CATHETER WITH A PRE-SHAPED DISTAL TIP

• US 20100030191A1
• Filed: 10/13/2009
• Published: 02/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Boston Scientific Scimed (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Boston Scientific Scimed (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Barry, Gitanjali V., McFerran, Sean, Armstrong, Kirsten C., Farnholtz, Roger
• Granted Patent: US 7,896,861 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/523
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/0047 the inner layer having a higher lubricity
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/0063 having means, e.g. stylets, mandrils, rods or wires to reinforce or adjust temporarily the stiffness, column strength or pushability of catheters which are already inserted into the human body
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0041 pre-formed, e.g. specially adapted to fit with the anatomy of body channels urethral catheters A61F2/04
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0045 multi-layered, e.g. coated coating materials A61L29/08
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0053 having a variable stiffness along the longitudinal axis, e.g. by varying the pitch of the coil or braid
• 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 25/01 Introducing, guiding, advancing, emplacing or holding catheters A61M25/10 takes precedence

Abstract

Catheters having a pre-shaped tip configuration are disclosed. A catheter in accordance with an illustrative embodiment of the present invention can include an elongated tubular shaft equipped with a distal tip section having a pre-shaped tip configuration that can be used to facilitate tracking of the device through particular locations of the vasculature. The catheter may include a number of features that transition the stiffness and flexibility characteristics of the device and provide a means to radiographically visualize the catheter within the body.

Claims

1. A catheter, comprising:

an elongated tubular shaft having a proximal shaft section, an intermediate shaft section, a distal shaft section, and an interior lumen adapted to slidably receive a guidewire; and

a distal tip section having a pre-shaped tip configuration.