Guidewire distal tip soldering method
AssigneeSciMed Life Systems, Inc.
InventorsTodd D. Eungard, Alan C. Matzen
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A guidewire manufacturing assembly and method of forming an improved distal tip on a guidewire are disclosed. A guidewire may be an elongate shaft, a coil disposed along the length of the shaft, a holding fixture coupled to the shaft, a solder ball disposed to flux, and a heat source disposed proximate the solder ball to partially melt the solder ball and allow formation of an atraumatic distal tip.
Claims14
A method of forming an atraumatic distal tip on a guidewire, comprising:
- providing an elongate shaft having a distal end and a coil disposed along a length of the shaft;
- providing a solder ball;
- providing a quantity of flux proximate the solder ball;
- disposing the solder ball at the distal end of the shaft;
- and
- heating the solder ball, wherein heating activates the flux and allows the solder ball to at least partially melt and flow into the coil and around the shaft, wherein an atraumatic tip is formed by solder remaining at the distal end of the shaft.
A method of forming an atraumatic distal tip on a guidewire, comprising:
- providing an elongate shaft having a distal end a coil disposed along a length of the shaft;
- coupling the shaft to a holding fixture;
- providing a solder ball;
- providing a quantity of flux proximate the solder ball;
- disposing the solder ball at the distal end of the shaft;
- and
- heating the solder ball, wherein heating activates the flux and allows the solder ball to at least partially melt and flow into the coil and around the shaft, wherein an atraumatic tip is formed by solder remaining at the distal end of the shaft.
A method of forming an atraumatic distal tip on a guidewire, comprising:
- providing an elongate shaft having a distal end and a coil disposed along a length of the shaft;
- coupling the shaft to a holding fixture, whereby the holding fixture holds the shaft in a horizontal orientation;
- providing a solder ball;
- providing a quantity of flux proximate the solder ball;
- disposing the solder ball at the distal end of the shaft;
- and
- heating the solder ball, wherein heating activates the flux and allows the solder ball to at least partially melt and flow into the coil and around the shaft, wherein an atraumatic tip is formed by solder remaining at the distal end of the shaft.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.