A catheter for use with a guidewire, the catheter having a distal tip that
centers the guidewire even when the catheter is severely bent, thereby
avoiding protrusion of the distal tip of the catheter at the outer
meridian of the catheter bend and reducing the risk of the catheter tip
catching on the luminal surface of the adjacent vasculature. The distal
tip of the catheter incorporates at least one guidewire bearing,
preferably multiple bearings in the form of longitudinally oriented ribs,
which provide the centering characteristic with minimal friction between
the inner surface of the catheter distal tip and the outer surface of the
guidewire. Preferably, at least four guidewire bearings are provided.