Patent · US Expired

Apparatus for manufacturing atherectomy torque tubes

US5003918A · kind A · utility

96Cited by
24References
12Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateDec 28, 1989
Grant dateApr 2, 1991
Priority date
Expiry dateDec 28, 2009

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC A)Human Necessities
  • CPC primaryA61M25/0009
  • WIPO fieldMedical technology
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

An apparatus for manufacturing atherectomy torque tubes includes a mechanism for rotating a tube liner about its longitudinal axis at a rotational velocity. A carriage is translatably positioned along the longitudinal axis. A mechanism for winding a wire about the tube liner is mounted on the carriage. A mechanism for coating the tube liner with an epoxy material is also mounted on the carriage. In a preferred embodiment, wire is wound onto the tube liner inside a reservoir of urethane epoxy bath which is moved along the tube liner. A laser sensor measures the coated tube to provide a signal representative of the final outside diameter of the tube and a computer uses this signal to control the angular velocity of the rotating tube liner and the linear velocity of the carriage which moves the wire winding and coating mechanism along the tube. The computer also uses the signal to control a pressurized gas source which extrudes proper amounts of epoxy material out of the reservoir to coat the tube as the reservoir moves along the tube liner.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.