US 2006/0136034 A1 · Delivery catheter and method

Abstract

A delivery catheter comprises a first, flexible, polymer-based tube and a second, metal tube at the first tube distal end. The second tube has flexibility enhancing relief areas along its length to provide localized areas of reduced bending stiffness to enhance the bending flexibility while retaining good torsional stiffness. A notched catheter has a lumen and a notched outer surface intersecting the lumen with a filament-containing layer adjacent to the outer surface. A part of the filament-containing layer is capturable between the notched surface portion and an elongate element extendable through the lumen. A generally helically coiled endoluminal prosthesis may be mounted on a pre-torqued delivery catheter to tighten the coiled endoluminal prosthesis onto the delivery catheter.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A delivery catheter comprising:

a first, flexible, polymer-based tube having a proximal end, a distal end and a first tube length;
a second, metal tube secured to and extending distally from the distal end of the first tube;
the second, metal tube having a second tube length, an outside surface and an inside surface, the inside surface defining a main lumen, the outside and inside surfaces defining a tubular wall;
and
flexibility enhancing relief areas along the length of the second tube, the relief areas providing localized areas of reduced bending stiffness to enhance the bending flexibility of the second, metal tube while retaining greater torsional stiffness relative to the first tube.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Delivery catheter and method

Life of this patent

Delivery catheter and method

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20