Shaft for medical catheters

• US 6,228,072 B1
• Filed: 02/19/1998
• Issued: 05/08/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 02/19/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Medtronic Ave Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Percusurge Inc. (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Leguidleguid, Roy, Muni, Ketan P., Omaleki, Samuel L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Yasko, John D.
• Application Number:
  US09/026,105
• Time in Patent Office: 1,174 Days
• Field of Search: 604/529, 604/523, 604/524, 604/264, 604/500
• US Class Current: 604/529
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/0046 Coatings for improving slidability
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/1079 having radio-opaque markers in the region of the balloon
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/1036 Making parts for balloon catheter systems, e.g. shafts or distal ends A61M25/1029 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/104 used for angioplasty

Abstract

Several improvements are provided in the design of a catheter shaft to reduce costs and improve performance. In one aspect, a small notch is fabricated into a catheter tube by a nonlaser process such as electric discharge machining (EDM) or mechanical grinding. This notch in the catheter tube is necessary for fluid communication between the catheter lumen and a balloon or other element in communication with the tube. Use of a nonlaser process reduces the costs of fabrication while ensuring a high degree of structure integrity. In another aspect, a method is provided to produce a nonuniform polymer coating on a catheter shaft to reduce friction and to maintain a catheter with a low profile. In another aspect, the catheter is provided with a radiopaque marker which is more visible and is more effective at identifying the location of a balloon. The marker is moved closer to a distal balloon by placing it within an adhesive taper adjacent the balloon.

Claims

1. A catheter, comprising:

an elongate body having proximal and distal sections;

an expandable member mounted on the distal section of the tubular body, the expandable member having proximal and distal ends;

a marker mounted on the distal section of the elongate body adjacent the proximal end of the expandable member; and

a taper formed from the proximal end of the expandable member in a proximal direction to the elongate body and covering the distal marker.

2. The catheter of claim 1, wherein the marker is a tube.

3. The catheter of claim 1, wherein the marker is radiopaque.

4. The catheter of claim 1, wherein the marker is located within about 3 mm of the proximal end of the expandable member.

5. The catheter of claim 1, wherein the taper is formed from a cyanoacrylate adhesive.

6. The catheter of claim 1, wherein the marker has an outer diameter of at least about 0.020 inches.

7. A catheter, comprising:

an elongate shaft;

a radiopaque marker for locating a desired point on the shaft; and

an adhesive taper covering the marker.

8. A method of locating a desired point on a catheter when inserted inside a human body, comprising the steps of:

providing an elongate catheter shaft;

providing a radiopaque marker located at the desired point on the catheter shaft; and

forming a taper covering the marker.