Medical device having outer polymeric member including one or more cuts
AssigneeBoston Scientific Scimed, Inc.
InventorsGene T. Storbeck, Holly A. Kimball, David D. Groneberg
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A medical device includes an outer polymeric tubular member and an inner tubular member. The outer polymeric tubular member includes one or more cuts formed therein to increase flexibility of the outer polymeric tubular member and includes an inner surface. The inner tubular member extends through the outer polymeric tubular member and has an outer surface in slidable contact with the inner surface of the outer polymeric tubular member. The outer polymeric tubular member is able to move relative to the inner tubular member as the medical device bends. In an example, the outer tubular member may be formed of a heat shrink material.
Claims20
A medical device comprising:
- an outer polymeric tubular member including one or more cuts formed therein to increase flexibility of the outer polymeric tubular member, the outer polymeric tubular member including an inner surface;
- and
- an inner tubular member extending through the outer polymeric tubular member, the inner tubular member having an outer surface in slidable contact with the inner surface of the outer polymeric tubular member;
- wherein the outer polymeric tubular member is able to move relative to the inner tubular member when the medical device bends.
A catheter comprising:
- an outer polymeric tubular member including a plurality of cuts formed therein to increase flexibility of the outer polymeric tubular member, the outer polymeric tubular member including an inner surface defining a lumen extending through the outer polymeric tubular member;
- and
- an inner tubular member disposed within the lumen and extending through the outer polymeric tubular member, the inner tubular member having an outer surface in contact with the inner surface of the outer polymeric tubular member;
- wherein the inner tubular member has an outer diameter, and the inner diameter of the outer polymeric tubular member is less than about 0.001 inches larger than the outer diameter of the inner tubular member.
A method of forming a medical device, the method comprising:
- forming a plurality of cuts in at least a portion of a polymeric tubular member that is convertible between a remembered configuration and an expanded-diameter expanded configuration, the cuts being formed while the polymeric tubular member is in the expanded-diameter expanded configuration;
- disposing an inner tubular member within the polymeric tubular member;
- and
- converting the polymeric tubular member from the expanded-diameter expanded configuration to the remembered configuration.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.