Peel-away catheter shaft

• US 20050182387A1
• Filed: 02/13/2004
• Published: 08/18/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Cardiac Pacemakers Incorporated (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Cardiac Pacemakers Incorporated (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Webler, William Earl
• Application Number:
  US10/778,270
• Publication Number:
  US 20050182387A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/527
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0668 splittable, tear apart

Abstract

A peel-away shaft for a guiding catheter includes a shaft wall defining an open lumen of the catheter shaft. A peel-away region is defined over at least a partial length of the catheter shaft. A braid substantially encompasses the open lumen. The braid includes a region of discontinuity extending along the peel-away region. The region of discontinuity of the braid reduces the tear resistance of the shaft wall along the peel-away region.

Claims

1. A catheter shaft, comprising:

a shaft wall defining an open lumen of the catheter shaft;

a peel-away region defined over at least a partial length of the catheter shaft; and

a braid substantially encompassing the open lumen, the braid including a region of discontinuity extending along the peel-away region, wherein the region of discontinuity of the braid reduces the tear resistance of the shaft wall along the peel-away region.

2. The catheter shaft of claim 1, further comprising an outer jacket substantially encompassing the braid.

3. The catheter shaft of claim 2, wherein the outer jacket comprises a peel-away feature extending along the peel-away region, the peel-away feature reducing the tear resistance of the outer jacket along the peel-away region.

4. The catheter shaft of claim 1, further comprising a liner disposed along the open lumen, the liner defining an inner surface of the open lumen.

5. The catheter shaft of claim 1, wherein the region of discontinuity comprises a gap extending along the peel-away region.

6. The catheter shaft of claim 1, further comprising a bead of polymeric material disposed within the region of discontinuity of the braid.

7. The catheter shaft of claim 6, wherein the polymeric material includes a visually distinct color.

8. The catheter shaft of claim 1, further comprising a second peel-away region defined over at least a partial length of the catheter shaft, the braid further comprising a second region of discontinuity extending along the second peel-away region.

9. The catheter shaft of claim 1, wherein the peel-away region extends along a substantially longitudinal path along the catheter shaft.

10. The catheter shaft of claim 1, wherein the peel-away region extends along substantially helical path along the catheter shaft.

11. The catheter shaft of claim 1, wherein the braid member comprises a stainless steel braid.

12. The catheter shaft of claim 1, wherein the region of discontinuity is interrupted along the peel-away region.

13. A method of implanting a device in a destination vessel, comprising:

implanting the device through an open lumen of a catheter shaft that cannulates the destination vessel;

separating the catheter shaft at a proximal portion of a peel-away region of the catheter shaft, the peel-away region defined over at least a partial length of the catheter shaft;

withdrawing the catheter shaft while continuing to separate the catheter along a discontinuity of a braid of the catheter shaft, the discontinuity of the braid reducing tear resistance of the catheter shaft along the peel-away region; and

removing the catheter shaft from the device.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the peel-away region extends along a substantially longitudinal path along the catheter shaft.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the peel-away region extends along a substantially helical path along the catheter shaft.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein withdrawing the catheter shaft further comprises separating the catheter along a second discontinuity of the braid of the catheter shaft, the second discontinuity of the braid reducing tear resistance of the catheter shaft along a second peel-away region defined over at least a partial length of the catheter shaft.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the discontinuity is uninterrupted along the peel-away region.

18. A method of making a catheter shaft, comprising:

providing a form that defines an open lumen of the catheter shaft;

providing a braid configured as a flattened sheet;

wrapping the braid around the form so that there is a discontinuity in the braid over at least a portion of the length of the catheter shaft; and

joining together the braid along the discontinuity of the braid.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the discontinuity comprises a gap in the braid.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein joining together the braid comprises depositing a bead of polymeric sealing material along the discontinuity of the braid.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein joining together the braid comprises heat-shrinking a tubular member situated around the braid.

22. The method of claim 18, further comprising flattening a substantially tubular braid to form the braid configured as the flattened sheet.

23. The method of claim 18, further comprising forming the flattened braid into a curved shape that substantially conforms to a shape of the tubular inner liner.

24. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

providing an inner liner of the catheter shaft; and

situating the inner liner to define an inner surface of the open lumen of the catheter shaft.

25. The method of claim 18, further comprising situating an outer jacket of the catheter shaft over the braid.

26. The method of claim 18, further comprising forming a peel-away feature in the outer jacket substantially aligned with the discontinuity of the braid, the peel-away feature reducing the tear resistance of the outer jacket along the discontinuity of the braid.

27. The method of claim 18, wherein the region of discontinuity is uninterrupted along the peel-away region.

28. A catheter shaft, comprising:

a shaft wall defining an open lumen of the catheter shaft;

reinforcement means for providing kink-resistance of the catheter shaft, the reinforcement means substantially encompassing the open lumen; and

means for facilitating separation of the reinforcement means along a peel-away region defined over at least a partial length of the catheter shaft.

29. The catheter shaft of claim 28, further comprising jacketing means for providing a smooth covering over the separation means.

30. The catheter shaft of claim 29, further comprising means for facilitating separation of the jacketing means along the peel-away region.

31. The catheter shaft of claim 28, further comprising means for providing a lubricious inner surface of the open lumen.