US 12,642,939 B2 · Catheter tip structure and method of manufacture

Abstract

The distal tip structure of a rapidly insertable central catheter (RICC) can be required to perform different functions from that of the remaining, multi-luminal section, of the RICC catheter. As such, the catheter body can be formed of a first material and the distal tip structure can be formed of a second material. Forming the RICC requires joining these two materials while maintaining a smooth abluminal surface. A bifurcated plug including a second material can be placed within a first lumen or second lumen of the catheter body. A mandrel can be placed within a third lumen. The assembly can then be placed within a die to plastically deform the bifurcated plug into a distal tip structure. Advantageously, only a single structure is required to plug the lumen and form the distal tip structure, reducing complexity and associated costs.

Claims10

Dependent claims

A method of forming a catheter, comprising:

extruding a multi-luminal section of a catheter body formed of a first material and having a first catheter lumen, a second catheter lumen, and a third catheter lumen;
and
forming a distal tip structure coupled to the multi-luminal section of the catheter body, comprising:
placing a proximal end of a mandrel within a distal end of the third catheter lumen;
placing a portion of the mandrel, a distal end of the multi-luminal section of the catheter body, and a pellet of a second material, different from the first material, within a die;
and
deforming the pellet around the mandrel to form the distal tip structure of the catheter, thereby occluding the first catheter lumen and the second catheter lumen at the distal end of the catheter body and extending the third catheter lumen from the distal end of the catheter body through the distal tip structure of the catheter.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Catheter tip structure and method of manufacture

Life of this patent

Catheter tip structure and method of manufacture

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims10