Abstract

A steerable guidewire for guiding a catheter includes an elongate hollow shaft having a distal core wire mounted at its distal end. The distal core wire tapers in a distal direction and has a flexible distral tip. The core wire is received within a helical coil mounted to the distal end of the guidewire, the distal tip of the core wire being attached to the distal tip of the helical coil. A pull wire extends the length of the guidewire through the hollow shaft and the helical coil and is connected, eccentrically, to the distal tip of the helical coil by a small diameter internal spring, the proximal end of which is attached to the distal end of the pull wire and the distal end of which is attached to the distal end of the helical coil. Pulling on the pull wire causes the distal tip of the guidewire to assume a curved configutation. The resilience of the internal spring, however, permits the distal tip of the guidewire to assume a more straightened configuration even while the pull wire is tensioned whereby the distal tip of the guidewire may yield to conform to irregularities in a patient's vasculature.