Vascular access catheter and methods for manufacture thereof
First Claim
1. An intravascular catheter for providing access to a distal vascular site and having a lumen extending therethrough, the catheter comprising an elongate shaft comprised of:
- a proximal relatively stiff section;
a distal section relatively more flexible than said proximal section, said distal section having surface contours that impart flexibility to said distal section; and
an intermediate section between said proximal and said distal sections, said intermediate section having a flexibility between said proximal section and said distal section.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An intravascular catheter for providing access to distal vascular sites. The intravascular catheter comprises an elongate shaft with a lumen extending therethrough. The elongate shaft is comprised of a composite construction and has a proximal relatively stiff section, a distal section relatively more flexible than the proximal section, and an intermediate section between the proximal and the distal sections that provides a transition in flexibility between the proximal section and the distal section. The distal section has surface contours that impart flexibility to the distal section. A method for processing a tubular member with surface contours for use in a medical device, such as a catheter or guide wire, is also provided.
398 Citations
33 Claims
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1. An intravascular catheter for providing access to a distal vascular site and having a lumen extending therethrough, the catheter comprising an elongate shaft comprised of:
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a proximal relatively stiff section; a distal section relatively more flexible than said proximal section, said distal section having surface contours that impart flexibility to said distal section; and an intermediate section between said proximal and said distal sections, said intermediate section having a flexibility between said proximal section and said distal section. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 21)
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20. The intravascular catheter of claim i in which said surface contours in said distal section are located on an interior surface.
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22. An intravascular catheter for providing access to a distal vascular site comprising:
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an elongate shaft having a proximal end and a distal end and a lumen extending therethrough, said shaft comprising; a proximal section, said proximal section being relatively uniformly stiff; an intermediate section distal of said proximal section, said intermediate section being more flexible than said proximal section and having increasing flexibility toward a distal end; and a distal section located distal of said intermediate section, said distal section being even more flexible than said intermediate section, said distal section having surface contours that impart flexibility thereto. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
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Specification