Catheters and catheter shafts

• US 9,901,706 B2
• Filed: 04/10/2015
• Issued: 02/27/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Boston Scientific Scimed (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Boston Scientific Scimed (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Storbeck, Gene Thomas, Rubesch, Timothy Lawrence
• Primary Examiner(s): Lynch, Robert
• Application Number:
  US14/683,709
• Publication Number:
  US 20150290423A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,054 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 29/041 obtained by reactions only involving carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bonds
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 29/06 obtained otherwise than by reactions only involving carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bonds
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 29/14 Materials characterised by their function or physical properties , e.g. lubricating compositions
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 31/06 obtained otherwise than by reactions only involving carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bonds A61L31/041 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 31/14 Materials characterised by their function or physical properties , e.g. injectable or lubricating compositions, shape-memory materials, surface modified materials
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0009 Making of catheters or other medical or surgical tubes
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0012 with embedded structures, e.g. coils, braids, meshes, strands or radiopaque coils
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0045 multi-layered, e.g. coated coating materials A61L29/08
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/005 with embedded materials for reinforcement, e.g. wires, coils, braids
• 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 25/008 Strength or flexibility characteristics of the catheter tip
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 23/06 Polyethene
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 27/18 Homopolymers or copolymers or tetrafluoroethene
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 77/12 Polyester-amides

Abstract

A medical device may include an elongated shaft. The elongated shaft may further include a reinforcement member having a first portion and a second portion. The first portion may include a polymer having a first degree of crystallinity. The second portion may include a second degree of crystallinity different than the polymer of the first portion.

Claims

1. A medical device, comprising:

an elongated shaft including at least one reinforcement member, the reinforcement member selected from the group consisting of a braid, coil, wire, ribbon, or fiber;

an inner layer and an outer layer, the reinforcement member disposed therebetween;

the reinforcement member including a first portion and a second portion; and

the first portion having a first degree of polymeric crystallinity and the second portion having a second degree of polymeric crystallinity different than the first degree of polymeric crystallinity.

2. The medical device of claim 1, wherein the inner layer includes polytetrafluoroethylene.

3. The medical device of claim 1, wherein the inner layer includes fluorinated ethylene propylene.

4. The medical device of claim 1, wherein the outer layer includes polyether block amide.

5. The medical device of claim 1, wherein the outer layer includes a blend of polyether block amide and polyurethane.

6. The medical device of claim 1, wherein the reinforcement member is a polymeric braid.

7. The medical device of claim 1, wherein the reinforcement member is a polymeric coil.

8. The medical device of claim 1, wherein the reinforcement member includes an ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene braid.

9. The medical device of claim 1, wherein the second degree of polymeric crystallinity of the second portion is lower than the first degree of polymeric crystallinity of the first portion.

10. The medical device of claim 1, wherein the reinforcement member comprises at least two materials.

11. The medical device of claim 1, wherein the reinforcement member is at least partially embedded within the outer layer of the elongated shaft.

12. The medical device of claim 1, wherein the elongated shaft includes the reinforcement member and an axial reinforcement member.

13. The medical device of claim 1, wherein the reinforcement member is made of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene.

14. A method for manufacturing a medical device, the method comprising:

forming an elongated shaft,

wherein forming the elongated shaft includes forming a reinforcement member made of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene, the reinforcement member having a first portion and a second portion;

heating the elongated shaft;

wherein forming the elongated shaft comprises forming the reinforcement member as a polymeric braid; and

wherein heating the elongated shaft causes the first portion to have a first degree of polymeric crystallinity and the second portion to have a second degree of polymeric crystallinity different than the first degree of polymeric crystallinity.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein forming the elongated shaft comprises disposing the reinforcement member between an inner layer and an outer layer.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein heating the elongated shaft causes the second degree of polymeric crystallinity to be lower than the first degree of polymeric crystallinity.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein forming the elongated shaft comprises forming the reinforcement member from at least two materials.

18. A method for manufacturing a medical device, the method comprising:

forming an elongated shaft,

wherein forming the elongated shaft includes forming a reinforcement member made of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene, the reinforcement member having a first portion and a second portion;

heating the elongated shaft;

wherein heating the elongated shaft causes the first portion to have a first degree of polymeric crystallinity and the second portion to have a second degree of polymeric crystallinity different than the first degree of polymeric crystallinity;

wherein forming the elongated shaft comprises disposing the reinforcement member between an inner layer and an outer layer; and

wherein the reinforcement member is selected from the group consisting of a braid, coil, wire, ribbon, or fiber.