Exchangeable guidewire

A device for guiding and exchanging body insertable catheters, including:

• a body insertable guide section formed of a flexible wire;
• an exchange section formed of a flexible wire;
• a first connector at an end of one of the flexible wire sections, said first connector being substantially symmetrical about a first connector axis and having a first end region and a recessed region adjacent the first end region;
• and
• a second connector at an end of the other of said flexible wire sections, said second connector having a second connector axis and a projection means;
• wherein the first and second connectors, when positioned in confronting and at least generally axially aligned relation, are movable axially toward one another into a mechanical coupling in which the projection means is aligned with and extends radially toward the recessed region;
• a selected one of the connectors elastically deforming to allow the first end region to travel axially inward past the projection means as the connectors are moved toward said mechanical coupling and further at least substantially elastically recovering upon movement of the connectors into said mechanical coupling;
• the projection means and the first end region, with the connectors in said mechanical coupling, engaging one another to limit axial movement of the connectors away from one another to maintain the mechanical coupling;
• and wherein said selected connector further is elastically deformable, responsive to travel of the first end region axially outward away from said mechanical coupling after engaging the projection means, to allow axially outward passage of the first end region past the projection means to release the mechanical coupling.

An interconnection apparatus for body insertable guidewires and exchange wires, including:

• a first connector at one end of a first wire, said first connector being substantially symmetrical about a first connector axis and having a first end region and a recessed region adjacent the first end region, said first end region having a first truncated conical surface diverging in the axial direction toward the recessed region and a second truncated conical surface between the first conical surface and the recessed region converging in the axial direction toward the recessed region;
• and
• a second connector adapted for mounting at one end of a second wire, said second connector having a second connector axis and a projection means;
• wherein the first and second connectors, when positioned in confronting and at least generally axially aligned relation, are movable axially inward toward one another into a mechanical coupling in which the projection means is aligned with and extends radially toward the recessed region;
• said first connector engaging the projection means at the first conical surface and, upon further axially inward travel, elastically deforming the second connector to allow the first end region to travel axially inward past the projection means as the connectors are moved toward said mechanical coupling, the second connector at least substantially elastically recovering upon movement of the connectors into said mechanical coupling;
• the projection means and the first end region, with the connectors in said mechanical coupling, engaging one another to limit axial movement of the connectors away from one another and thus maintain the mechanical coupling;
• wherein said first connector further is movable axially outward away from said mechanical coupling to cause the first end region to engage the projection means at said second conical surface and, upon further axially outward travel, elastically deforming the second connector to allow axially outward passage of the first end region past the projection means to release the mechanical coupling;
• and
• wherein the second conical surface is inclined more steeply than the first conical surface, whereby the axial force necessary to effect said further axially inward travel is less than the axial force necessary to effect said further axially outward travel.

An interconnection apparatus for body insertable guidewires and exchange wires, including:

• a first connector at one end of a first wire, said first connector being substantially symmetrical about a first connector axis and having a first end region and a recessed region adjacent the first end region;
• and
• a second connector adapted for mounting at one end of a second wire, said second connector comprising a socket having an annular wall, said second connector further having a second connector axis and a projection means comprising at least one indentation formed in the annular wall along a medial region of the socket;
• wherein the first and second connectors, when positioned in confronting and at least generally axially aligned relation, are movable axially toward one another to insert the first connector into the socket to form a mechanical coupling in which the socket surrounds the first connector and the at least one indentation is aligned with and extends radially toward the recessed region;
• a selected one of the connectors elastically deforming to allow the first end region to travel axially inward past the at least one indentation as the connectors are moved toward said mechanical coupling and further at least substantially elastically recovering upon movement of the connectors into said mechanical coupling;
• the at least one indentation and the first end region, with the connectors in said mechanical coupling, engaging one another to limit axial movement of the connectors away from one another to maintain the mechanical coupling;
• and wherein the selected connector further is elastically deformable, responsive to further travel of the first end region axially outward away from said mechanical coupling after engaging the at least one indentation, to allow axial travel of the first end region past said indentation to release the mechanical coupling.