Abstract: A wire guide includes a mandrel that has a proximal portion and a distal portion. A first coating with a low coefficient of friction is disposed on the proximal portion of the mandrel. A second coating is disposed on the distal portion of the mandrel, where the second coating provides a sub-structure. A third coating is disposed on the second coating, where the third coating comprises a surface that allows for easy maneuverability of the wire guide. The first coating on the proximal portion provides enough lubricity to keep the wire guide from becoming bound or stuck in a catheter or medical device while still allowing a user to have a good grip of the wire guide. The second coating on the distal portion provides lubricity for the wire guide, which allows the user to easily maneuver the wire guide through a vascular anatomy.

Abstract: A medical device (10) includes at least a stylet (12) for establishing the location of tissue of interest, such as a nonpalpable lesion in breast tissue. The device may also include a needle assembly (14) and an aspiration syringe (16). The medical device (10) can most readily be understood as an improvement in Kopans-type or hookwire-type localizer stylet having a wire shaft (18) with a distal end (28), and a hook (36) depending in a proximal direction from the wire shaft (18). The improvements entail spacing the hook (36) proximally of the distal end (28) of the wire shaft (18), and providing the wire shaft with a twist between the hook (36) and the distal end (28) of the wire shaft (18). Wire shaft (18) has first and second wire segments (20 and 30), each including a respective distal twisted portion (24 or 34) adjacent its respective distal end (22 or 32).

Abstract: A medical device (10) includes at least a stylet (12) for establishing the location of tissue of interest, such as a nonpalpable lesion in breast tissue. The device may also include a needle assembly (14) and an aspiration syringe (16). The medical device (10) can most readily be understood as an improvement in Kopans-type or hookwire-type localizer stylet having a wire shaft (18) with a distal end (28), and a hook (36) depending in a proximal direction from the wire shaft (18). The improvements entail spacing the hook (36) proximally of the distal end (28) of the wire shaft (18), and providing the wire shaft with a twist between the hook (36) and the distal end (28) of the wire shaft (18). Wire shaft (18) has first and second wire segments (20 and 30), each including a respective distal twisted portion (24 or 34) adjacent its respective distal end (22 or 32).

Abstract: A conically helically shaped embolization coil (10) for occluding a blood vessel, aneurysm, and the like. The embolization coil includes a continuous platinum-tungsten alloy wire strand (11) wound into a longitudinally extending coil (12) having a plurality of tightly spaced turns (13). The longitudinally extending coil is wound into a conically helically shaped coil (15) with a plurality of radially expanding turns (16). Distal turn (17) of the radially expanding turns has a minor diameter (18) less than a minimum diameter (34) of a vessel (32) of which the embolization is to be positioned therein. Uncompressed proximal turn (19) of the radially expanding turns has a major diameter (20) greater than a maximum diameter (33) of the vessel in which the coil to be positioned.

Abstract: A conically helically shaped embolization coil (10) for occluding a blood vessel, aneurysm, and the like. The embolization coil includes a continuous platinum-tungsten alloy wire strand (11) wound into a longitudinally extending coil (12) having a plurality of tightly spaced turns (13). The longitudinally extending coil is wound into a conically helically shaped coil (15) with a plurality of radially expanding turns (16) that has spacing that increases proximally from the distal end (29) of the coil. Distal turn (17) of the radially expanding turns has a minor diameter (18) less than a minimum diameter (34) of a vessel (32) of which the embolization is to be positioned therein. Uncompressed proximal turn (19) of the radially expanding turns has a major diameter (20) greater than a maximum diameter (33) of the vessel in which the coil to be positioned.