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AssigneesMitsubishi Cable Industries, Ltd., Mitsubishi Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorsAtsushi Utsumi, Yukio Morita, Tamotsu Kaide, Kazuo Onishi, Shunichi Hayashi
Estimating the term…
A catheter consists of a torque transmitting portion which has rigidity sufficient for torque transmission and a flexible portion made of a material having a glass transition temperature for giving rigidity before insertion and flexibility after insertion. The torque transmitting portion maintains torque transmitting ability before, during and after insertion. The flexible portion maintains appropriate rigidity before and during insertion, which enables easy insertion, and gains flexibility after insertion by the body heat, which avoids hurting of the vulnerable insertion walls. Further, the torque transmitting portion may have a structure wherein a reinforcement of a coil or a braid of linear metal wires, specifically flat rectangular wires, is attached thereto to afford torque transmitting ability. Catheters having various functions and structures can be easily manufactured by extrusion-molding, or the like.
A catheter for insertion into one of a human and an animal body comprising a torque transmitting tubular section (a) which has rigidity sufficient for torque transmission, a flexible tubular section (b) made of a material having a glass transition temperature between 21.5.degree. C. and 51.5.degree. C. and a middle tubular section (c) arranged between said section (a) and said section (b) having a glass transition temperature between that of said section (a) and that of said section (b), wherein said section (b) has a length of 5-500 mm, said section (a) has a length greater than said section (b), and said section (a) maintains its rigidity for torque transmission after insertion into said body.
A catheter comprising a torque transmitting section (a), a flexible tubular section (b), and a middle tubular section arranged between said section (a) and said section (b), said flexible section (b) having a glass transition temperature between 21.5.degree. C. and 51.5.degree. C. and lower than that of said torque transmitting section (a), and said middle section (c) having a glass transition temperature between that of section (a) and that of section (b).
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.