Bending resistant male connector for a guide wire

1. Male connector ( 1 ) for a guide wire ( 2 ), the male connector ( 1 ) comprising a core wire ( 3 ), a plurality of conductive members ( 4 ) spaced apart longitudinally along said core wire ( 3 ), a plurality of conductors ( 5 ) disposed along the core wire ( 3 ), each of the conductors ( 5 ) being connected to a respective conductive member ( 4 ), wherein the core wire ( 3 ) has such a shape that at least one longitudinal cavity is provided inside the male connector ( 1 ), the cavity being adapted to remain substantially intact when the male connector ( 1 ) is bent, thereby protecting the conductors ( 5 ), which are disposed in said cavity, from being damaged if the male connector ( 1 ) is bent, wherein the core wire does not have a solid circular cross section.

2. The male connector ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the core wire ( 3 ) has a D-shaped cross section, wherein said cavity is provided between respective inner surfaces of the conductive members ( 4 ) and a flat part of the D-shaped core wire ( 3 ), and wherein the conductive members are cylindrical conductive members.

3. The male connector according to claim 2 , wherein a continuous insulating material ( 6 ) is disposed between the conductive members ( 4 ) and the core wire ( 3 ), with a minimum of insulating material ( 6 ) being provided between a curved part of the D-shaped core wire ( 3 ) and the respective inner surfaces of the conductive members ( 4 ).

4. The male connector ( 1 ) according to claim 2 , wherein the core wire ( 3 ) is made of titanium, a surface of which is oxidized to titanium dioxide.

5. The male connector ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein said cavity is provided by a longitudinal recess in a mantle surface of the core wire ( 3 ).

6. The male connector ( 1 ) according to claim 5 , wherein a continuous insulating material ( 6 ) is disposed between the conductive members ( 4 ) and the core wire ( 3 ), with a minimum of insulating material ( 6 ) being provided between a cylindrical part of the core wire ( 3 ) and respective inner surfaces of the conductive members, and wherein the conductive members are cylindrical conductive members ( 4 ).

7. The male connector ( 1 ) according to claim 1 wherein several cavities are provided by longitudinal recesses in a mantle surface of the core wire ( 3 ), and wherein each conductor ( 5 ) is disposed in a separate recess.

8. The male connector ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein several cavities are provided by longitudinal recesses in a mantle surface of the core wire ( 3 ), and wherein each recess accommodates at least one conductor ( 5 ).

9. The male connector ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein said cavity is provided by a longitudinal hole in the core wire ( 3 ).

10. The male connector ( 1 ) according to claim 9 , wherein a continuous insulating material ( 6 ) is disposed between the conductive members ( 4 ) and the core wire ( 3 ).

11. The male connector ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the conductors ( 5 ) is connected to a proximal end of a corresponding conductive member ( 4 ).

12. The male connector ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of said conductors ( 5 ) is drawn in a loop, which extends towards a proximal end of the male connector ( 1 ) before going back to a distal end of a respective conductive member ( 4 ), where said conductor ( 5 ) is connected.

13. The male connector ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the core wire ( 3 ) is provided with a layer of insulating material ( 12 ).

14. The male connector ( 1 ) according to claim 13 , wherein the insulating material ( 12 ) comprises ceramic particles in a polymer matrix.

15. The male connector ( 1 ) according to claim 13 , wherein the insulating material ( 12 ) comprises a metal oxidized to a ceramic state.

16. The male connector ( 1 ) according to claim 15 , wherein the core wire ( 3 ) is made of titanium, a surface of which is oxidized to titanium dioxide.

17. The male connector ( 1 ) according to claim 15 , wherein the core wire ( 3 ) is made of a metal having a coating of aluminum, which is oxidized to Al 2 O 3 .

18. The male connector ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the core wire ( 3 ) is made of an insulating material.

19. The male connector ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the conductors ( 5 ) are provided with a layer of insulating material ( 13 ).

20. The male connector ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the core wire ( 3 ) in the male connector ( 1 ) is separate from a core wire in the guide wire ( 2 ).

21. The male connector ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein at least two points on a mantle surface of the core wire ( 3 ) are in contact with respective inner surfaces of the conductive members ( 4 ), said points having such positions that the core wire ( 3 ) is a radially self-positioning core wire ( 3 ).

22. A male connector ( 1 ) for a guide wire ( 2 ), the male connector ( 1 ) comprising a core wire ( 3 ), a plurality of conductive members ( 4 ) spaced apart longitudinally along said core wire ( 3 ), a plurality of conductors ( 5 ) disposed along the core wire ( 3 ), each of the conductors ( 5 ) being connected to a respective conductive member ( 4 ), wherein the core wire ( 3 ) has such a shape that at least one longitudinal cavity is provided inside the male connector ( 1 ), the longitudinal cavity being adapted to remain substantially intact when the male connector ( 1 ) is bent, thereby protecting the conductors ( 5 ), which are disposed in said cavity, from being damaged if the male connector ( 1 ) is bent, wherein the core wire is asymmetrical.

23. A male connector ( 1 ) for a guide wire ( 2 ), the male connector ( 1 ) comprising a core wire ( 3 ), a plurality of conductive members ( 4 ) spaced apart longitudinally along said core wire ( 3 ), a plurality of conductors ( 5 ) disposed along the core wire ( 3 ), each of the conductors ( 5 ) being connected to a respective conductive member ( 4 ), wherein the core wire ( 3 ) has such a shape that at least one longitudinal cavity is provided inside the male connector ( 1 ), the cavity being adapted to remain substantially intact when the male connector ( 1 ) is bent, thereby protecting the conductors ( 5 ), which are disposed in said cavity, from being damaged if the male connector ( 1 ) is bent, wherein said cavity is located within an extrapolated circumference of the core wire.

24. The male connector ( 1 ) according to claim 23 , wherein said cavity is located inside a hollow portion of the core wire ( 3 ).

25. The male connector ( 1 ) according to claim 24 , wherein each of the conductors ( 5 ) is located inside the hollow portion of the core wire ( 3 ).

26. A male connector ( 1 ) for a guide wire ( 2 ), the male connector ( 1 ) comprising a core wire ( 3 ), a plurality of conductive members ( 4 ) spaced apart longitudinally along said core wire ( 3 ), a plurality of conductors ( 5 ) disposed along the core wire ( 3 ), each of the conductors ( 5 ) being connected to a respective conductive member ( 4 ), wherein the core wire ( 3 ) has such a shape that at least one longitudinal cavity is provided inside the male connector ( 1 ), the longitudinal cavity being adapted to remain substantially intact when the male connector ( 1 ) is bent, thereby protecting the conductors ( 5 ), which are disposed in said cavity, from being damaged if the male connector ( 1 ) is bent, wherein at least one diameter of the core wire, when taken on a plane normal to its longitudinal axis, is shorter in length than another diameter of the core wire taken on the same plane, and wherein the cavity is adjacent to a surface of the core wire forming a terminus of the shorter diameter.

27. The male connector ( 1 ) according to claim 26 wherein the core wire ( 3 ) in the male connector ( 1 ) is an extension of a core wire in the guide wire ( 2 ).

28. A male connector ( 1 ) for a guide wire ( 2 ), the male connector ( 1 ) comprising a core wire ( 3 ), a plurality of conductive members ( 4 ) spaced apart longitudinally along said core wire ( 3 ), a plurality of conductors ( 5 ) disposed along the core wire ( 3 ), each of the conductors ( 5 ) being connected to a respective conductive member ( 4 ), wherein the core wire ( 3 ) has such a shape that at least one longitudinal cavity is provided inside the male connector ( 1 ), the longitudinal cavity being adapted to remain substantially intact when the male connector ( 1 ) is bent, thereby protecting the conductors ( 5 ), which are disposed in said cavity, from being damaged if the male connector ( 1 ) is bent, wherein at least one diameter of the core wire, when taken on a plane normal to its longitudinal axis, is shorter in length than another diameter of the core wire taken on the same plane, thus representing a shorter diameter, wherein each of the conductors ( 5 ) is disposed adjacent to a surface of the core wire forming a terminus of the shorter diameter, and wherein each of the conductors are located within a distance from the surface of the core wire forming the terminus that is less than a difference in length between a longest diameter of the core wire taken on the plane normal to its longitudinal axis and a shortest diameter of the core wire taken on the plane normal to its longitudinal axis.

29. Male connector ( 1 ) for a guide wire ( 2 ), the male connector ( 1 ) comprising a core wire ( 3 ), a plurality of conductive members ( 4 ) spaced apart longitudinally along said core wire ( 3 ), a plurality of conductors ( 5 ) disposed along the core wire ( 3 ), each of the conductors ( 5 ) being connected to a respective conductive member ( 4 ), wherein the core wire ( 3 ) has such a shape that at least one longitudinal cavity is provided inside the male connector ( 1 ), the longitudinal cavity being adapted to remain substantially intact when the male connector ( 1 ) is bent, thereby protecting the conductors ( 5 ), which are disposed in said cavity, from being damaged if the male connector ( 1 ) is bent.