Reinforced catheter system
OwnerKevin Gilmartininventor
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Abstract
Herein is disclosed a reinforced catheter system that includes a reinforcement layer including a helical strand, wherein the helical strand has a stiffness of about 30% to about 100% greater than the stiffness of other helical strands used for reinforcing the catheter. The catheter may include a single reinforcement layer or multiple layers. Advantageously, the catheter provides for enhanced kink resistance for navigation of small and/or tortuous vascular channels, and provides enhanced hoop strength for protecting catheter integrity when the device is subjected to increased pressure within its lumen, for example, during the delivery of intravascular agents.
Claims33
A catheter comprising:
- a medical tube having a longitudinal axis;
- and
- a filamentous tubular support member disposed within a wall of the tube,
- the filamentous tubular support member having
- a first set of filaments disposed helically in a first direction and braided with a second set of filaments disposed helically in a second direction,
- the first set of filaments having a plurality of filaments with a first stiffness and further having at least one filament with a second stiffness about 30% to about 100% greater than the first stiffness.
A catheter comprising:
- a tubular sheath having a first reinforcement layer including a first set of helically disposed filamentous strands and having a second reinforcement layer including a second set of helically disposed filamentous strands, the first set and the second set crossing each other in a relationship of helical rotation and helical counterrotation,
- the first set having a majority of strands with a first stiffness and further having at least one strand with a second stiffness of about 30%-100% greater than the first stiffness.
A catheter comprising:
- a first layer and a second layer,
- the first layer comprising a tubular reinforcement layer having a set of helical strands embedded therein, each helical strand of the set having a substantially similar stiffness, and
- the second layer comprising a helically wound strand having a stiffness about 30% to about 100% greater than the substantially similar stiffness.
A reinforced catheter, comprising
- a braided reinforcement layer, and
- a helical reinforcement layer having a set of helically wound strands, wherein a first strand of the helically wound strands has a first stiffness and a second strand of the helically wound strands has a second stiffness, the second stiffness being about 30% to about 100% greater than the first stiffness.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.