# US 2019/0167345 A1 · Medical devices including high strength bond joints and methods of making same

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- Number: US 2019/0167345 A1
- Document ID: US20190167345A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 16/213,207
- Filed: 2018-12-07
- Published: 2019-06-06
- Earliest claimed: 2014-01-23
- Assignees: St. Jude Medical, Cardiology Division, Inc.
- Applicants: St. Jude Medical, Cardiology Division, Inc.
- Inventors: Pianka Roy; Terry Sterrett; Allyn Jensrud
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190167345A1

## CPC

- A61B 18/1492: {having a flexible, catheter-like structure, e.g. for heart ablation (A61B18/1477 takes precedence)}
- A61B 2017/00526: {Methods of manufacturing}
- A61B 2018/00351: {Heart}
- A61B 2018/00577: {Ablation}
- A61B 2018/00839: {Bioelectrical parameters, e.g. ECG, EEG}
- A61B 2034/2051: {Electromagnetic tracking systems}
- A61B 2218/002: Irrigation
- A61M 25/001: {Forming the tip of a catheter, e.g. bevelling process, join or taper}
- A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D)
- A61M: DEVICES FOR INTRODUCING MEDIA INTO, OR ONTO, THE BODY (introducing media into or onto the bodies of animals A61D7/00; means for inserting tampons A61F13/26; devices for administering food or medicines orally A61J; containers for collecting, storing or administering blood or medical fluids A61J1/05); DEVICES FOR TRANSDUCING BODY MEDIA OR FOR TAKING MEDIA FROM THE BODY (surgery A61B; chemical aspects of surgical articles A61L); DEVICES FOR PRODUCING OR ENDING SLEEP OR STUPOR {(Electrotherapy, e.g. producing anaesthesia by the use of alternating or intermittent currents A61N1/36021)}

## Abstract

The present disclosure relates generally to medical devices, and more specifically to ablation catheters including bond joints formed to have improved strength and resistance to failure during use. In many embodiments an expanded bond-joint length and area and gap filling are used to increase the strength of the bond joint while decreasing relative variability. The bond joint length area is increased in a controlled manner so as to increase the overall strength of the bond joint by shifting the failure mode from the bond joint to a stronger area of the ablation catheter, such as the catheter shaft. Related methods of manufacturing such ablation catheters (or other medical devices including a bond joint) are also disclosed and described herein.

## Claims

### Claim at position 1

1-11. (canceled)

### Claim 12

A method of forming an ablation catheter comprising a catheter shaft and an electrode tip assembly, the method comprising:
providing an electrode tip assembly including a tip stem on a proximal end and a wire bundle attached to the tip stem;
providing tubing located in a catheter shaft;
introducing an adhesive onto a circumference of the tip stem and onto the wire bundle and tubing; and
introducing the tip stem and wire bundle into a distal end of the catheter shaft, such that a distal end of the tubing is separated from the tip stem of the electrode tip assembly along a longitudinal direction of the catheter shaft, and wherein the adhesive extends past the tip stem to encapsulate and fill at least a part of the tubing towards a proximal end of the catheter shaft.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The method of forming an ablation catheter of claim 12 further including curing the adhesive after the tip stem and wire bundle have been introduced into the distal end of the catheter shaft.

### Claim 14 (depends on 12)

The method of forming an ablation catheter of claim 12 wherein the adhesive is present in an amount of from about 0.001 milliliters to about 0.010 milliliters.

### Claim 15 (depends on 12)

The method of forming an ablation catheter of claim 12 wherein the adhesive is present in an amount of from about 0.001 milliliters to about 0.004 milliliters.

### Claim 16 (depends on 12)

The method of forming an ablation catheter of claim 12 wherein the wire bundle attached to the tip stem is at least partially covered by the tubing.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The method of forming an ablation catheter of claim 16 wherein the tubing is covered by the adhesive.

### Claim 18

A method of forming an ablation catheter comprising a catheter shaft and an electrode tip assembly, the method comprising:
introducing an orifice into a distal end of the catheter shaft;
providing an electrode tip assembly including a tip stem on a proximal end and a wire bundle attached to the tip stem and introducing a first adhesive onto a circumference of the tip stem and onto the wire bundle;
introducing the tip stem and wire bundle into the distal end of a catheter shaft; and
introducing a second adhesive into the orifice on the distal end of the catheter shaft.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The method of forming an ablation catheter of claim 18 wherein the first adhesive and second adhesive are different adhesives.

### Claim 20 (depends on 18)

The method of claim 18 wherein the wire bundle is at least partially covered by a tube that is covered in the first adhesive.