Patent · US Expired

Non-buckling thin-walled sheath for the percutaneous insertion of intraluminal catheters

US5180376A · kind A · utility

209Cited by
16References
8Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateMay 1, 1990
Grant dateJan 19, 1993
Priority date
Expiry dateMay 1, 2010

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC A)Human Necessities
  • CPC primaryA61M2025/0081
  • WIPO fieldMedical technology
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

An introducer sheath includes an extremely thin, flat wire metal coil that is surrounded only on its exterior surface with a plastic tube or coating. The flat wire coil optimizes the resistance of the sheath to buckling while minimizing the wall thickness of the sheath. The plastic covering being only on the outside of the metal coil optimizes the thinness of the introducer sheath wall while still providing a smooth outer surface for easy percutaneous insertion into an artery or other vessel of a living body. The higher density of the metal coil as compared to the plastic tubes of existing introducer sheaths, maximizes the radiopacity of the sheath for this thin-walled design. An alternative embodiment consists of two flat wire metal coils, one wound over the other, with a plastic covering the outer surface of the outer metal coil.

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