Abstract: A guidewire having a modified surface to reduce drag force between the outer surface of the guidewire and an inner surface of the catheter lumen. Preloaded catheter systems include a guidewire disposed within a lumen of the catheter. The guidewire is equal to, or slightly smaller than an inner diameter of the catheter lumen to impart columnar strength to the catheter during placement. However, due to increase contact surface area between the guidewire and the catheter lumen, the guidewire can stick within catheter lumen requiring increase force to slide the guidewire relative to the catheter. Surface modifications on the guidewire can reduce the contact surface are between the guidewire and catheter resulting in a reduced drag force therebetween. A plurality of longitudinal grooves, disposed in a regular or irregular pattern, and reduce drag force without affecting the flexible properties of the guidewire.

Abstract: An antimicrobial catheter can include one or more polymeric inserts of a filled polymer in a catheter tube, a catheter hub, one or more extension legs, one or more extension-leg fittings or a combination thereof. Each polymeric insert of the one-or-more polymeric inserts can provide a portion of a luminal surface in a catheter component selected from the catheter tube, the catheter hub, the one-or-more extension legs, and the one-or-more extension-leg fittings. Further, each polymeric insert of the one-or-more polymeric inserts can elute one or more antimicrobial metal species therefrom upon contact with a liquid. A method of making such an antimicrobial catheter can include a polymeric insert-molding operation of molding a plurality of the polymeric inserts as well as a catheter component-molding operation of molding a plurality of at least one catheter component selected from the catheter tube, the catheter hub, an extension leg, and an extension-leg fitting.