Swivel exchange guidewire

Claim 1

An exchange guidewire for use with a catheter in a percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty procedure comprising: an elongate, flexible, proximal, trailing guidewire section having proximal and distal ends; an elongate, flexible, distal, steerable guidewire section having proximal and distal ends, said steerable guidewire section having a length substantially similar to that of a conventional length guidewire; the proximal end of the distal section being rotatably connected to the distal end of the proximal section, wherein the distal end of the trailing guidewire rotatably connected to the proximal end of the steerable section includes an end segment having a substantially smaller outer diameter than more proximal disposed portions of the guidewire, the proximal end of the steerable guidewire section including a longitudinally disposed hollow socket for accepting the smaller Outer diameter end segment of the distal end, and a bridging tube disposed at the joint between the trailing guidewire and the steerable guidewire, and having an outer diameter smaller than or substantially equal to the outer diameter of the trailing guidewire to cover the end segment longitudinally between the trailing guidewire and the proximal end of the steerable guidewire; said trailing guidewire section being of such length that the combined length of proximal and distal guidewire sections is that of an exchange wire for facilitating exchange of catheters, and means for removably storing the trailing guidewire section in a coiled, stored configuration, whereby the distal guidewire section may be rotated and manipulated while within a patient without rotating the stored proximal trailing guidewire section which may later be unstored to allow a catheter exchange.