Catheters with lubricious linings and methods for making and using them

A method for making a tubular body sized for introduction into a body lumen, comprising:

• wrapping a thin-walled strip of material around a mandrel such that opposing longitudinal edges of the strip are disposed adjacent one another and a coating on the strip is oriented inwardly towards the mandrel, thereby creating a first assembly;
• directing one or more layers around the first assembly to create a second assembly, the one or more layers comprising a reinforcing layer and a solid wall layer;
• and
• heating the second assembly to bond the one or more layers around the strip.

A method for making a tubular device sized for introduction into a body lumen using a sheet of material comprising a first surface and a second surface and a coating on the first surface, the method comprising:

• rolling the sheet at least partially around a mandrel until longitudinal edges of the sheet are disposed near or adjacent one another without attaching the longitudinal edges together to create a first assembly;
• positioning a tubular braid over the first assembly to create a second assembly;
• positioning one or more tubular segments over the second assembly to create a third assembly;
• positioning a tubular laminating member over the third assembly;
• heating the third assembly to cause the one or more tubular segments to at least partially reflow to laminate the one or more tubular segments to the tubular braid and sheet;
• and
• removing the laminating member and mandrel to create the tubular device.

A method for making a tubular device sized for introduction into a body lumen, comprising:

• providing a sheet of material comprising a first surface and a second surface;
• applying a coating to the first surface of the sheet;
• rolling the sheet at least partially around a mandrel until longitudinal edges of the sheet are disposed near or adjacent one another and the coating is oriented inwardly towards the mandrel, thereby creating a first assembly;
• positioning one or more outer layers over the first assembly to create a second assembly;
• positioning a tubular laminating member over the second assembly;
• heating the laminating member to heat and compress the second assembly to laminate the one or more layers to the sheet;
• and
• removing the laminating member and mandrel to create the tubular device.