Curved catheter with eccentric lumen

Abstract

A catheter is made by extrusion of flexible plastic to form a tubular basic catheter body with a central channel. A curved end part is formed in one end thereof, with the central channel lying in eccentric relation inwardly toward the inside of the curved part to define a relatively thin catheter wall inwardly of the curve and a relatively thicker catheter wall outwardly of the curve of the curved part. Side holes may be punched into the curved part, with the side holes being of larger size without buckling of the side holes as the curved part of the catheter is straightened out. Such a catheter may be manufactured by a process including the step of inserting a metal wire which defines the required catheter curve into the central channel; heating the catheter end part with the metal wire therein to a temperature which is close to the catheter softening temperature, while permitting free rotation of the catheter about the wire, so that the wire causes the plastic memory of the catheter to deform to the desired curve; and subsequently cooling the catheter and removing the metal wire.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.