Overmold technique for peel-away introducer design
AssigneesABIOMED, Inc., Oscor Inc.
InventorsGlen Fantuzzi, Michael Tafone, Jeffrey Drum
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method for manufacturing a medical introducer includes placing an introducer sheath onto a mandrel, and overmolding an introducer hub onto a proximal end of the introducer sheath. The introducer sheath has one or more score lines formed on an inner surface and the mandrel has a number of surface protrusions so that when the introducer sheath is positioned on the mandrel, each of the surface protrusions contacts one of the score lines formed on the introducer sheath. The surface protrusions on the mandrel prevent plastic material from the introducer hub from contacting the score lines thereby maintaining the score lines during the overmolding.
Claims11
A method of manufacturing a medical introducer, comprising;
- placing an introducer sheath on a mandrel comprising a plurality of surface protrusions, the introducer sheath having a plurality of score lines formed on an inner surface thereof;
- and
- overmolding a plastic material onto a proximal end of the introducer sheath to form an introducer hub using a mold surrounding the proximal end of the introducer sheath,
- heating the plastic material wherein the plastic material is heated to such a temperature that the plastic material reflows, and
- reflowing the plastic material,
- wherein, when the introducer sheath is positioned on the mandrel, a number of the plurality of surface protrusions in contact with the plurality of score lines is less than a total number of score lines on the introducer sheath and the score lines of the plurality of score lines that are not in contact with the surface protrusions are removed by the reflowing of plastic material.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.