Low profile angioplasty catheter and/or guide wire and method

A low profile balloon-on-a-wire catheter and/or guide wire comprising a flexible elongate tubular member having proximal and distal extremities and having an outer cylindrical surface and a lumen within the outer cylindrical surface extending from the proximal extremity to the distal extremity, an inflatable balloon carried by the distal extremity of the flexible elongate tubular member, means carried by the flexible elongate tubular member for establishing communication between the lumen and the interior of the inflatable balloon, inflation means removably secured to the proximal extremity of the outer cylindrical surface of the flexible elongate tubular member for supplying an inflation fluid to the lumen for inflating and deflating the balloon, said removable inflation means including means forming a high-pressure seal with the proximal extremity of the flexible elongate tubular member, said removable inflation means when removed providing a proximal extremity of the outer cylindrical surface of the flexible elongate tubular member which is free of obstructions so that a balloon catheter can be advanced over the proximal extremity of the flexible elongate tubular member, steerable means carried by the distal extremity, conductive means connected to the steerable means and extending to the proximal extremity and an electrical connector removably connected to the conductive means at the proximal extremity of the flexible elongate tubular member, said conductive means when removed providing a proximal extremity which is free of obstructions so that a balloon catheter can be advanced over the proximal extremity of the flexible elongate tubular member.