Medical apparatus and method of making the same
AssigneeW. L. Gore & Associates, Inc.
InventorsJustin W. Sokel, Stanislaw L. Zukowski
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A catheter assembly includes a catheter having a proximal end and a distal end; an expandable device releasably attached to the catheter near the distal end; a generally tubular constraining sleeve extending around and compressing the device to an outer peripheral dimension suitable for endoluminal delivery; a tip fixedly secured to the distal end of the catheter; and a bridge member disposed between the tip and the expandable device so as to fill a gap therebetween as the catheter assembly is bent during endoluminal delivery of the expandable device to a treatment site.
Claims12
A catheter assembly comprising:
- a catheter having a proximal end and a distal end;
- an expandable device releasably attached to the catheter near the distal end, wherein the expandable device is maintained in a compressed state for endoluminal delivery;
- a tip fixedly secured to the distal end of and generally coaxial with the catheter;
- and
- a bridge member that is separate from and adjacent to the tip, the bridge member disposed between the tip and the expandable device and filling a gap therebetween, and the assembly being configured such that the bridge member maintains a generally continuous transitional surface between the tip and an outer peripheral dimension of the expandable device upon bending the distal end of the catheter.
A catheter assembly comprising:
- a catheter having a proximal end and a distal end;
- an expandable device releasably attached to the catheter near the distal end, wherein the expandable device is maintained in a compressed state for endoluminal delivery;
- a tip fixedly secured to the distal end of and generally coaxial with the catheter;
- a bridge member disposed between the tip and the expandable device and filling a gap therebetween, and the assembly being configured such that the bridge member maintains a generally continuous transitional surface upon bending the distal end of the catheter, wherein the bridge member comprises a plurality of bridge straps configured to form a junction between the tip and the expandable device;
- and
- a protective outer sleeve in which the plurality of bridge straps are embedded, wherein the protective outer sleeve is configured to be withdrawn by everting the sleeve.
A catheter assembly comprising:
- a catheter having a proximal end and a distal end;
- an expandable device releasably attached to the catheter near the distal end, wherein the expandable device is maintained in a compressed state for endoluminal delivery;
- a tip fixedly secured to the distal end of and generally coaxial with the catheter;
- a bridge member disposed between the tip and the expandable device and filling a gap therebetween, and the assembly being configured such that the bridge member maintains a generally continuous transitional surface upon bending the distal end of the catheter, wherein the bridge member comprises a plurality of bridge straps configured to form a junction between the tip and the expandable device;
- a protective outer sleeve in which the plurality of bridge straps are embedded;
- and
- a cutting blade configured to self-align to a plurality of gaps between the plurality of bridge straps, wherein the cutting blade is configured to longitudinally split the protective outer sleeve.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.