Catheter having highly radiopaque embedded segment

• US 7,399,296 B2
• Filed: 02/26/2003
• Issued: 07/15/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Medtronic Vascular, Inc. (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Medtronic Vascular, Inc. (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Anastos, Zelda M., Stepp, Eliza K., Poole, Matthew S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mendez; Manuel A
• Application Number:
  US10/374,610
• Publication Number:
  US 20040167496A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,966 Days
• Field of Search: 604529-531, 604/524, 604/264
• US Class Current: 604/529
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 29/18 Materials at least partially X-ray or laser opaque
• 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 25/0051 made from fenestrated or weakened tubing layer
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0053 having a variable stiffness along the longitudinal axis, e.g. by varying the pitch of the coil or braid
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0054 with regions for increasing flexibility
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0108 using radio-opaque or ultrasound markers

Abstract

Medical catheters adapted for use within a body vessel and methods of manufacturing are presented herein. The medical catheter comprises a tubular catheter shaft having a distal end that fits within the body vessel. The tubular catheter shaft comprises an unfilled or low-loaded inner liner and/or outer shell. The medical catheter also comprises a radiopaque segment that comprises a radiopaque material embedded between the inner liner and outer shell. The radiopaque material can be in the form of an ink, powder, or paste.

Claims

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

a tubular catheter shaft having a distal end that fits within the body vessel, the catheter shaft comprising an inner liner and an outer shell;

the inner liner and the outer shell comprising no radiopaque material or comprising between 0.1 and 10% by weight of radiopaque material;

a radiopaque segment consisting of a radiopaque ink, or a radiopaque powder, or a radiopaque paste applied between the inner liner and outer shell to form the radiopaque segment; and

a reinforcing section between the inner liner and outer shell.

2. The medical catheter of claim 1 wherein the reinforcing section comprises a tubular braid.

3. The medical catheter of claim 2 wherein the radiopaque segment is embedded within the braid.

4. The medical catheter of claim 1 wherein the radiopaque segment is localized to a tip of the catheter.

5. The medical catheter of claim 1 wherein the outer shell around the radiopaque segment comprises a material having properties that are different from those of the inner liner within the radiopaque segment.

6. The medical catheter of claim 5 wherein the outer shell around the radiopaque segment forms a soft distal segment.

7. The medical catheter of claim 1 wherein the radiopaque segment forms a circumferential ring around the inner liner.