates at the distal end of the core shaft 20, and is the softest portion of the core shaft 20. The small diameter portion 22a is formed to have a flat plate shape by press working. The tapered portion 22b is tapered with a circular cross-section, and decreases in diameter toward the distal end. The large diameter portion 22c has a larger diameter than the small diameter portion 22a.