Guidewire with outer sheath

Claim 1

A vascular guidewire constructed for introduction into a patient's vascular system and traversing vessels in the vascular system comprising: a) an elongated core having a body section with a first diametrical extent and a distal section extending from said body section, said distal section comprising a first distal portion whose diametrical extent is diminished proceeding away from said body section, a second distal portion forming an enlarged distal section terminus, and a third distal portion between the first distal portion and the second distal portion, said third distal portion relatively easily deformable compared to said first and second distal portions; b) a radiopaque coil disposed about said first, second and third distal portions, said coil having a first end anchored to said first distal portion and a second end anchored to said second distal portion; and, c) a thin walled sheath comprised of polytetrafluroethylene material heat shrunk about said first, second and third distal portions, a first end of said heat shrunk sheath resiliently hugging said enlarged terminal portion to form a smoothly contoured lubricious distal section end surface that moves in low friction contact with tissue in a vessel being traversed, and a second end of the sheath is anchored to said first distal core section.