Guidewire devices having shapeable tips and bypass cuts

A guidewire device comprising:

• a core having a proximal section and a distal section;
• and
• a tube structure coupled to the core such that the distal section of the core passes into the tube structure, the tube structure comprising a first section, a second section distal of the first section, and a third section distal of the second section,
• wherein the tube structure includes a plurality of cuts extending transversely into the tube structure, each cut forming one or more beams defined by a remaining section of tube material, each beam connecting two adjacent rings of tube material,
• wherein the first section of the tube structure includes two or more beams between adjacent rings, the beams of the first section being arranged to avoid a preferred bending plane in the first section,
• wherein the second section of the tube structure includes a single beam between adjacent rings, the beams of the second section being arranged to form a preferred bending plane in the second section,
• wherein the third section of the tube structure includes two or more beams between adjacent rings,
• wherein at least a portion of the distal section of the core passing through the second section of the tube is a flat ribbon having a major plane lying substantially perpendicular to the preferred bending plane.