Peelable atraumatic tip and body for a catheter or sheath

US8657789B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

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

Inventors

• Xiaoping Guo · Eden Prairie, US
• Richard E. Stehr · Stillwater, US
• Vitaliy Gennad'yevich Epshteyn · Maple Grove, US
• Bruce P. Holman · Champlin, US
• Donald A. Sauter · Victoria, US
• Chad A. Thorstenson · Andover, US
• Daniel J. Potter · Stillwater, US
• Nalin S. Perera · Santa Clarita, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Apr 28, 2006
• Grant date: Feb 25, 2014
• Expiry date: Oct 10, 2029

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y10T29/49826
• WIPO field: Medical technology
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

A splittable/peelable tubular body (2) of a catheter or sheath wherein the tubular body (2) has a splittable/peelable atraumatic tip (14) is disclosed. The atraumatic tip (4) is generally softer than the tubular body (2). The tubular body (2) and atraumatic tip (4) each comprise a peel mechanism longitudinally extending along their respective lengths. The peel mechanisms are formed by longitudinally extending regions of interfacial bonding (11) between first and second longitudinally extending strips (8, 10) of polymer material. Each strip (8, 10) forms at least a portion of an outer circumferential surface of the tubular body (2) and atraumatic tip (4). A region of stress concentration extends along the region of interfacial bonding. The stress concentration facilitates the splitting of the tubular body (2) and atraumatic tip (4) along their respective peel mechanisms.