US Patent 8343076 Sensor mounted flexible guidewire

A flexible guidewire comprising a hollow tube, having a proximal section and a distal section, the distal section having a distal tip, the outer diameter of the distal section gradually decreasing toward the distal tip, the outer diameter of the distal tip being larger than the smallest outer diameter of the distal section, the flexible guidewire further comprising a plug coupled with the distal tip of the hollow tube for creating a non-traumatic tip, and the flexible guidewire further comprising a tubular spring, being place around the distal section of the hollow tube for maintaining the outer diameter of the hollow tube over the length thereof and for supporting compressive loads.