Semi-continuous co-extruded catheter shaft
AssigneeSciMed Life Systems, Inc.
InventorsBrooke Q. Ren, Paul Miller
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A multi-layer catheter tube section providing gradually increasing flexibility. One catheter tube section has a first, inner layer formed of a flexible material and a second, outer layer formed of a stiffer material. The outer layer tapers distally, having decreasing layer thickness with increasing distal position. The decreasing wall thickness provides a decreasing stiffness contribution which imparts increasing flexibility to the catheter portions having a smaller outer layer. The tube sections can be joined end to end to form longer catheter regions having a greater number of gradual flexibility changes.
Claims14
A multi-layer catheter tube section comprising:
- a proximal double layer region and a distal single layer region;
- a first tube having a wall thickness and formed of material having a first flexibility, said first tube extending from said proximal region to said distal region;
- a second tube disposed over said first tube in said proximal region, said second tube formed of material having a second flexibility and having a wall thickness, said second tube having a taper with distally decreasing wall thickness in said catheter tube section proximal region, said taper having a length substantially greater than said first tube wall thickness, such that said catheter tube section has distally increasing flexibility;
- and
- a stiffening sleeve disposed between said first tube and said second tube in said proximal region, said stiffening sleeve terminating in a proximal portion of said proximal region, such that said proximal region has a stiffness greater than that of a distal portion of said proximal region not having said sleeve.
A multi-layer catheter section comprising:
- a proximal double layer region and a distal single layer region;
- a first layer having a thickness and formed of a first material having a first flexibility, said first layer extending from said proximal region to said distal region;
- a second layer disposed over said first layer in said proximal region, said second layer formed of a second material having a second flexibility and having a thickness, said second layer including a taper with said second layer thickness decreasing distally, said taper having a length substantially greater than said first layer thickness, such that said catheter tube section has distally increasing flexibility;
- and
- a stiffening sleeve disposed between said first layer and said second layer in said proximal region, such that said proximal region has a stiffness greater than that of said distal region.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.