Guide wire

Abstract

To provide a guide wire excellent in operability while securing a rotation torque property.SOLUTION: A guide wire 10 includes a long-sized core part 1, and a cylindrical braiding part 2 for covering an outer peripheral surface 1s of the core part 1, and extending along an axial direction X of the core part 1. The core part 1 satisfies any one of the followings (i) to (iii): (i) the core part 1 consists of a core shaft 11; (ii) the core part 1 consists of a coil 12; and (iii) the core part 1 consists of the core shaft 11, and the coil 12 covering an outer peripheral surface 11s of the core shaft 11 and extending along an axial direction of the core shaft 11.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a guidewire. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, a guidewire has been used to guide a catheter-like medical instrument (hereinafter, simply referred to as a "catheter") inserted into a tubular organ of the human body, such as a blood vessel or a digestive organ, to a target site. For example, a balloon catheter is known as a catheter guided by a guidewire. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a two-layer balloon catheter having an inner layer containing a polymer such as polyester and an outer layer containing polyamide. Patent Document 1 also describes that the balloon catheter may have a stent disposed on the balloon. In this way, the balloon catheter is also used as a catheter for carrying a stent. A stent used together with a balloon catheter is also called a balloon-expandable stent. A stent that is disposed in a contracted state between the inner tube and the outer tube of the catheter and that self-expands when released from between the inner tube and the outer tube, and that can push the target site open, is also known. Such a stent is also called a self-expandable stent. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Special Publication No. 2009-519778 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Generally, a stent has a structure in which wires are braided into a mesh so that it can expand and contract in the radial direction, and therefore has low rotational torque, making it difficult to insert the stent alone into a tubular organ. Therefore, when attempting to deliver a stent to a target site using a conventional catheter, it is necessary to first insert a guidewire into the tubular organ, then use the guidewire to guide the catheter to the target site, and then use the catheter to deliver the stent to the target site, which requires many tools and a complicated operation procedure.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and has an object to provide a guidewire that is excellent in operability while ensuring rotational torque properties. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention provides a guidewire (Invention 1) comprising a long core portion and a cylindrical braided portion covering the outer peripheral surface of the core portion and extending along the axial direction of the core portion.

[0007] According to this invention (Invention 1), the core portion ensures the rotational torque of the braided portion. Also, since the braided portion that can function as a stent is integrated, fewer tools are required for operation compared to when a stent is delivered to a target site using a conventional catheter, and excellent operability can be achieved. In other words, a guidewire that is excellent in operability while ensuring rotational torque can be provided.

[0008] In the above invention (Invention 1), it is preferable that the core portion satisfies any one of the following (i) to (iii) (Invention 2). (i) The core portion comprises a core shaft. (ii) The core portion comprises a coil. (iii) The core portion includes a core shaft and a coil covering an outer circumferential surface of the core shaft and extending along the axial direction of the core shaft.

[0009] According to this invention (Invention 2), it is possible to provide a guidewire that is excellent in operability while ensuring rotational torque properties.

[0010] It is preferable that the above inventions (Inventions 1 and 2) further include a fixed portion located at one end of the braided portion and fixing the braided portion and the core portion together, and a non-fixed portion located at the other end of the braided portion and not fixing the braided portion and the core portion together (Invention 3).

[0011] According to this invention (Invention 3), the braided portion can be expanded or contracted in the radial direction by moving the non-fixed portion along the axial direction of the core portion relative to the fixed portion. In other words, the guidewire can have the function of a balloon.

[0012] In the above invention (Invention 3), it is preferable that the non-fixed portion moves along the axial direction relative to the fixed portion, thereby causing the braided portion to expand and contract in the radial direction (Invention 4).

[0013] According to this invention (Invention 4), the guidewire can have a balloon function.

[0014] In the above inventions (Inventions 3 and 4), it is preferable that an operating portion for moving the non-fixed portion along the axial direction relative to the fixed portion is further provided (Invention 5).

[0015] According to this invention (Invention 5), the non-fixed portion can be easily moved along the axial direction of the core portion relative to the fixed portion.

[0016] In the above inventions (Inventions 1-5), it is preferable to further include a resin layer disposed between the core portion and the braided portion (Invention 6).

[0017] According to this invention (Invention 6), the adhesion between the core portion and the braided portion is improved, so that the rotation torque properties of the braided portion can be further improved.

[0018] In the above invention (Invention 1-6), it is preferable to further include a coil covering an outer circumferential surface of the braided portion and extending along the axial direction of the core portion (Invention 7).

[0019] According to this invention (Invention 7), the rotational torque characteristics of the entire guidewire can be further improved. Effect of the Invention

[0020] According to the present invention, the core portion ensures the rotational torque of the braided portion. Also, since the braided portion that can function as a stent is integrated, fewer tools are required for operation compared to when a stent is delivered to a target site using a conventional catheter, and excellent operability can be achieved. In other words, a guidewire that ensures rotational torque and is excellent in operability can be provided. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0021] [Figure 1] 1 is a side view showing a schematic structure of a guidewire according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] 2 is a cross-sectional view of the guide wire shown in FIG. 1 along line AA. [Diagram 3] 2 is a side view showing a state in which a braided portion of the guidewire in FIG. 1 is expanded in the radial direction. FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 11 is a side view showing a schematic structure of a guidewire according to a first modified example. [Diagram 5] 5 is a side view showing a state in which a braided portion of the guidewire in FIG. 4 is expanded in the radial direction. FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of a guidewire according to a second modified example. [Figure 7] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of a guidewire according to a third modified example. [Figure 8] FIG. 4 is a side view showing a schematic structure of a guide wire according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] 9 is a cross-sectional view of the guidewire shown in FIG. 8 along line AA. [Figure 10]9 is a side view showing a state in which a braided portion of the guidewire in FIG. 8 is expanded in the radial direction. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0022] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The present invention is not limited to the embodiment described below, and the described embodiment is merely an example for explaining the technical features of the present invention. Furthermore, the shapes and dimensions shown in each drawing are shown only to facilitate understanding of the contents of the present invention, and do not accurately reflect the actual shapes and dimensions.

[0023] In this specification, the term "distal side" refers to the direction along the axial direction of the guidewire, in which the guidewire advances toward the target site. The term "base end side" refers to the direction along the axial direction of the guidewire, in the opposite direction to the distal side. The term "distal" refers to the distal end of any member or site, and the term "base end" refers to the proximal end of any member or site. In the side views shown below, the left side of the figure is the "distal side" that is inserted into the body, and the right side is the "base side" that is operated by the operator.

[0024] [First embodiment] Fig. 1 is a side view showing a schematic structure of a guidewire 10 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA of the guidewire 10 in Fig. 1. The guidewire 10 according to the first embodiment includes a long core portion 1 and a braided portion 2. The braided portion 2 is a cylindrical member that covers the outer peripheral surface 1s of the core portion 1 and extends along the axial direction X of the core portion 1. Since Fig. 1 is a side view, the core portion 1 is not shown. The same applies to the subsequent side views.

[0025] With such a structure, the guidewire 10 can ensure the rotational torque of the braided portion 2 by the core portion 1. Also, since the braided portion 2 that can function as a stent is integrated, fewer tools are required for operation compared to when a stent is delivered to a target site using a conventional catheter, and excellent operability can be achieved. In other words, the guidewire 10 has excellent operability while ensuring rotational torque.

[0026] As shown in Fig. 1, the braided portion 2 has a structure in which wires are braided into a mesh shape. Therefore, the braided portion 2 has low rotational torque, and it is difficult to insert the braided portion 2 alone into a tubular organ. However, in the guidewire 10, the braided portion 2 comes into contact with the core portion 1, thereby improving the rotational torque.

[0027] The structure of the core portion 1 is not particularly limited as long as it can be inserted into the cylindrical braided portion 2, but it is preferable that the core portion 1 satisfies any one of the following (i) to (iii). (i) The core portion 1 is made up of a core shaft 11 . (ii) The core portion 1 is made up of a coil 12 . (iii) The core portion 1 is made up of a core shaft 11 and a coil 12 that covers an outer circumferential surface 11s of the core shaft 11 and extends along the axial direction of the core shaft 11.

[0028] 1 and 2, the core portion 1 is composed of a core shaft 11 and a coil 12 that covers the outer circumferential surface 11s of the core shaft 11 and extends along the axial direction of the core shaft 11. That is, Figs. 1 and 2 show an example in which the core portion 1 satisfies the above (iii). With such a structure, the guidewire 10 can have an appropriate rigidity while improving the rotational torque properties.

[0029] The guidewire 10 preferably includes a fixed portion 4 located on one end side of the braided portion 2 and fixing the braided portion 2 and the core portion 1, and a non-fixed portion 5 located on the other end side of the braided portion 2 and not fixing the braided portion 2 and the core portion 1. In the example shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the guidewire 10 includes the fixed portion 4 located on the tip end 2a side of the braided portion 2 and fixing the braided portion 2 and the core portion 1, and the non-fixed portion 5 located on the base end 2b side of the braided portion 2 and not fixing the braided portion 2 and the core portion 1.

[0030] According to this structure, the braided portion 2 can be expanded or contracted in the radial direction by sliding the non-fixed portion 5 along the axial direction X of the core portion 1 relative to the fixed portion 4. That is, the guidewire 10 can have a balloon function. Also, by rotating the guidewire 10 with the braided portion 2 expanded in the radial direction, for example, a thrombus in a blood vessel can be entangled by the braided portion 2. In this way, the guidewire 10 can also have a retrieval function.

[0031] The guidewire 10 is preferably configured such that the braided portion 2 expands and contracts in the radial direction by moving the non-fixed portion 5 relative to the fixed portion 4 along the axial direction X of the core portion 1.

[0032] 1, in an initial state, a tip 2a of the braided portion 2 and a tip of the guidewire 10 may be in substantially the same position, and a base end 2b of the braided portion 2 and a base end of the guidewire 10 may be in substantially the same position. Note that the initial state refers to a state in which no load is applied to the braided portion 2 along the axial direction X (the state shown in FIG. 1). In this manner, the braided portion 2 may be disposed over the entire length of the guidewire 10.

[0033] 1, the fixing portion 4 is located at the tip 2a of the braided portion 2. In this manner, the fixing portion 4 may be located at the tip 2a of the braided portion 2. With such a structure, the expanding and contracting portion of the braided portion 2, i.e., the portion that functions as a balloon, can be located near the tip of the guidewire 10.

[0034] The fixing part 4 is located at one end side of the braided part 2, and the structure is not particularly limited as long as it fixes the braided part 2 and the core part 1. In the example shown in FIG. 1, the fixing part 4 is formed by joining the tip 2a of the braided part 2 and the tip of the core part 1. The means for joining the tip 2a of the braided part 2 and the tip of the core part 1 is not particularly limited. The tip 2a of the braided part 2 and the tip of the core part 1 may be joined by, for example, a brazing material, a metal solder, or the like. For example, silver brazing or gold brazing can be used as the brazing material. For example, zinc, a Sn-Ag alloy, a Au-Sn alloy, or the like can be used as the metal solder.

[0035] The non-fixed portion 5 is located on the other end side of the braided portion 2, and its structure is not particularly limited as long as it does not fix the braided portion 2 and the core portion 1. In the example shown in Fig. 1, the non-fixed portion 5 is a ring-shaped member attached to the base end 2b of the braided portion 2. The ring-shaped member may be joined to the base end 2b of the braided portion 2 by, for example, an adhesive.

[0036] Fig. 3 is a side view showing a state in which the braided portion 2 of the guidewire 10 is expanded in the radial direction by moving the non-fixed portion 5 relative to the fixed portion 4, i.e., toward the tip side, along the axial direction X. As shown in Fig. 3, the guidewire 10 preferably includes an operating portion 3 for moving the non-fixed portion 5 along the axial direction X relative to the fixed portion 4. With this structure, the non-fixed portion 5 can be easily moved along the axial direction X relative to the fixed portion 4.

[0037] The structure of the operating part 3 is not particularly limited as long as the braided part 2 can be expanded or contracted in the radial direction by moving the non-fixed part 5 relative to the fixed part 4 along the axial direction X. In the example shown in FIG. 3, the operating part 3 is a tubular member provided along the axial direction X so as to abut against the non-fixed part 5 located at the base end 2b of the braided part 2. By pushing the operating part 3 toward the tip end along the axial direction X, the non-fixed part 5 slides, thereby expanding the braided part 2 in the radial direction. To return the expanded braided part 2 to its original state (the state shown in FIG. 1), the operating part 3 is pulled back toward the base end along the axial direction X. The expanding or contracting state of the braided part 2 can be controlled by the degree of pushing or pulling the operating part 3.

[0038] In the guidewire 10, the operation section 3 and the non-fixed section 5 are preferably connected to each other. With such a structure, the pushing and pulling action of the operation section 3 can be reliably transmitted to the braided section 2. There is no particular limitation on the means for connecting the operation section 3 and the non-fixed section 5. For example, the operation section 3 and the non-fixed section 5 may be configured to be locked or unlocked by rotating them in opposite directions.

[0039] The core shaft 11 constituting the core portion 1 is a long member that can be the axis of the guidewire 10. The core shaft 11 may have a large diameter portion on the base end side and a small diameter portion on the tip end side. The core shaft 11 may have a tapered portion between the large diameter portion and the small diameter portion, the outer diameter of which decreases from the base end side toward the tip end side. In the guidewire 10, the core portion 1 is constituted by the core shaft 11 and a coil 12 that covers the outer circumferential surface 11s of the core shaft 11.

[0040] The core shaft 11 is made of an elastic material, for example, stainless steel alloys (SUS304, SUS316, etc.), superelastic alloys such as Ni-Ti alloys, piano wire, nickel-chromium alloys, cobalt alloys, tungsten, etc.

[0041] Coil 12 is formed by densely winding a wire. Coil 12 is typically a single-strand coil in which one wire is densely wound. Coil 12 may also be a multi-strand coil in which a plurality of wires are arranged in a strip and then densely wound. The wire constituting coil 12 may be a solid wire, or a stranded wire having a structure in which a plurality of stranded wires are twisted together.

[0042] The material forming the operation unit 3 is not particularly limited as long as it has a suitable flexibility. Examples of such materials include metal, resin, etc. When the operation unit 3 is a tubular member formed of a metal wire or a resin wire, the wire may be a solid wire material or a stranded wire material having a structure in which a plurality of stranded wires are twisted together.

[0043] In general, the length of the guidewire 10 in the axial direction X is about 2000 mm. When the braided portion 2 is disposed over the entire length of the guidewire 10 as shown in Fig. 1, the length of the expanding / contracting portion of the braided portion 2 in the expanded state, i.e., the portion functioning as a balloon, is preferably in the range of 30 mm to 100 mm.

[0044] (Variation 1) 4 is a side view showing a schematic structure of a guidewire 20 according to Modification 1. The guidewire 20 has the same structure as the above-described guidewire 10, except that the fixing portion 4 is provided at an arbitrary position on the side of the tip 2a, rather than at the tip 2a, of the braided portion 2. Therefore, elements common to the guidewire 10 are given the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0045] In the guidewire 20, the fixing portion 4 is provided not at the tip 2a of the braided portion 2 but at an arbitrary position on the tip 2a side. In this manner, the fixing portion 4 does not necessarily have to be located at the tip 2a of the braided portion 2.

[0046] Fig. 5 is a side view showing a state in which the braided portion 2 is radially expanded by moving the non-fixed portion 5 relative to the fixed portion 4, i.e., toward the distal end, along the axial direction X in the guidewire 20 of Fig. 4. As shown in Fig. 5, in the guidewire 20, the fixed portion 4 prevents the non-fixed portion 5 provided at the proximal end 2b of the braided portion 2 from moving beyond the fixed portion 4 toward the distal end. According to the guidewire 20, the expanding / contracting portion of the braided portion 2, i.e., the portion that functions as a balloon, can be positioned closer to the proximal end than the distal end of the guidewire 10.

[0047] The fixing portion 4 may be configured so as to be fixable to any position of the braided portion 2 along the axial direction X of the core portion 1. With such a structure, for example, the size of the expanding / contracting portion of the braided portion 2, i.e., the portion that functions as a balloon, can be changed according to the target site.

[0048] As described above, the fixing part 4 is located at one end side of the braided part 2, and the structure is not particularly limited as long as it fixes the braided part 2 and the core part 1. In the example shown in Figs. 4 to 5, the fixing part 4 is formed by joining an arbitrary position on the tip 2a side of the braided part 2 to an arbitrary position on the tip side of the core part 1. The means for joining an arbitrary position on the tip 2a side of the braided part 2 to an arbitrary position on the tip side of the core part 1 is not particularly limited. The arbitrary position on the tip 2a side of the braided part 2 and the arbitrary position on the tip side of the core part 1 may be joined by, for example, a brazing material, a metal solder, or the like. In the guide wire 20, the fixing part 4 may be, for example, a ring-shaped member arranged at an arbitrary position on the tip 2a side of the braided part 2. The ring-shaped member may be joined to an arbitrary position on the tip 2a side of the braided part 2 by, for example, an adhesive.

[0049] (Variation 2) 6 is a cross-sectional view of a guidewire 30 according to Modification 2. Guidewire 30 has the same structure as the above-described guidewire 10 or 20, except that guidewire 30 further includes a resin layer 6 disposed between core portion 1 and braided portion 2. Therefore, elements common to guidewires 10 and 20 are designated by the same reference numerals and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0050] The resin layer 6 disposed between the core portion 1 and the braided portion 2 improves adhesion between the core portion 1 and the braided portion 2. Therefore, according to the guidewire 30, the rotational torque property of the braided portion 2 can be further improved.

[0051] The resin layer 6 may or may not be disposed over the entire length of the braided portion 2. The resin layer 6 may be disposed discontinuously over the entire length of the braided portion 2.

[0052] The resin layer 6 is a layer of resin that covers at least the outer peripheral surface 1s (12s) of the core portion 1 (coil 12 in the example shown in FIG. 6). The resin layer 6 can be formed of a hydrophobic resin material, a hydrophilic resin material, or a mixture thereof. Examples of the hydrophobic resin material include silicone resin, polyurethane, polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride, polyester, polypropylene, polyamide, polystyrene, polyolefin elastomer, polyester elastomer, polyamide elastomer, and polyurethane elastomer. Examples of the hydrophilic resin material include starch-based materials such as carboxymethyl starch, cellulose-based materials such as carboxymethyl cellulose, polysaccharides such as alginic acid, chitin, chitosan, and hyaluronic acid, natural water-soluble polymeric substances such as gelatin, and synthetic water-soluble polymeric substances such as polyvinyl alcohol, polyethylene oxide, polyethylene glycol, polypropylene glycol, polyvinyl pyrrolidone, and water-soluble nylon. When a hydrophilic resin material is used, it becomes swollen when it contains water, and therefore the slipperiness and the prevention of thrombus adhesion can be improved compared to a hydrophobic resin material.

[0053] (Variation 3) 7 is a cross-sectional view of a guidewire 40 according to Modification 3. The guidewire 40 has the same structure as the above-described guidewires 10, 20, or 30, except that the guidewire 40 further includes a coil 7 that covers the outer circumferential surface 2s of the braided portion 2 and extends along the axial direction X of the core portion 1. Therefore, elements common to the guidewires 10, 20, and 30 are designated by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0054] By further providing a coil 7 that covers the outer circumferential surface 2s of the braided portion 2 and extends along the axial direction X of the core portion 1, the rotational torque properties of the entire guidewire 40 can be further improved.

[0055] 7, the core portion 1 is composed of a core shaft 11 and a coil 12 covering an outer circumferential surface 11s of the core shaft 11. Therefore, the guide wire 40 shown in Fig. 7 includes the coil 12 as a first coil and the coil 7 as a second coil.

[0056] Although not shown, the guidewire 40 may include a resin layer 6 disposed between the core portion 1 and the braided portion 2, like the guidewire 30 shown in Fig. 6. The guidewire 40 may further include another resin layer disposed between the braided portion 2 and the coil 7. The materials described for the resin layer 6 can be used as materials for forming the another resin layer.

[0057] [Second embodiment] Fig. 8 is a side view showing a schematic structure of a guidewire 50 according to a second embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA of the guidewire 50 in Fig. 8. In the following, elements common to the guidewires 10, 20, 30, and 40 according to the first embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0058] As shown in FIG. 8, in a guidewire 50 according to the second embodiment, the fixed portion 4 is located on the proximal end 2b side of the braided portion 2, and the non-fixed portion 5 is located on the distal end 2a side of the braided portion 2.

[0059] Fig. 10 is a side view showing a state in which the braided portion 2 of the guidewire 50 of Figs. 8-9 is expanded in the radial direction. As shown in Fig. 10, the fixed portion 4 prevents the non-fixed portion 5 provided on the proximal end 2b side of the braided portion 2 from moving beyond the fixed portion 4 toward the proximal end. With the guidewire 50, the expanding / contracting portion of the braided portion 2, i.e., the portion that functions as a balloon, can also be positioned on the proximal end side of the tip of the guidewire 50.

[0060] Fig. 10 is a side view showing a state in which the braided portion 2 is expanded in the radial direction by moving the non-fixed portion 5 relative to the fixed portion 4, i.e., toward the proximal end, along the axial direction X in the guidewire 50 of Fig. 8. As shown in Fig. 10, the guidewire 50 preferably further includes an operating portion 3 for moving the non-fixed portion 5 along the axial direction X relative to the fixed portion 4. With such a structure, the non-fixed portion 5 can be easily moved along the axial direction X relative to the fixed portion 4.

[0061] As described above, the structure of the operation unit 3 is not particularly limited as long as the operation unit 3 can expand and contract the braided portion 2 in the radial direction by moving the non-fixed portion 5 relative to the fixed portion 4 along the axial direction X. In the example shown in Figs. 8 and 10, the operation unit 3 is a plurality of long members connected to the non-fixed portion 5 provided on the tip 2a side of the braided portion 2 and provided so as to extend along the axial direction X between the core portion 1 and the braided portion 2. By pulling the operation unit 3 toward the base end along the axial direction X, the non-fixed portion 5 slides, thereby expanding the braided portion 2 in the radial direction. In order to return the expanded braided portion 2 to its original state (the state shown in Fig. 8), the operation unit 3 is pushed toward the tip end along the axial direction X. The expansion and contraction state of the braided portion 2 can be controlled by the degree of pushing and pulling the operation unit 3.

[0062] When the operation unit 3 is a long member, the number of the long members is not particularly limited, but from the viewpoint of operability and safety, it is preferable that the operation unit 3 is composed of a plurality of long members. In this case, as shown in Fig. 9, it is preferable that the plurality of operation units 3 are evenly arranged in the circumferential direction in a cross-sectional view.

[0063] As described above, the fixing part 4 is located at one end side of the braided part 2, and the structure is not particularly limited as long as it fixes the braided part 2 and the core part 1. In the example shown in Figs. 8 and 10, the fixing part 4 is formed by joining an arbitrary position on the base end 2b side of the braided part 2 to an arbitrary position on the base end side of the core part 1. The means for joining an arbitrary position on the base end 2b side of the braided part 2 to an arbitrary position on the base end side of the core part 1 is not particularly limited. The arbitrary position on the base end 2b side of the braided part 2 and the arbitrary position on the base end side of the core part 1 may be joined by, for example, a brazing material, a metal solder, or the like. In the guide wire 50, the fixing part 4 may be, for example, a ring-shaped member arranged at an arbitrary position on the base end 2b side of the braided part 2. The ring-shaped member may be joined to an arbitrary position on the base end 2b side of the braided part 2 by, for example, an adhesive.

[0064] As described above, the non-fixed portion 5 is located on the other end side of the braided portion 2, and its structure is not particularly limited as long as it does not fix the braided portion 2 and the core portion 1. In the example shown in Figures 8 and 10, the non-fixed portion 5 is a ring-shaped member attached to an arbitrary position on the tip 2a side of the braided portion 2. The ring-shaped member may be bonded to an arbitrary position on the tip 2a side of the braided portion 2, for example, by an adhesive.

[0065] Although not shown, the guidewire 50 may include a resin layer 6 disposed between the core portion 1 and the braided portion 2, like the guidewire 30 shown in FIG.

[0066] Although the guidewire according to the present invention has been described above with reference to the drawings, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications are possible. For example, in the above-described embodiment, the core portion 1 is composed of the core shaft 11 and the coil 12. However, the core portion 1 may be composed of only the core shaft 11, or may be composed of only the coil 12. [Explanation of symbols]

[0067] 10,20,30,40,50 Guidewire 1 Core 1s outer surface 11 Core shaft 11s outer surface 12 Coils 12s outer surface 2 Braided part 2a tip 2b Proximal end 2s outer surface 3 Control section 4 Fixed part 5 Non-fixed part 6 Resin layer 7 Coil X-axis direction

Claims

1. An elongated core portion; a cylindrical braided portion covering an outer peripheral surface of the core portion and extending along an axial direction of the core portion.

2. The guidewire according to claim 1 , wherein the core portion satisfies any one of the following (i) to (iii): (i) The core portion comprises a core shaft. (ii) The core portion is made of a coil. (iii) The core portion includes a core shaft and a coil covering an outer circumferential surface of the core shaft and extending along the axial direction of the core shaft.

3. a fixing portion located on one end side of the braided portion and fixing the braided portion and the core portion; The guidewire according to claim 1 , further comprising: a non-fixed portion located on the other end side of the braided portion and not fixing the braided portion and the core portion.

4. The guidewire according to claim 3 , wherein the braided portion is configured to radially expand and contract by the non-fixed portion moving along the axial direction relative to the fixed portion.

5. The guidewire according to claim 3 , further comprising an operation portion for moving the non-fixed portion along the axial direction relative to the fixed portion.

6. The guidewire according to claim 1 , further comprising a resin layer disposed between the core portion and the braided portion.

7. The guidewire according to claim 1 , further comprising a coil covering an outer peripheral surface of the braided portion and extending along the axial direction of the core portion.

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