Steerable catheter and methods of making the same

US10493708B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• St. Jude Medical, Atrial Fibrillation Division, Inc. · US

Inventors

• Eric Wilkowske · North Oaks, US
• Allan M. Fuentes · Mound, US
• Xiaoping Guo · Eden Prairie, US
• Xuan Yen Khieu · Maple Grove, US
• Linda Nemec · Andover, US
• Richard E. Stehr · Stillwater, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Sep 24, 2012
• Grant date: Dec 3, 2019
• Expiry date: Feb 12, 2036

Classification

• Technology area (CPC A): Human Necessities
• CPC primary: A61M25/005
• WIPO field: Medical technology
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

A method of manufacturing a flexible tubular body for a medical device includes extruding an inner layer from a thermoplastic polymer, pulling it over a mandrel, and tightening it down. If wire lumens were not formed in the inner layer when extruded, polymer spaghetti tubes with wire lumens are laid along the outer surface of the inner layer. Deflection wires are fed into the wire lumens. A wire braid is placed over the inner layer (and spaghetti tubes, if present) and tightened down. The components are encased in an outer polymer layer and a heat shrinkable tube. Pressurized fluid is injected into each wire lumen to maintain the internal diameter thereof greater than the diameter of the deflection wire received therein. Heat is applied to the assembled components, causing the layers to laminate. Once the laminated body has cooled, the heat-shrinkable tube is removed.