Flexible printed circuit board for catheter, catheter using same, and production method of catheter

• US 7,351,914 B2
• Filed: 04/18/2006
• Issued: 04/01/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nitto Denko Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nitto Denko Corporation
• Inventors: Kaneto, Masayuki, Ohsawa, Tetsuya, Ohwaki, Yasuhito
• Primary Examiner(s): Gibson; Randy W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Getachew; Abiy
• Application Number:
  US11/405,587
• Publication Number:
  US 20060244177A1
• Time in Patent Office: 714 Days
• Field of Search: 174/254, 174/256, 338/25
• US Class Current: 174/254
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/222 Electrical cables or leads therefor, e.g. coaxial cables or ribbon cables
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/01 Measuring temperature of body parts ; Diagnostic temperature sensing, e.g. for malignant or inflamed tissue clinical contact thermometers G01K13/20
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/03 Detecting, measuring or recording fluid pressure within the body other than blood pressure, e.g. cerebral pressure; Measuring pressure in body tissues or organs A61B5/205 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6852 Catheters
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/00 Catheters; Hollow probes dilators A61M29/00; peritoneal catheters A61M1/285; tracheal tubes A61M16/04; for drainage A61M27/00; for uterus, vagina or rectum A61M31/00 ; for measuring or testing A61B; materials for catheters A61L29/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0105 Steering means as part of the catheter or advancing means; Markers for positioning systems for detection of markers A61B
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/028 Bending or folding regions of flexible printed circuits H05K1/0283 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/055 Folded back on itself
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/0061 onto a metallic substrate, e.g. a heat sink heat sinks for electric apparatus H05K7/20

Abstract

The present invention provides a flexible printed circuit board having a band-like meandering pattern as a whole, which includes multiple linear parts configured about parallel to each other and a folding margin connected to one end in a longitudinal direction of two adjacent linear parts of the multiple linear parts, and which can turn into a single linear product having a total length of not less than 300 mm when the folding margin is double-folded at about a center thereof, and, at the folding margin, either of the two linear parts connected to the folding margin is folded back in a direction opposite by 180 degrees. As a result, a flexible printed circuit board for a catheter, which is sufficiently elongate for use as a signal line of a catheter, can be produced using a general-purpose production apparatus.

Claims

1. A flexible printed circuit board for a catheter, comprising:

a substrate including

(i) a base insulating layer,

(ii) a wiring pattern on one surface of said base insulating layer, and

(iii) at least two support plates on a surface of said base insulating layer that is opposite to said one surface,

wherein said substrate has a form of a single non-linear band-like pattern including two substantially parallel linear parts and a folding margin interconnecting said two linear parts at longitudinal ends of said two linear parts, with said substrate being constructed and arranged to be turned into a single substantially linear product by folding said folding margin about a first folding line that is parallel to longitudinal axes of said two linear parts, and at said folding margin, folding one of said two linear parts by 180 degrees about a second folding line which is transverse to said first folding line, and

wherein said at least two support plates comprise one of

(a) a first support plate laminated only on one of said two linear parts, and a second support plate laminated only on the other of said two linear parts,

(b) a first support plate laminated on one of said two linear parts, and a second support plate laminated on the other of said two linear parts and a portion of said folding margin adjacent the other of said two linear parts, and

(c) a first support plate laminated on one of said two linear parts, a second support plate laminated on the other of said two linear parts, and a third support plate laminated on a portion of said folding margin adjacent the other of said two linear parts, with the proviso that said second support plate does not extend onto the portion of said folding margin and said third support plate does not extend onto the other of said two linear parts.

2. The flexible printed circuit board according to claim 1, wherein

said at least two support plates comprise at least two metal support plates.

3. The flexible printed circuit board according to claim 2, wherein

said single linear product has a total length of not less than 300 mm.

4. The flexible printed circuit board according to claim 2, wherein

said substrate has a form of a single non-linear meandering band-like pattern including multiple linear parts and multiple folding margins interconnecting said multiple linear parts at longitudinal ends thereof.

5. The flexible printed circuit board according to claim 4, wherein

said single linear product has a total length of not less than 300 mm.

6. The flexible printed circuit board according to claim 2, wherein

a size of said substrate as a whole, before being turned into said single linear product, is within a 250 mm×

250 mm square area.

7. The flexible printed circuit board according to claim 2, wherein

said single linear product includes opposing surfaces at said folding margin, with said opposing surfaces being adhered to one another via an adhesive layer.

8. A catheter comprising:

the flexible printed circuit board of claim 2, as said single linear product, within a tube.

9. A method of producing a catheter, comprising:

turning said substrate of the flexible printed circuit board of claim 2 into said single linear product by folding said folding margin about said first folding line, and at said folding margin, folding one of said two linear parts by 180 degrees about said second folding line; and

inserting said flexible printed circuit board of claim 2, as said single linear product, into a tube.

10. The method according to claim 9, further comprising:

after turning said substrate into said single linear product, and before inserting said flexible printed circuit board into said tube, adhering, via an adhesive layer, two opposing surfaces of said single linear product at said folding margin.

11. The flexible printed circuit board according to claim 1, wherein

said single linear product has a total length of not less than 300 mm.

12. The flexible printed circuit board according to claim 1, wherein

said substrate has a form of a single non-linear meandering band-like pattern including multiple linear parts and multiple folding margins interconnecting said multiple linear parts at longitudinal ends thereof.

13. The flexible printed circuit board according to claim 12, wherein

said single linear product has a total length of not less than 300 mm.

14. The flexible printed circuit board according to claim 1, wherein

a size of said substrate as a whole, before being turned into said single linear product, is within a 250 mm×

250 mm square area.

15. The flexible printed circuit board according to claim 1, wherein

said single linear product includes opposing surfaces at said folding margin, with said opposing surfaces being adhered to one another via an adhesive layer.

16. A catheter comprising:

the flexible printed circuit board of claim 1, as said single linear product, within a tube.

17. A method of producing a catheter, comprising:

turning said substrate of the flexible printed circuit board of claim 1 into said single linear product by folding said folding margin about said first folding line, and at said folding margin, folding one of said two linear parts by 180 degrees about said second folding line; and

inserting said flexible printed circuit board of claim 1, as said single linear product, into a tube.

18. The method according to claim 17, further comprising:

after turning said substrate into said single linear product, and before inserting said flexible printed circuit board into said tube, adhering, via an adhesive layer, two opposing surfaces of said single linear product at said folding margin.

19. A method of producing a catheter, comprising:

providing a substrate including

(i) a base insulating layer, and

(ii) a wiring pattern on one surface of said base insulating layer,

wherein said substrate has a form of a single non-linear meandering band-like pattern including multiple linear parts and folding margins interconnecting said multiple linear parts at longitudinal ends of said multiple linear parts, with each one of said folding margins interconnecting two adjacent ones of said multiple linear parts;

turning said substrate into a single substantially linear product by folding said each one of said folding margins about a first folding line that is parallel to longitudinal axes of a corresponding two adjacent ones of said multiple linear parts, and at said each one of said folding margins, folding one of said corresponding two adjacent ones of said multiple linear parts by 180 degrees about a second folding line that is transverse to said first folding line; and

inserting said single substantially linear product into a tube.