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US 8,465,469 B2Granted
Reinforced catheter and methods of making
AssigneeMedtronic Vascular, Inc.
InventorJerry Brightbill
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A reinforced catheter having a non-filamentous, seamless metal tube interposed between a polymeric hollow core and a polymeric outer jacket. The metal tube may have a pattern of apertures through which the hollow core and the polymeric outer jacket are adhered to each other. The invention also includes methods of making the reinforced catheter.
Claims30
A reinforced catheter having proximal and distal ends, the catheter comprising:
- an elongate, flexible, polymeric, hollow tubular core extending between the proximal and distal ends of the catheter;
- the core having an outer surface with a tubular, seamless, metallized layer formed directly and adherent thereon of between 0.0005 and 0.002 inches thickness to define a reinforcement layer to enhance the ability of the catheter to transmit controllably to the distal end rotation applied to the proximal end;
- the reinforcement layer extending from the catheter proximal end to the catheter distal end and
- a flexible, polymeric jacket surrounding and fully covering the reinforcement layer and extending from the catheter proximal end to the catheter distal end.
1 more element
A method of making a reinforced catheter tubing, the catheter having proximal and distal ends comprising:
- providing an elongate, flexible, polymeric hollow core;
- forming a seamless metal tube having a wall thickness of 0.0005 to 0.002 inch directly on and adherent to the entire length of an outer surface of the hollow core by a metallizing process selected from the group consisting of electroplating, electroless plating, sputter coating or vapor deposition, the metal tube having a pattern of apertures, the configuration and thickness of the metal tube enhancing the ability of the catheter to transmit controllably to the distal end rotation applied to the proximal end;
- and
- forming a flexible, polymeric jacket fitted tightly about the entire length of the metal tube and being adhered to the hollow core through the apertures.
1 more element
A reinforced catheter having proximal and distal ends, the catheter comprising:
- an elongate, flexible, polymeric hollow core extending between the proximal and distal ends of the catheter;
- a tubular metal reinforcement layer electroplated or electroless plated or sputter coated or vapor deposited on an external surface of the hollow core, the reinforcement layer extending from the catheter proximal end to the catheter distal end;
- and
- a flexible, polymeric jacket surrounding the reinforcement layer and extending from the catheter proximal end to the catheter distal end;
- wherein the hollow core comprises a polymeric material selected from the group consisting of polyolefins, thermoplastic polyurethanes, polyamides, thermoplastic elastomers, fluoropolymers, or blends, laminates, copolymers and/or block copolymers thereof;
- and
- wherein the selected polymeric material contains particles capable of acting as metallizing nodes when exposed at the outer surface of the hollow core.
4 more elements
A reinforced catheter having proximal and distal ends, the catheter comprising:
- an elongate, flexible, polymeric hollow tubular core extending from the catheter proximal end to the catheter distal end;
- a seamless metal tube electroplated or electroless plated or sputter coated or vapor deposited directly on and adhered to an external surface of the hollow core and having a thickness of 0.002 inches or less to reinforce the catheter from the catheter proximal end to the catheter distal end to enhance the ability of the catheter to transmit controllably to the distal end rotation applied to the proximal end;
- and
- a flexible, polymeric jacket surrounding the metal tube and extending from the catheter proximal end to the catheter distal end, the jacket fully covering the reinforcement tube;
- and
- a connector fitting attached to the catheter proximal end.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.