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Catheter assembly

  • US 9,884,170 B2
  • Filed: 04/14/2009
  • Issued: 02/06/2018
  • Est. Priority Date: 01/17/2003
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A catheter comprising:

  • a hub; and

    a longitudinally extending tube having a proximal end joined to the hub, a distal end, and at least one lumen extending from the hub to the distal end, said longitudinally extending tube having a tapered outer diameter and including a wire support extending along a length of the catheter, the catheter having a flexibility that varies from a proximal point along the catheter to a distal point along the catheter, the flexibility being varied by helically wrapping a porous polymer film tape about at least a portion of the longitudinally extending tube such that the catheter has a substantially constant outer diameter, the porous polymer film tape being wrapped about the longitudinally extending tube such that the wire support is disposed between a wrap of the porous polymer film tape and the longitudinally extending tube, wherein edges of adjacent wraps of the porous polymer film tape wrapped in the same helical direction are overlapped, wherein the amount of overlap of the adjacent edges of the helically wrapped porous polymer film tape varies from the proximal point to the distal point, wherein a thickness of the helically wrapped porous polymer film tape varies from a proximal point to a distal point based on the varying amount of overlap, and wherein the porous polymer film tape forms an exterior surface of the catheter exclusive of the hub.

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