Soft tip catheter

• US 4,863,442 A
• Filed: 08/14/1987
• Issued: 09/05/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 08/14/1987
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Medtronic Ave Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: C.R. Bard, Inc. (Becton, Dickinson & Co)
• Inventors: Lang, Michael, Slater, Andrea T., Ham, Robert J., Ouellette, Gerry D., Trombley, Frederick W. III, DeMello, Richard M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Yasko, John D.
• Application Number:
  US07/085,392
• Time in Patent Office: 753 Days
• Field of Search: 604/96, 604/275, 604/280, 604/281, 604/282, 604/283, 604/284, 604/103, 604/95, 128/656, 128/657, 128/658
• US Class Current: 604/527
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 29/041 obtained by reactions only involving carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bonds
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 29/085 Macromolecular materials
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/0081 Soft tip
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/001 Forming the tip of a catheter, e.g. bevelling process, join or taper
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0012 with embedded structures, e.g. coils, braids, meshes, strands or radiopaque coils
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/005 with embedded materials for reinforcement, e.g. wires, coils, braids
• 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: B29C 2793/0081 before shaping
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 41/14 Dipping a core B29C41/10 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 41/20 incorporating preformed parts or layers, e.g. moulding inserts or for coating articles
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 57/00 Shaping of tube ends, e.g. flanging, belling or closing; Apparatus therefor , e.g. collapsible mandrels
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/02 by heating, with or without pressure
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/1142 Single butt to butt joints
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/1222 comprising at least a lapped joint-segment
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/1224 comprising at least a butt joint-segment
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/5344 said single elements being substantially annular, i.e. of finite length, e.g. joining flanges to tube ends B29C66/5346 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/71 characterised by the composition of the plastics material of the parts to be joined welding bar compositions B29C65/125
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/723 being multi-layered B29C66/7292, B29C66/72941 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 70/76 : Moulding on edges or extremities of the preformed part
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2075/00 : Use of PU, i.e. polyureas or polyurethanes or derivatives thereof, as moulding material
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/7542 : Catheters
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 27/18 : Homopolymers or copolymers or tetrafluoroethene
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 75/04 : Polyurethanes

Abstract

A guide catheter having a tubular body with a wire-braided Teflon core and a polyurethane jacket. The distal end of the jacket is removed from the core, and a soft polyurethane tip is applied to the core over the region where the jacket has been removed. The tip overlaps the core for approximately two millimeters and extends distally approximately two millimeters beyond the distal end of the core. The tip may be applied to the core as a separate tube bonded to it or be built up on the core by repeatedly dipping the top in a polyurethane slurry, or be molded onto the distal end of the core.

Claims

1. An intravascular catheter comprising

a main tubular body having a relatively hard Teflon core including wire braid and a generally coextensive polyurethane outer jacket, said body having proximal and distal ends,

said distal end of the body having an end portion of reduced diameter distally beyond the wire braid and outer jacket but overlapping the Teflon core,

and a polyurethane tubular tip made of the same material throughout and having a proximal end overlapping the reduced diameter end portion of the body and extending distally beyond the reduced diameter end of the core, said tip having an outer diameter at its proximal end substantially equal to the outer diameter of the jacket immediately adjacent said end portion and having an inner diameter distally beyond the reduced diameter end portion which is substantially equal to the inner diameter of said end portion, the material of the tip being softer than the material of the outer jacket.

2. A catheter as defined in claim 1 wherein

the diameter of the end portion is reduced by the absence of the polyurethane outer jacket from the core.

3. A catheter as defined in claim 1 wherein

the relatively soft polyurethane tip includes a plurality of layers deposited one on top of another and bonded together.

4. A catheter as defined in claim 2 wherein

the relatively soft polyurethane tip includes a plurality of layers deposited one on top of another and bonded together.

5. A catheter as defined in claim 1 wherein

the relatively soft polyurethane tip is injection molded over the end portion of the body.

6. A catheter as defined in claim 2 wherein

the relatively soft polyurethane tip is injection molded over the end portion of the body.

7. A catheter as defined in claim 1 wherein the tip overlaps the distal end of the body approximately two millimeters.

8. A catheter as defined in claim 1 wherein the tip extends distally approximately two millimeters beyond the distal end of the core.

18. A catheter as defined in claim 1 wherein a marker band is disposed about the proximal end of the portion of reduced diameter and under the tubular tip.

19. A catheter as defined in claim 18 wherein the tip overlaps the distal end of the body approximately two millimeters.

20. A catheter as defined in claim 18 wherein the tip extends distally approximately two millimeters beyond the distal end of the core.

21. A catheter as defined in claim 19 wherein the tip extends distally approximately two millimeters beyond the distal end of the core.

9. An intravascular catheter comprising

a main tubular body having a relatively stiff core and a smooth outer jacket, said core extending distally beyond the end of the jacket,

and a tubular tip made of a uniform material throughout which is softer than the material of the jacket and secured to and overlapping the distal end of the core and bonded to the distal end of the jacket, said tip extending distally beyond the distal end of the core and having inner and outer diameters that are the same as the inner diameter of the core and the outer diameter of the jacket, respectively.

10. A catheter as defined in claim 9 wherein

a marker band is disposed radially within the tip and radially about the core.

11. A catheter as defined in claim 10 wherein the core is made of a wire-braided material and the jacket and tip are made of polyurethane.

12. A catheter as defined in claim 10 wherein the tip has a Durometer of approximately 85A.

13. A catheter as defined in claim 12 wherein the jacket has a Durometer of approximately 55D.

14. An intravascular catheter comprising

a main tubular body having distal and proximal ends, a step provided at the region of the distal end of the body between a section of reduced diameter extending to the distal end of the body and the section of the body proximal thereof,

and a tubular tip made of a uniform material throughout which is softer than the material of the body, secured to and overlapping the section of reduced diameter and secured to the step in the body, said tip extending distally beyond the end of the body and having an outer diameter equal to the diameter of the body immediately proximal to the step and having an inner diameter equal to the inner diameter of the body immediately distal to the step.

15. A catheter as defined in claim 14 wherein the tip has a Durometer in the order of 85A.

16. A catheter as defined in claim 14 wherein the tip overlaps the section of reduced diameter by approximately two millimeters.

17. A catheter as defined in claim 14 wherein the tip extends distally approximately two millimeters beyond the end of the body.

22. A catheter as defined in claim 14 wherein

a marker band is mounted on the reduced diameter portion of the body immediately distal to the step and underlies the proximal end of the tubular tip.