| abstract |
Guide wires for the medical field and which are e.g. used for the introduction of catheters, locks, etc. into the human body and in particular into vessels and organs are disclosed. To avoid the risk of a detachment of parts, the guide wire is provided as a one-piece, highly flexible material guide wire, which has a proximal end portion with a first thickness and following onto the same at least one cross-sectional reduction for increasing the bending flexibility at least in an area connected to the proximal end portion and which in the distal end portion remote from the proximal end portion has portions with a cross-section of the same order of magnitude as that of the proximal end portion. According to a preferred process for producing such a guide wire, a rod-shaped part with a smooth outer wall is drawn continuously and at least once over part of its length from an etching bath attacking its material into a non-etching environment. |