Catheter tip designs and method of manufacture

A method for assembling a stent loaded, self-expanding stent delivery catheter comprising the steps of:

• providing a shaft, a retractable sheath, a self-expanding tubular stent, said shaft, stent, and sheath cooperatively sized so as to allow axially receiving said stent between said shaft and said sheath, said shaft having a distal region and a distal end, said sheath having a distal region and a distal end, said stent having a distal end;
• providing a shrinkable film material;
• providing a distally decreasing tapered tip having a lumen therethrough and a proximal end;
• affixing a portion of said shrinkable film material to said shaft at a position in said shaft distal region proximal of said distal end such that there exists a free portion of said film distal of said affixed position;
• positioning said sheath co-axially over said shaft such that said sheath distal end is positioned near said affixed film position;
• positioning said compressed stent proximally and co-axially over said shaft such that said stent distal end is disposed near said affixed film position and said stent is radially constrained by said sheath distal region;
• disposing said tip co-axially over said shaft such that said tip proximal end is positioned near said affixed film position;
• draping at least some of said film free portion over said distal tip;
• and
• shrinking said film free portion over said tip such that said tip is secured in place over said shaft by said shrunken film.

A loaded, self-expanding stent delivery catheter assembly comprising:

• a shaft having a distal end and a distal region;
• a retractable sheath having a distal region and a distal end disposed co-axially over said shaft distal region such that said sheath distal end is positioned proximally of said shaft distal end;
• a self-expanding tubular stent co-axially disposed over said shaft distal region and disposed co-axially within said sheath distal region, such that said stent is radially constrained by said sheath distal region;
• and
• a tapered tip co-axially disposed over said shaft distal region substantially distally of said sheath distal region, said tip secured at least in part to said shaft by a film secured to said shaft distal region and secured to said tip.

A method for assembling a loaded, self-expanding stent delivery catheter comprising the steps of:

• providing a shaft, a retractable sheath, and a self-expanding tubular stent, said shaft, stent, and sheath cooperatively sized so as to allow co-axially receiving said stent between said shaft and said sheath, said shaft having a distal region and a distal end, said sheath having a distal region and a distal end, said stent having a distal end;
• providing a shrinkable film material;
• providing a distal tip having a lumen therethrough and a proximal end;
• affixing a portion of said shrinkable film material to said shaft at a position in said distal region proximal of said distal end such that there exists a free portion of said film distal of said affixed position;
• positioning said sheath co-axially over said shaft such that said sheath distal end is positioned near said affixed film position;
• positioning said compressed stent proximally and co-axially over said shaft such that said stent distal end is disposed near said affixed film position and said stent is radially constrained by said sheath distal region;
• disposing said tip axially over said shaft such that said tip proximal end is positioned near said affixed film position;
• draping at least some of said film free portion over said distal tip;
• and
• shrinking said film free portion over said tip such that said tip is secured in place over said shaft by said shrunken film.