Medical catheter with grooved soft distal segment

• US 6,059,769 A
• Filed: 10/02/1998
• Issued: 05/09/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Rafiee, Nasser, Lunn, Peter, Daugherty, Charles
• Primary Examiner(s): Coggins, Wynn Wood
• Assistant Examiner(s): KLINE, ERIC E
• Application Number:
  US09/165,824
• Time in Patent Office: 585 Days
• Field of Search: 604/265, 604/280, 604/282, 604/525, 604/534, 138/134, 138/138
• US Class Current: 604/523
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/0081 Soft tip
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0013 Weakening parts of a catheter tubing, e.g. by making cuts in the tube or reducing thickness of a layer at one point to adjust the flexibility
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/005 with embedded materials for reinforcement, e.g. wires, coils, braids
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0054 with regions for increasing flexibility

Abstract

An intravascular medical catheter and method of manufacturing a medical catheter are provided herein. The medical catheter includes a catheter shaft having an inner liner, a reinforcing section and an outer shell. As provided herein, a groove is formed in the outer shell of the catheter shaft near a distal end of the catheter shaft with a laser. The groove can be filled with a fill section which is made of a relatively soft material. This improves the flexibility of the distal end so that the medical catheter has improved tracking and movement in the body vessel. Further, because the reinforcing section is continuous under the groove, the catheter shaft is durable and inhibits kinking during movement in the body vessel.

Claims

1. A medical catheter adapted for use within a body vessel, the medical catheter comprising:

a tubular catheter shaft having a distal end which fits within the body vessel;

a circumferential groove in the catheter shaft which encircles a portion of the catheter shaft; and

a fill section positioned within the groove, the fill section includes a proximal fill component and a distal fill component positioned in the groove, the proximal fill component having a hardness which is different than a hardness of the distal fill component.

2. The medical catheter of claim 1 wherein the catheter shaft includes a tubular inner liner, a reinforcing section with contacts and encircles the inner liner and a tubular outer shell formed over the reinforcing section which contacts the reinforcing section.

3. The medical catheter of claim 2 wherein the circumferential groove is in the outer shell.

4. The medical catheter of claim 3 wherein the groove is positioned at the distal end of the catheter shaft.

5. The medical catheter of claim 1 including a tubular shaped flex tip attached to the distal end of the catheter shaft, the flex tip having a hardness which is less than the hardness of the proximal fill component.

7. The medical catheter of claim 1 wherein the proximal fill component has a hardness which is less than a hardness of the outer shell, the distal fill component having a hardness which is less than the hardness of the proximal fill component.

8. The medical catheter of claim 7 including a tubular shaped flex tip attached to the distal end of the catheter shaft, the flex tip having a hardness which is less than the hardness of the proximal fill component.

9. The medical catheter of claim 1 including a tubular shaped flex tip attached to the distal end of the catheter shaft, the flex tip having a distal hardness which is less than a hardness of the fill section.

6. A medical catheter guiding catheter adapted for use within a body vessel with a guidewire, medical catheter comprising:

a tubular catheter shaft having a distal end which fits within the body vessel, the catheter shaft including (i) a tubular inner liner having a guidewire lumen which is sized and shaped to receive the guidewire, (ii) a reinforcing section which contacts and encircles the inner liner, and (iii) a tubular outer shell formed over the reinforcing section which contacts the reinforcing section, the outer shell being made of a polymer;

a circumferential groove in the outer shell which encircles a portion of the reinforcing section, the groove being positioned at the distal end of the catheter shaft to provide flexibility to the catheter shaft and to facilitate movement of the catheter shaft in the body vessel; and

a fill section positioned within the groove, the fill section includes a proximal fill component and a distal fill component positioned in the groove, the proximal fill component having a hardness which is different than a hardness of the distal fill component.

10. A medical catheter adapted for use within a body vessel, the medical catheter comprising:

a tubular catheter shaft including an inner liner, a reinforcing section and an outer shell, the reinforcing section contacting and encircling the inner liner, and the outer shell contacting and encircling the reinforcing section;

at least one annular shaped groove cut in the outer shell with a laser, the groove encircling the reinforcing section and being positioned near a distal end of the catheter shaft; and

tubular shaped fill section positioned within the groove, the fill section having a hardness which is less than a hardness of the outer shell to provide flexibility to the catheter shaft and to facilitate movement of the catheter shaft in the body vessel, the fill section including a proximal fill component and a distal fill component positioned in the groove, the proximal fill component having a hardness which is less than the hardness of the outer shell, the distal fill component having a hardness which is less than the hardness of the proximal fill component.

11. The medical catheter of claim 10 including a tubular shaped flex tip attached to the distal end of the catheter shaft, the flex tip having a hardness which is less than the hardness of the proximal fill component.

12. The medical catheter of claim 11 wherein the groove has a groove depth which is substantially equal to a shell thickness of the outer shell and the fill section is attached to the reinforcing section.

13. A medical catheter adapted for use within a body vessel, the medical catheter comprising:

a tubular catheter shaft having a distal end which fits within the body vessel, the catheter shaft including (i) a tubular inner liner, (ii) a reinforcing section which contacts and encircles the inner liner, and (iii) a tubular outer shell formed over the reinforcing section which contacts the reinforcing section;

a circumferential groove in the outer shell which encircles a portion of the reinforcing section, the groove being positioned near the distal end of the catheter shaft to provide flexibility to the catheter shaft and to facilitate movement of the catheter shaft in the body vessel; and

a fill section positioned within the groove, the fill section having a hardness which is less than a hardness of the outer shell, the fill section includes a proximal fill component and a distal fill component positioned in the groove, the proximal fill component having a hardness which is less than the hardness of the outer shell, the distal fill component having a hardness which is less than the hardness of the proximal fill component.

14. The medical catheter of claim 13 wherein the groove has a groove depth which is substantially equal to a shell thickness of the outer shell and the fill section is attached to the reinforcing section.

15. The medical catheter of claim 13 wherein the outer shell is extruded over the reinforcing section and the groove is cut out of the outer shell with a laser.

16. The medical catheter of claim 13 including a tubular shaped flex tip attached to the distal end of the catheter shaft, the flex tip having a hardness which is less than the hardness of the proximal fill component.