Catheter shaft with multiple reinforcing layers and method of its manufacture

• US 8,647,323 B2
• Filed: 12/30/2007
• Issued: 02/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: St. Jude Medical, Atrial Fibrillation Division, Inc. (Abbott Laboratories)
• Original Assignee: St. Jude Medical, Atrial Fibrillation Division, Inc. (Abbott Laboratories)
• Inventors: Guo, Xiaoping, Stehr, Richard E., Johnson, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Mehta, Bhisma
• Assistant Examiner(s): OSINSKI, BRADLEY JAMES
• Application Number:
  US11/967,219
• Publication Number:
  US 20090171319A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,235 Days
• Field of Search: 604523-527, 264/241
• US Class Current: 604/527
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0012 with embedded structures, e.g. coils, braids, meshes, strands or radiopaque coils
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0043 characterised by structural features
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/005 with embedded materials for reinforcement, e.g. wires, coils, braids

Abstract

A catheter shaft includes an inner layer of a first polymeric material, an intermediate layer of a second polymeric material, an outer layer of a third polymeric material, a first wire reinforcing layer encapsulated between the inner and intermediate layers, and a second wire reinforcing layer encapsulated between the outer and intermediate layers. Typically, the first wire reinforcing layer includes one or more metallic wires helically wound in one direction and the second wire reinforcing layer includes one or more metallic wires helically wound in the opposite direction. The intermediate layer is bonded to the inner and outer layers, as by extruding layers over one another or by thermal lamination or reflow bonding. Typically, the intermediate layer has a larger yield strain and/or a lower flexural modulus and/or a lower durometer than at least one of the inner layer and the outer layer.

Claims

1. A catheter shaft formed according to a method comprising the steps of:

forming an inner layer of a first material;

forming a first wire reinforcing layer about the inner layer, the first wire reinforcing layer comprising one or more wires helically wound in a first direction;

forming an intermediate layer of a second material about the first wire reinforcing layer;

forming a second wire reinforcing layer about the intermediate layer, the second wire reinforcing layer comprising one or more wires helically wound in a second direction opposite the first direction; and

forming an outer layer of a third material about the second wire reinforcing layer,

wherein the second material has a lower flexural modulus and a higher yield strain than at least one of the first material and the third material.

2. The catheter shaft according to claim 1, wherein the second material has a lower durometer than at least one of the first material and the third material.

3. A catheter shaft, comprising:

an inner layer of a first material;

an intermediate layer of a second material, the intermediate layer being bonded to the inner layer;

an outer layer of a third material, the outer layer being bonded to the intermediate layer;

a first wire reinforcing layer encapsulated by at least one of the inner layer and the intermediate layer; and

a second wire reinforcing layer encapsulated by at least one of the outer layer and the intermediate layer,

wherein the first wire reinforcing layer comprises a first wire helically wound in a first direction and the second wire reinforcing layer comprises a second wire helically wound in a second direction opposite the first direction,

wherein the intermediate layer is hyperelastic relative to at least one of the inner layer and the outer layer.

4. The catheter shaft according to claim 3, wherein the intermediate layer is hyperelastic relative to both the inner layer and the outer layer.

5. The catheter shaft according to claim 3, wherein the second material is chemically bondable with both the first material and the second material.

6. The catheter shaft according to claim 3, wherein at least one of the first material, the second material, and the third material is radiopaque.