Integrated polymer and braid for intravascular catheters
AssigneeSciMed Life Systems, Inc.
InventorAndrew Forsberg
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Abstract
An intravascular catheter including a reinforcement layer having a plurality of interwoven metal wire members and polymer members. The polymer members are thermally processed to permeate the metal wire members to form a polymeric layer having an orientation which is interwoven with the metal wire members.
Claims14
An intravascular catheter comprising an elongate shaft including a reinforcement layer having a plurality of interwoven metal wire members and polymer members, wherein the polymer members are thermally processed to permeate the metal wire members and wherein the elongate shaft has a length and a wall thickness, and wherein the polymer members have a pic count per unit length which varies along the length of the elongate shaft to thereby vary the wall thickness thereof, and wherein the polymer members have a larger cross-sectional area than the metal wire members.
A method of making an intravascular catheter, comprising:
- braiding a plurality of metal wire members with a plurality of polymer members;
- and
- thermally processing the polymer members to permeate the metal wire members;
- wherein the catheter has a length and a wall thickness, and wherein the polymer members are braided to have a pic count per unit length that varies to thereby vary the wall thickness, and wherein the polymer members are extruded to have a durometer which varies to thereby vary a stiffness of the catheter.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.