Guide catheter having a plurality of filled distal grooves
AssigneeSciMed Life Systems, Inc.
InventorsTodd A. Berg, Brian J. Scovil, Jason A. Galdonik
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A guiding catheter for use in coronary angioplasty and other cardiovascular interventions which incorporates a transition element in the shaft of the device. The transition element which has a different flexibility than the sections immediately proximal and distal to it, creates a zone in the catheter shaft which is either more or less flexible than the rest of the shaft. The transition element allows a portion of the shaft to be made more rigid or more flexible, without changing the flexibility of the other portions of the shaft. The transition element also allows for a differential flexibility to be added to the catheter shaft.
Claims21
In an intravascular catheter for use in catheter procedures including a shaft having a proximal end, a distal end, a longitudinal surface extending therebetween and a lumen extending longitudinally therethrough, the improvement comprising:
- a transition zone located along the catheter shaft having a different degree of flexibility than an adjacent portion of the shaft, said transition zone including a plurality of grooves in said longitudinal surface, wherein a material is deposited within the grooves having a different shore hardness relative to the material of the shaft in the transition zone having said grooves.
In an intravascular catheter for use in catheter procedures including a shaft having a proximal end, a distal end, and a lumen extending longitudinally therethrough, wherein said shaft is multilayered, including a first, inner layer, with a second layer disposed outwardly from the first layer, the improvement comprising:
- a first curve along said catheter shaft having a transition zone having a different degree of flexibility than an adjacent portion of the shaft, the second layer within the transition zone having surface contours located therein, wherein a material is deposited within the surface contours having a different shore hardness relative to the material of the second layer.
In an intravascular catheter for use in catheter procedures including a shaft having a proximal end, a distal end portion, and lumen extending longitudinally therethrough, wherein said shaft is multilayered, and includes a first, inner layer, and a second layer disposed outwardly from the first layer, the improvement comprising:
- a transition zone located along the catheter shaft having a different degree of flexibility than an adjacent proximal portion of the shaft, comprising a plurality of annular grooves and a plurality of longitudinal grooves, wherein a material is deposited within the grooves being relatively softer than the second layer, said material extending distally to form a distal tip.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.