Rapidly insertable central catheters and methods thereof

A rapidly insertable central catheter (“RICC”), comprising:

• a first section of a catheter tube formed of a first polymeric material having a first durometer, the first section in a distal portion of the catheter tube;
• a second section of the catheter tube formed of a second polymeric material having a second durometer less than the first durometer, the second section in the distal portion of the catheter tube proximal of the first section;
• and
• a tapered junction of the catheter tube formed of the second polymeric material, a third polymeric material having a third durometer closer to the second durometer than the first durometer, or a combination thereof, the first section of the catheter tube having a proximal portion disposed in a receptacle of the tapered junction and fixedly coupled thereto such that an abluminal surface of a distal portion of the tapered junction smoothly transitions onto an abluminal surface of the proximal portion of the first section with a minimal to negligible edge configured to not catch on skin when the RICC is inserted into an insertion site of a patient,
• wherein the minimal to negligible edge includes solvent-interdiffused polymeric material of the first polymeric material and the second polymeric material of the tapered junction as a result of fixedly coupling the proximal portion of the first section of the catheter tube to the receptacle of the tapered junction by solvent bonding.