Catheter introducer with flexible tip
First Claim
1. A catheter introducer comprisinga body portion formed from a thin-walled flexible tube for extending into a body cavity or blood vessel, the body portion being sized to receive a catheter therein and permit the catheter to pass therethrough so as to guide the catheter during insertion and placement of the catheter in the cavity or vessel,a valve housing at a proximal end of the body portion having a seal therein through which a catheter is inserted into the introducer so as to maintain a fluid-tight relationship with the body cavity or blood vessel to prevent leakage therefrom,a tip portion formed from a thin-walled flexible tube attached to the distal end of the body portion, said tip portion being sized to receive the catheter and permit the catheter to pass therethrough,said tube forming the body portion having sufficient rigidity and columnar strength to withstand forces applied by a physician to drive the tip portion through tissue stretched by a dilator around an opening through which a guide wire extends, andsaid tube forming the tip portion including a polymer material rendering the tip portion substantially more flexible than the tube forming the body portion.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A catheter introducer has a tubular sheath with a relatively rigid tubular body and a soft flexible tubular tip for reducing sheath buckling tendencies.
341 Citations
36 Claims
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1. A catheter introducer comprising
a body portion formed from a thin-walled flexible tube for extending into a body cavity or blood vessel, the body portion being sized to receive a catheter therein and permit the catheter to pass therethrough so as to guide the catheter during insertion and placement of the catheter in the cavity or vessel, a valve housing at a proximal end of the body portion having a seal therein through which a catheter is inserted into the introducer so as to maintain a fluid-tight relationship with the body cavity or blood vessel to prevent leakage therefrom, a tip portion formed from a thin-walled flexible tube attached to the distal end of the body portion, said tip portion being sized to receive the catheter and permit the catheter to pass therethrough, said tube forming the body portion having sufficient rigidity and columnar strength to withstand forces applied by a physician to drive the tip portion through tissue stretched by a dilator around an opening through which a guide wire extends, and said tube forming the tip portion including a polymer material rendering the tip portion substantially more flexible than the tube forming the body portion.
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10. A catheter introducer comprising
a body portion formed from a thin-walled flexible tube for extending into a body cavity or blood vessel to guide a catheter during insertion and placement of the catheter in the cavity or vessel, a tip portion formed from a thin-walled flexible tube attached to the distal end of the body portion, said tube forming the body portion having sufficient rigidity and columnar strength to withstand forces applied by a physician to drive the tip portion through tissue stretched by a dilator around an opening through which a guide wire extends, said tube forming the tip portion including a polymer material rendering the tip portion substantially more flexible than the tube forming the body portion, wherein the flexible tube forming the body portion includes nylon-11 and an ester linked polyether-polyamide copolymer, and the flexible tube forming the tip portion includes nylon-11 and an ester linked polyether-polyamide copolymer, said copolymer in the tip portion having a hardness which is substantially less than the hardness of the copolymer in the body portion so as to render the tip portion softer and more flexible than the body portion, and wherein the copolymer in the body portion has a Shore hardness in the range from 40D to 70D and the copolymer in the tip portion has a Shore hardness in the range from 25D to 50D.
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11. A catheter introducer comprising
a body portion formed from a thin-walled flexible tube for extending into a body cavity or blood vessel to guide a catheter during insertion and placement of the catheter in the cavity or vessel, a tip portion formed from a thin-walled flexible tube attached to the distal end of the body portion, said tube forming the body portion having sufficient rigidity and columnar strength to withstand forces applied by a physician to drive the tip portion through tissue stretched by a dilator around an opening through which a guide wire extends, said tube forming the tip portion including a polymer material rendering the tip portion substantially more flexible than the tube forming the body portion, wherein the flexible tube forming the body portion includes nylon-11 and an ester linked polyether-polyamide copolymer, and the flexible tube forming the tip portion includes nylon-11 and an ester linked polyether-polyamide copolymer, said copolymer in the tip portion having a hardness which is substantially less than the hardness of the copolymer in the body portion so as to render the tip portion softer and more flexible than the body portion, and wherein the weight percentage of copolymer in the flexible tube forming the body portion is substantially greater than the weight percentage of the copolymer in the flexible tube forming the tip portion.
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17. A catheter introducer comprising
a body portion formed from a thin-walled flexible tube for extending into a body cavity or blood vessel to guide a catheter during insertion and placement of the catheter in the cavity or vessel, valve and seal means attached to a proximal end of the body portion for closing the proximal end of the body portion when the catheter is withdrawn and for forming a seal at the proximal end during insertion and placement of the catheter to prevent leakage, and a tip portion formed from a thin-walled flexible tube attached to the distal end of the body portion, said tube forming the tip portion including a polymer material rendering the tip portion substantially more flexible than the tube forming the body portion.
Specification