Flexible catheter
US5704926A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Aug 22, 1996 |
| Grant date | Jan 6, 1998 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Aug 22, 2016 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC A)Human Necessities
- CPC primaryA61M25/0054
- WIPO fieldMedical technology
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
The invention provides a catheter capable of delivering drugs or other fluids to a desired remote location in a bodily passageway, such as a small, tortuous artery. The catheter of the invention includes inner and outer tubular layers, and a continuous helical wire coil disposed between the tubular layers along substantially the entire length of the catheter. To enhance trackability and pushability, the wire coil is constructed to provide regions of differing flexibility to the catheter. The wire coil in a first portion of the catheter has a first coil pitch and the wire coil in a second section of the catheter has a second coil pitch which is larger than the first coil pitch to provide the second section of the catheter with greater flexibility than the first section.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.