Catherter tip

• US 20050171591A1
• Filed: 01/29/2004
• Published: 08/04/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Boston Scientific Scimed, Inc. (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Scimed Life Systems Incorporated (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: McHale, Tom, Weber, Jan
• Granted Patent: US 7,972,350 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 623/1.110
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/958 Inflatable balloons for placing stents or stent-grafts
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/9583 Means for holding the stent on the balloon, e.g. using protrusions, adhesives or an outer sleeve
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0098 radio-opaque, e.g. radio-opaque markers
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/1079 having radio-opaque markers in the region of the balloon
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/1093 having particular tip characteristics
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/32 with radio-opaque indicia
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/001 Forming the tip of a catheter, e.g. bevelling process, join or taper
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0052 Localized reinforcement, e.g. where only a specific part of the catheter is reinforced, for rapid exchange guidewire port
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0054 with regions for increasing flexibility
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0068 Static characteristics of the catheter tip, e.g. shape, atraumatic tip, curved tip or tip structure
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0069 Tip not integral with tube
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/008 Strength or flexibility characteristics of the catheter tip
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0108 using radio-opaque or ultrasound markers
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0127 Magnetic means; Magnetic markers
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/1027 Making of balloon catheters

Abstract

A catheter tip may be coupled to a catheter shaft. The catheter tip may include markers, such as radiopaque markers and MRI markers, securement hubs, recessed portions, a radiused tip, and varying axial flexibility. The catheter tip may be a molded tip, and the markers may be insert molded. Recessed portions and raised securement hubs may be formed during the molding process. The raised hubs may be integrally formed and made from the same material as the catheter tip.

Claims

1. A catheter comprising:

a catheter shaft having a proximal end and a distal end;

an inflation balloon having a proximal waist portion and a distal waist portion; and

a catheter tip having a proximal end, a distal end, a main shaft portion and a distal shaft portion, said catheter tip proximal end being coupled to said catheter shaft distal end, said balloon distal waist portion being attached to said catheter tip distal shaft portion; and

said catheter tip main shaft portion being substantially coextensive with said balloon.

2. The catheter of claim 1, further comprising at least one marker.

3. The catheter of claim 2, wherein said marker is a radiopaque marker.

4. The catheter of claim 2, wherein said marker is an MRI marker.

5. The catheter of claim 1, wherein said catheter tip distal end comprises a radiused tip.

6. The catheter of claim 1, wherein said catheter tip further comprises a recessed portion.

7. The catheter of claim 1, wherein said catheter tip further comprises a hub portion.

8. The catheter of claim 7, wherein said catheter tip comprises a molded catheter tip and said hub portion is formed integrally with the catheter tip.

9. The catheter of claim 8, further comprising at least one marker.

10. The catheter of claim 9, wherein said radiopaque marker is insert molded.

11. The catheter of claim 10, wherein an outer surface of said radiopaque marker is flush with an outer surface of said catheter tip.

12. The catheter of claim 1, further comprising a stiffener.

13. The catheter of claim 12, wherein the stiffener is a spring.

14. The catheter of claim 1, wherein said catheter tip further comprises a marker region.

15. The catheter of claim 1, wherein said catheter tip further comprises a first region and a second region, said first region having greater flexibility than said second region.

16. The catheter of claim 15, wherein said second region comprises entrained stiffening fibers.

17. The catheter of claim 1, further comprising:

an outer catheter shaft;

wherein said balloon proximal waist portion is coupled to said outer catheter shaft.

18. The catheter of claim 1, wherein said catheter tip is coupled to said catheter shaft by heat bonding.

19. The catheter of claim 1, wherein said catheter tip is coupled to said catheter shaft by radio-frequency welding.

20. The catheter of claim 1, wherein said catheter tip is coupled to said catheter shaft with an adhesive.

21. The catheter of claim 1, wherein the catheter is a stent delivery catheter.

22. The catheter of claim 21, further comprising a stent mounted about the balloon.

23. The catheter of claim 22, wherein the stent is an inflation expandable stent.

24. The catheter of claim 22, wherein the stent is a self-expanding stent.

25. The catheter of claim 1, wherein said catheter tip includes a shaped portion, the cross-section of the shaped portion having a plurality of sides.

26. The catheter of claim 25, wherein the shaped portion is triangular.

27. A catheter tip comprising:

a proximal free end, a distal free end and a length of at least 4 millimeters.

28. The catheter tip of claim 27, wherein said length is less than 70 millimeters.

29. The catheter tip of claim 27, wherein said length is at least 4 times its width.

30. The catheter tip of claim 27, further comprising a recessed portion.

31. The catheter tip of claim 30, further comprising a second recessed portion.

32. The catheter tip of claim 27, further comprising a raised hub portion.

33. The catheter tip of claim 27, wherein said distal free end comprises a radiused tip.

34. The catheter tip of claim 27, further comprising at least one marker.

35. The catheter tip of claim 34, wherein said marker is an MRI marker.

36. The catheter tip of claim 34, wherein said marker is a radiopaque marker.

37. The catheter tip of claim 34, wherein said marker is insert molded.

38. The catheter tip of claim 37, wherein an outer surface of said marker is flush with an outer surface of the catheter tip.

39. The catheter tip of claim 34, wherein said marker comprises a hub portion.

40. The catheter tip of claim 27, further comprising a marker region.

41. The catheter tip of claim 27, further comprising a first region and a second region, said first region having greater flexibility than said second region.

42. The catheter tip of claim 41, wherein said second region further comprises entrained stiffening fibers.

43. The catheter tip of claim 27, further comprising:

a distal shaft portion; and

a balloon having a proximal waist portion and a distal waist portion;

wherein said balloon distal waist portion is coupled to said catheter tip distal shaft portion.

44. The catheter tip of claim 43, wherein said balloon proximal waist portion is proximal to said catheter tip first free end.

45. The catheter tip of claim 43, wherein said balloon proximal waist portion is distal to said catheter tip first free end.

46. The catheter tip of claim 27, further comprising a stent mounted about said catheter tip.

47. The catheter tip of claim 46, wherein said stent is a self-expanding stent.

48. The catheter tip of claim 46, wherein said stent is an inflation expandable stent.

49. The catheter tip of claim 27, further comprising a shaped portion, the cross-section of the shaped portion having a plurality of sides.

50. The catheter tip of claim 49, wherein the shaped portion is triangular.

51. The catheter tip of claim 27, further comprising a stiffener.

52. The catheter tip of claim 51, wherein the stiffener is a spring.

53. A method of manufacturing catheter tip comprising:

molding or extruding a catheter tip having a proximal end, a distal end and a feature selected from a group consisting of a hub portion, a recessed portion, a marker, a stiffener, a marker region and a fiber entrained region.

54. The method of claim 53, further comprising insert molding at least one marker in the catheter tip.

55. The method of claim 53, wherein said catheter tip is further coupled to a catheter shaft by heat bonding.

56. The method of claim 53, wherein said catheter tip is further coupled to a catheter shaft by radio-frequency welding.

57. The method of claim 53, wherein said catheter tip is further coupled to a catheter shaft with an adhesive.