CATHETER

• US 20150335857A1
• Filed: 05/13/2015
• Published: 11/26/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Asahi Intecc Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Asahi Intecc Company Limited
• Inventors: ISHIKAWA, Masatomo
• Granted Patent: US 9,597,481 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/006 having a special surface topography or special surface properties, e.g. roughened or knurled surface
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/0062 having features to improve the sliding of one part within another by using lubricants or surfaces with low friction coatings A61M2025/0046
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2210/12 Blood circulatory system
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0045 multi-layered, e.g. coated coating materials A61L29/08
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/005 with embedded materials for reinforcement, e.g. wires, coils, braids

Abstract

A catheter includes an inner layer, a coil body covering the inner layer, and an outer layer covering the coil body. The coil body includes a plurality of element wires (thin wires and thick wires). The thick wires of the coil body are ground so that the cross-sectional shape of the thick wires is semicircular, and an inner diameter and an outer diameter of the coil body are substantially constant in a part in which the thick wires are ground. It is thus possible to prevent occurrence of unevenness on an outer peripheral surface or an inner peripheral surface of the catheter. Furthermore, when the catheter is bent, the thin wires move along the circular arc portion of the thick wires, which allows the catheter to bend a relatively large amount.

Claims

1. A catheter, comprising:

a tube body including an inner layer, a reinforcing layer covering the inner layer, and an outer layer covering the reinforcing layer, wherein;

the reinforcing layer is a coil body formed by winding a plurality of element wires into a helical coil structure, the element wires including thin wires and thick wires, the thick wires having a wire diameter that is larger than the wire diameter of the thin wires,

at least a part of the thick wires are ground so that a cross-sectional shape of the at least a part of the thick wires is substantially semicircular, and

an inner diameter and an outer diameter of the coil body are substantially constant in the part in which the thick wires are ground.

2. The catheter according to claim 1, wherein a straight portion of the substantially semicircular shape of the thick wires is disposed on an outer peripheral side of the coil body.

3. The catheter according to claim 1, wherein:

the part in which the thick wires are ground is disposed at a distal end portion of the coil body and a part in which the thick wires are not ground is disposed at a proximal end portion of the coil body, and

in the part in which the thick wires are not ground, the thick wires project outward on the outer peripheral side of the coil body.

4. The catheter according to claim 2, wherein:

the part in which the thick wires are ground is disposed at a distal end portion of the coil body and a part in which the thick wires are not ground is disposed at a proximal end portion of the coil body, and

in the part in which the thick wires are not ground, the thick wires project outward on the outer peripheral side of the coil body.

5. The catheter according to claim 1, wherein a straight portion of the substantially semicircular shape of the thick wires is disposed on a lumen side of the coil body.

6. The catheter according to claim 1, wherein a cross-sectional shape of the thin wires is circular.

7. The catheter according to claim 1, wherein the inner diameter of the coil body is substantially even in the part in which the thick wires are ground.

8. The catheter according to claim 1, wherein the outer diameter of the coil body is substantially even in the part in which the thick wires are ground.

9. The catheter according to claim 1, further comprising a braid layer between the inner layer and the reinforcing layer.