Soft flexible catheter tip for use in angiography
AssigneeCordis Corporation
InventorRobert C. Stevens
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A plurality of regions of a first transverse rigidity are formed in the flexible tip portion of a catheter having a second transverse rigidity along its length which is greater than the first transverse rigidity. The regions of the lesser first transverse rigidity are formed by areas of the catheter tip having an average transverse cross-sectional area less than a transverse cross-sectional area of the remainder of the catheter apparatus. The plurality of first transverse rigidity regions are formed by a respective plurality of circumferential cut out regions in the catheter tip.
Claims18
A catheter having a distal end adapted to be guided through blood vessels, comprising:
- an elongated tubular member having i) a first innerbore therethrough along a longitudinal axis of the elongated tubular member and ii) a substantially uniform first transverse rigidity;
- a flexible tip portion at a distal end of said elongated tubular member having a second innerbore therethrough along a second longitudinal axis of the flexible tip portion which is generally coextensive with said first longitudinal axis of the elongated tubular member;
- and,
- at least one region of a lesser second transverse rigidity on said flexible tip portion formed by a series of areas of decreasing transverse rigidity wherein said second transverse rigidity of said at least one region varies along said second longitudinal axis of said flexible tip portion and is provided by a portion of said flexible tip portion having an average transverse first cross sectional area along said second longitudinal axis less than a transverse second cross sectional area of the remainder of said flexible tip portion.
A catheter apparatus comprising:
- a tubular body portion formed from a polyurethane material and defining a longitudinal axis of the catheter apparatus;
- and,
- a tubular tip portion formed from a soft polyurethane material, the tubular tip portion defining a plurality of axially spaced apart circumferential rings and further wherein a first one of the plurality of axially spaced apart circumferential rings has a first width along the longitudinal axis of the catheter apparatus and a second one of the plurality of axially spaced apart circumferential rings has a second width along the longitudinal axis different from the first width.
A catheter apparatus comprising:
- a tubular body portion formed from a polyurethane material and defining a longitudinal axis of the catheter apparatus;
- and,
- a tubular tip portion formed from a soft polyurethane material the tubular tip portion defining a plurality of axially spaced apart circumferential rings and further wherein the soft polyurethane material is Estane 5094.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.