Catheter for insertion into branched blood vessel

A branch blood vessel insertion catheter comprising

• a catheter body having a lumen penetrating therethrough from a distal end of said catheter body to a proximal end thereof to allow a guide wire to be inserted therethrough;
• wherein said catheter body has an inner layer, a wire-wound reinforcing member provided on an outer surface of said inner layer, and said catheter body has an outer layer covering both said inner layer and said reinforcing member,
• said catheter body has an outer diameter of a distal end portion is not more than 0.7 mm,
• said catheter body has a first physical property change point located at a position apart from a distal end of said catheter at a distance of 3.0 to 7.0 mm and having an axial length not more than 2.0 mm and a rigidity of a portion of said catheter body located proximally from said first physical property change point is set higher than that of a portion of said catheter body located distally from said first physical property change point;
• said catheter body has a second physical property change point and a rigidity of a portion of said catheter body located proximally from said second physical property change point is set higher than that of a portion of said catheter body located distally therefrom,
• said outer layer has a diameter-increased part formed with said second resin formed part by changing a thickness of said second resin forming portion,
• said second physical property change point is formed said diameter-increased part located at a position apart from said distal end of said catheter at a distance of 12.0 to 18.0 mm or a position apart from said first physical property change point at a distance of 7.0 to 13.0 mm and has an axial length not more than 2.0 mm, and
• said catheter is for insertion into a branch blood vessel branching from a first blood vessel and has a first easily bending portion formed of a portion of said catheter body located distally and proximally from said first physical property change point and a second easily bending portion formed of a portion of said catheter body located distally and proximally from said second physical property change point,
• a distal region of said catheter body has a uniform inner diameter part and an inner diameter tapered part extended proximally from a rear end of said uniform inner diameter part and gradually increasing in a diameter thereof;
• said first physical property change point is positioned in said uniform inner diameter part;
• and said second physical property change point is positioned at a distal end portion of said inner diameter tapered part, and
• said distal region of said catheter body has a first uniform outer diameter part, a second uniform outer diameter part extended from a rear end of said first uniform outer diameter part toward said proximal end of said catheter body and having a larger diameter than that of said first uniform outer diameter part, and a large outer diameter part extended from a rear end of said second uniform outer diameter part toward said proximal end of said catheter body and having a starting edge whose diameter is larger than that of said second uniform outer diameter part;
• said first physical property change point is positioned at a boundary portion between said first uniform outer diameter part and said second uniform outer diameter part;
• and said second physical property change point is formed of said diameter-increased part positioned at a boundary portion between said second uniform outer diameter part and said large outer diameter part.