Vascular guiding catheter assembly and vascular dilating catheter assembly and a combination thereof and methods of making the same

In a guiding catheter assembly, a first flexible tubular member formed of a material which has a low coefficient of friction and having a guiding passageway extending therethrough, a second flexible tubular member encasing said first tubular member so that the first tubular member fits tightly in said second tubular member, and so that the second tubular member is coextensive in length with the first tubular member, said second tubular member being formed of a plastic material which is flexible but which has a greater rigidity than said first tubular member so as to provide a catheter assembly with the desired rigidity to permit manuevering of the same, the first and second tubular members having proximal and distal ends the distal ends each having a bend therein, a fitting mounted on the proximal ends to permit access to the passage in the first tubular member and an additional tubular member engaging the fitting and the proximal ends with a shrink fit to form an adhesive-free liquid-tight connection between the fitting and the proximal ends.

In a dilating catheter assembly for use with a radiographic contrast liquid, a flexible tubular member and having proximal and distal ends, said tubular member having an inflatable annular portion formed integral therewith adjacent the distal end and a fitting carried by the proximal end and means permitting the introduction of a radiographic contrast liquid for inflating said inflatable annular portion and the removal of said radiographic contrast liquid to deflate said annular portion.

In a dilating catheter assembly, a first flexible tubular member formed of a flexible plastic material and serving as an inner catheter, a second flexible tubular member, said second tubular member encasing said first tubular member so that said first and second tubular members are coaxially aligned, said first and second tubular members having proximal and distal ends, said second tubular member having a balloon-shaped portion formed therein adjacent the distal end and a fitting carried by the proximal ends for permitting insertion and withdrawal of a fluid for inflating and deflating the balloon-shaped portion of the second tubular member.

In combination, a dilating catheter assembly having proximal and distal ends, the dilating catheter assembly having an inflatable annular member near the distal end and having a first flow passage leading from the proximal end to the inflatable annular member, a removable tubular member disposed within the dilating catheter assembly and providing a second flow passage extending from the proximal end into the inflatable annular member and means for introducing a radiographic contrast liquid into the inflatable annular member by using one of said first and second flow passages to introduce the liquid into the inflatable annular member to fill the same and to thereby force all air out of the inflatable annular member through the other of the first and second flow passages.

In a method for inflating a dilating catheter assembly having a first tubular member with an inflatable annular portion near the distal end thereof and having a first flow passage leading from the proximal end to the inflatable annular portion, placing a second tubular member in said first flow passage of said first tubular member forming a seal between the first and second tubular members between the inflatable annular portion and the distal ends and providing a second flow passage extending from the inflatable annular portion to the proximal end, introducing a radiographic contrast liquid into one of said first and second flow passages to fill the inflatable annular portion with the radiographic contrast liquid and to thereby force air out of the inflatable annular portion and out through the other of the first and second flow passages.