Radiopaque guide wire

An atherectomy system comprising:

• an intravascular guide wire including an elongate shaft having a distal region and a radiopaque layer over said shaft distal region, said radiopaque layer including a first softer inner layer including gold and a second, harder outer layer including a gold alloy having a hardness greater than the hardness of pure gold;
• and
• an atherectomy device including
• a rotatable drive shaft having distal end and a lumen therethrough adapted to receive said guide wire, and
• a rotatable cutting head disposed at said drive shaft distal end, said cutting head being driven by said drive shaft.

A method for performing atherectomy at a blockage within a vessel comprising:

• providing an intravascular guide wire including
• an elongate shaft having a distal region having an outer surface,
• a radiopaque layer over said shaft distal region, said radiopaque layer including gold and having a harder gold alloy at said outer surface, said harder gold alloy having a hardness greater than the hardness of pure gold;
• providing an atherectomy device including a rotatable drive shaft operably coupled to a cutting head;
• advancing said guide wire into said vessel near said blockage;
• advancing said atherectomy device over said guide wire to said blockage;
• and
• rotating said atherectomy device over said guide wire and against said blockage, such that said blockage is reduced in size.