MEDICAL DEVICES INCLUDING HIGH STRENGTH BOND JOINTS AND METHODS OF MAKING SAME

• US 20150201998A1
• Filed: 01/20/2015
• Published: 07/23/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: St. Jude Medical Cardiology Division Incorporated (Abbott Laboratories)
• Original Assignee: St. Jude Medical Cardiology Division Incorporated (Abbott Laboratories)
• Inventors: Roy, Pianka, Sterrett, Terry, Jensrud, Allyn
• Granted Patent: US 10,182,863 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/1492 having a flexible, catheter-like structure, e.g. for heart ablation A61B18/1477 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00526 Methods of manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00351 Heart
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00577 Ablation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00839 Bioelectrical parameters, e.g. ECG, EEG
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/2051 Electromagnetic tracking systems
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2218/002 Irrigation
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/001 Forming the tip of a catheter, e.g. bevelling process, join or taper

Abstract

The present disclosure relates generally to medical devices, and more specifically to ablation catheters including bond joints formed to have improved strength and resistance to failure during use. In many embodiments an expanded bond-joint length and area and gap filling are used to increase the strength of the bond joint while decreasing relative variability. The bond joint length area is increased in a controlled manner so as to increase the overall strength of the bond joint by shifting the failure mode from the bond joint to a stronger area of the ablation catheter, such as the catheter shaft. Related methods of manufacturing such ablation catheters (or other medical devices including a bond joint) are also disclosed and described herein.

Claims

1. An ablation catheter comprising an electrode tip assembly having a tip stem on a proximal end, and a catheter shall having a distal end and a proximal end, wherein the ablation catheter includes an adhesive bond joint bonding an outer diameter of the tip stem to an inner diameter of the distal end of the catheter shaft, wherein the adhesive bond joint extends past the tip stem toward the proximal end of the catheter shaft.

2. The ablation catheter of claim 1 wherein the adhesive bond joint additionally includes one or more wires and tubing located in the catheter shaft.

3. The ablation catheter of claim 2 wherein the adhesive bond joint additionally includes one or more interstitial areas located in the catheter shaft.

4. The ablation catheter of claim 3 wherein the adhesive bond joint extends from about 1 millimeter to about 15 millimeters past the tip stem toward the proximal end of the catheter shaft.

5. The ablation catheter of claim 4 wherein the adhesive bond joint extends from about 5 millimeters to about 15 millimeters past the tip stem toward to proximal end of the catheter shaft.

6. The ablation catheter of claim 1 wherein the adhesive bond joint includes an adhesive selected from the group consisting of a flexibilized cyanoacrylate, a polyurethane, and combinations thereof.

7. The ablation catheter of claim 1 wherein the adhesive bond joint includes at least two different adhesives.

8. A medical device comprising a first cylindrical device component having a proximal end having an outer diameter and a second cylindrical device component having a distal end having an inner diameter and a proximal end, wherein the medical device includes an adhesive bond joint bonding the outer diameter of the proximal end of the first cylindrical device component to the inner diameter of the distal end of the second cylindrical device component, wherein the adhesive bond joint extends past the proximal end of the first cylindrical device component toward the proximal end of the second cylindrical device component.

9. The medical device of claim 8 wherein the adhesive bond joint extends from about 1 millimeter to about 15 millimeters past the proximal end of the first cylindrical device component toward the proximal end of the second cylindrical device component.

10. The medical device of claim 9 wherein the adhesive bond joint extends from about 5 millimeters to about 15 millimeters past the proximal end of the first cylindrical device component toward the proximal end of the second cylindrical device component.

11. The medical device of claim 8 wherein the adhesive bond joint includes an adhesive selected from the group consisting of a flexibilized cyanoacrylate, a polyurethane, and combinations thereof.

12. A method of forming an ablation catheter comprising a catheter shaft and an electrode tip assembly, the method comprising:

providing an electrode tip assembly including a tip stem on a proximal end and a wire bundle attached to the tip stem;

introducing an adhesive onto a circumference of the tip stem and onto the wire bundle; and

introducing the tip stem and wire bundle into a distal end of a catheter shaft.

13. The method of twilling an ablation catheter of claim 12 further including curing the adhesive after the tip stem and wire bundle have been introduced into the distal end of the catheter shaft.

14. The method of forming an ablation catheter of claim 12 wherein the adhesive is present in an amount of from about 0.001 milliliters to about 0.010 milliliters.

15. The method of forming an ablation catheter of claim 12 wherein the adhesive is present in an amount of from about 0.001 milliliters to about 0.004 milliliters.

16. The method of forming an ablation catheter of claim 12 wherein the wire bundle attached to the tip stem is at least partially covered by a tube.

17. The method of forming an ablation catheter of claim 16 wherein the tube is covered by the adhesive.

18. A method of forming an ablation catheter comprising a catheter shaft and an electrode tip assembly, the method comprising:

introducing an orifice into a distal end of the catheter shaft;

providing an electrode tip assembly including a tip stem on a proximal end and a wire bundle attached to the tip stem and introducing a first adhesive onto a circumference of the tip stem and onto the wire bundle;

introducing the tip stem and wire bundle into the distal end of a catheter shaft; and

introducing a second adhesive into the orifice on the distal end of the catheter shaft.

19. The method of forming an ablation catheter of claim 18 wherein the first adhesive and second adhesive are different adhesives.

20. The method of claim 18 wherein the wire bundle is at least partially covered by a tube that is covered in the first adhesive.