Guide catheter with lubricious inner liner

US6648874B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Scimed Life Systems, Inc. · US

Inventors

• Mary Parisi · Chaska, US
• Martin R. Willard · Maple Grove, US
• Yiqun Wang · Maple Grove, US
• Robert J. Bianchi · Minneapolis, US
• Timothy Lawrence Rubesch · Brooklyn Center, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Feb 28, 2000
• Grant date: Nov 18, 2003
• Expiry date: Feb 28, 2020

Classification

• Technology area (CPC A): Human Necessities
• CPC primary: A61M2025/0047
• WIPO field: Medical technology
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

A catheter shaft is disclosed utilizing perfluoroalkoxy polytetrafluoroethylene (PFA) as a lubricious inner lumen for which to aid the advancement of additional medical devices. PFA possesses adequate lubricity while requiring no special fabricating techniques. Thus, PFA may be processed by conventional melt-extrusion techniques, as well as by injection, compression, rotational transfer, and blow molding processes; optimizing the manufacturability of the lubricious inner lumen. Additionally, the catheter shaft includes portions of the outer tubular member modified through an ablation process. The ablation process selectively removes extruded polymeric material around and between the contours of a braided support layer. In one illustrative embodiment, a portion of the outer layer of the catheter is removed by laser ablation and then refilled by polymeric inserts having various flexibility characteristics.