Heater system for catheter manufacturing

A heating assembly for a catheter manufacture machine, said heating assembly comprising:

• an elongate heating element having a outer diameter, a central vertical passage, an upper end and a lower end, said heating element having a longitudinal axis, said central vertical passage extending in the direction of said longitudinal axis, said central vertical passage being centrally disposed relative to said heating element traversing said upper end and said lower end;
• and
• a plurality of first gas flow passages traversing said outer diameter, said first gas flow passages extending from said outer diameter at an angle relative to said longitudinal axis traversing an inner diameter of said central vertical passage proximate to said upper end, wherein said first gas flow passages traversing said outer diameter are constructed and arranged as a gas inlet and said first gas flow passages traversing said inner diameter are constructed and arranged as a gas outlet for gas entering into the central vertical passage, said first gas flow passages traversing said outer diameter at a first distance from said upper end which is larger than a second distance between said first gas flow passages traversing said inner diameter and said upper end, said first gas flow passages being further constructed and arranged for passage of previously heated gas exterior to said heating element into said central vertical passage.