Flexible catheters and methods of forming same

• US 10,390,950 B2
• Filed: 09/24/2015
• Issued: 08/27/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/03/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: St. Jude Medical Cardiology Division Incorporated (Abbott Laboratories)
• Original Assignee: St. Jude Medical Cardiology Division Incorporated (Abbott Laboratories)
• Inventors: Thomas, Ralph Joseph, Khouengboua, Sounthara, Benson, Thomas Mark, Hillukka, Brett Allen
• Primary Examiner(s): Fishback, Ashley L
• Application Number:
  US14/863,514
• Publication Number:
  US 20160095703A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,433 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/2436 Deployment by retracting a sheath
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/966 with relative longitudinal movement between outer sleeve and prosthesis, e.g. using a push rod
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2240/001 Designing or manufacturing processes
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0029 differing in bending or flexure capacity

Abstract

A delivery device for a collapsible prosthetic heart valve includes an inner shaft having a proximal end and a distal end, an outer shaft disposed around the inner shaft and longitudinally moveable relative to the inner shaft, and a distal sheath disposed about a portion of the inner shaft and forming a compartment with the inner shaft, the compartment being adapted to receive the prosthetic heart valve. At least one of the outer shaft or the distal sheath may have a pattern of cutouts formed therein, the pattern including at least one ring around a circumference of the at least one of the outer shaft or the distal sheath, the at least one ring having at least one of the cutouts.

Claims

1. A delivery device for a collapsible prosthetic heart valve comprising:

an inner shaft having a proximal end and a distal end;

an outer shaft disposed around the inner shaft and longitudinally moveable relative to the inner shaft; and

a distal sheath disposed about a portion of the inner shaft and forming a compartment with the inner shaft, the compartment being adapted to receive the prosthetic heart valve;

the outer shaft having a pattern of cutouts formed therein, the pattern including at least one ring around a circumference of the outer shaft, the at least one ring having at least one of the cutouts.

2. The delivery device of claim 1, wherein the pattern includes a plurality of rings disposed along a longitudinal axis of the outer shaft.

3. The delivery device of claim 2, wherein the plurality of rings include a first set of rings having a first pattern and a second set of rings having a second pattern, the first pattern, the first set of rings being offset from the second pattern by a predetermined angle in the circumferential direction.

4. The delivery device of claim 3, wherein the first pattern is offset from the second pattern by 90 degrees.

5. The delivery device of claim 3, wherein successive rings alternate between a ring from the first set of rings and a ring from the second set of rings.

6. The delivery device of claim 1, wherein the at least one ring includes multiple discontinuous cutouts aligned with one another at a predetermined position along a longitudinal axis of the outer shaft.

7. The delivery device of claim 6, wherein the at least one ring includes two discontinuous cutouts.

8. The delivery device of claim 1,

wherein the at least one cutout includes an elongated portion and two teardrop portions on opposing ends of the elongated portion.

9. The delivery device of claim 1, wherein at least one of the outer shaft or the distal sheath comprises stainless steel.