US 5,558,737 A · Method of welding a tip to a catheter

Abstract

A method of manufacturing, extruding, milling and welding a high torque, thin monolithic walled guiding catheter having resilient reinforcement material (8, 23, 29, 70, 73) integrally spiralled or braided into monolithic walls (21) of flexible material. A solid lubricant, also referred to as dry lubricant, comprised of either special fluorine containing materials or polymeric organic silicon compounds is embedded into interior and exterior wall surfaces of the catheters. Smooth interior walls (11) are channeled (10) to decrease friction resistance, to trap resistance particles and to dissipate friction heat in the high ratio of surface area to cross-sectional area of small catheters. Number of spirals or braids of reinforcement strands per unit of length, number of layers of strands of the catheters, catheter diameter and progressiveness thereof are designedly different for separate portions of particular catheters. Catheter tips (6) arc machinable immediately adjacent to select density of strands of reinforcement material. Perfusion ports are machinable where desired. Directional bends (7) are positional selectively at distal ends (5) of the catheters (1).

Claims11

Dependent claims

A method of welding a catheter tip to a distal end of a catheter, wherein the catheter comprises a monolithic tubular wall having a first peripheral surface and a second peripheral surface, and having strands of reinforcement material embedded therein and wherein the catheter tip comprises a tubular wall having a first peripheral surface and a second peripheral surface, the method comprising the steps of:

cutting axial relief cuts in a distal end of the catheter;
joining the catheter tip to the distal end of the catheter;
forming an inside surface by applying welding heat to the first peripheral surface of both the catheter and the catheter tip while dissipating heat through a cooling medium at the second peripheral surface of both the catheter arid the catheter tip;
and
forming an outside weld surface by applying welding heat the second peripheral surface of both the catheter tube and the catheter tip while passing a cooling medium through both the catheter and the catheter tip.

2 more elements

A method for producing a catheter with a distal end and a tip attached thereto said method comprising the following steps:

sequentially positioning a mandrel, a first extrusion die, a wrapper and a second extrusion die;
forming a first stage catheter tube by extruding matrix material from the first extrusion die and onto the mandrel:
wrapping reinforcement material onto the outside peripheral surface of the first stage catheter tube using the wrapper;
passing the first stage catheter tube having the reinforcement material wrapped thereon into the second extrusion die;
extruding matrix material from the second extrusion die and onto the first stage catheter tube having the reinforcement material wrapped thereon wherein the matrix material of the first stage catheter tube fuses with the material extruded from the second extrusion die to form a catheter having a monolithic wall with the reinforcement material embedded therein;
forming friction reduction channels in the inside surface of the catheter:
axially cutting the distal end of the catheter with linear stress relief cuts;
butting an end of a catheter tip concentrically against
the stress relief cut distal end of the catheter
applying welding heat to a limited area at an end portion of the stress relief cut distal end of the catheter and to the end of the catheter tip that is butted against the distal end of the catheter;
applying abutment pressure to the catheter tip against the distal end of the catheter while the welding heat is being applied to cause molten material of the catheter tip to flow into the stress relief cuts in the distal end of the catheter;
and forming an outside surface weld between the distal end of the catheter and the end of the catheter tip, and forming an inside surface weld between the distal end of the catheter and the end of the catheter tip.

9 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Method of welding a tip to a catheter

Life of this patent

Method of welding a tip to a catheter

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims11