Scored catheter device

1. A catheter device comprising:

an elongate tubular shaft having a consistent metallic material composition for substantially all of its length, said elongate tubular shaft comprising

a first lumen extending through at least a portion of the tubular shaft;

a proximal shaft portion having a first flexibility;

a distal shaft portion having a second flexibility;

wherein the second flexibility is greater than the first flexibility and wherein at least the distal shaft portion comprises

at least one score in a surface thereof, and

a distal end region;

an inflation balloon disposed upon the distal end region of the scored shaft, wherein a portion of the distal end region extends into and terminates within a lumen of the inflation balloon, thereby providing fluid communication between the first lumen and the balloon lumen; and

a wire guide tube wholly external to the shaft and disposed substantially parallel to the first lumen along the shaft distal end region, where the wire guide tube extends beyond a distal shaft end lengthwise through the balloon lumen, providing a patent path of mechanical communication therethrough, and a lumen of the wire guide tube is open through a distal balloon end; and wherein an attachment of the wire guide tube to the shaft comprises a figure-eight-shaped heat-shrink polymer sleeve.

2. The catheter device of claim 1 wherein the at least one score extends along a length of the distal shaft portion in a helical fashion, thereby forming at least one helical score.

3. The catheter device of claim 2 , wherein the at least one helical score comprises a variable pitch.

4. The catheter device of claim 3 , wherein the pitch of the helical score along a more distal portion of the elongate tubular shaft is less than the pitch of the helical score along a less distal portion of the elongate tubular shaft.

5. The catheter device of claim 1 , wherein the elongate tubular shaft comprises a shaft wall and the at least one score extends completely through at least a portion of the shaft wall.

6. The catheter device of claim 5 , wherein the shaft wall of the proximal shaft portion comprises a first wall thickness that is greater than a second wall thickness of the shaft wall of the distal shaft section.

7. The catheter device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one score comprises a plurality of generally helical scores.

8. The catheter device of claim 7 , wherein the plurality of scores along a less distal portion of the shaft has a first spacing that is greater than a second spacing of the plurality of scores along a more distal portion of the shaft.

9. The catheter device of claim 7 , wherein at least one score of the plurality of scores forms at least one circumferential score around the shaft.

10. The catheter device of claim 1 , further comprising a sleeve coating at least a portion of the tubular shaft.

11. The catheter device of claim 1 , further comprising a balloon-deployable stent.

12. The catheter device of claim 1 , wherein the first lumen is configured for passage of a fluid.

13. A catheter device comprising:

an elongate tubular shaft having a consistent metallic material composition for substantially all of its length, a proximal shaft portion having a first flexibility, and a distal shaft portion having a second flexibility, wherein the second flexibility is greater than the first flexibility, and wherein at least the distal shaft portion comprises at least one helical score in a surface thereof;

a wire guide lumen structure attached to and wholly external of the distal shaft portion, the attachment comprising a figure-eight-shaped heat-shrink polymer sleeve; and

an expandable balloon structure attached directly to the distal shaft portion of the scored shaft such that a portion of the distal end region extends into and terminates within a lumen of the expandable balloon structure, further where the wire guide lumen structure extends lengthwise beyond the distal shaft end region through the balloon lumen, providing a patent path of mechanical communication therethrough, and a lumen of the wire guide lumen structure is open through a distal balloon end.