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US5334169A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Reinforced catheter with thin monolithic walls

Assignee: American Interventional Technologies Inc
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Filing: 1992-05-11
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Granted: 1994-08-02
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Expires: 2012-05-11
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Abstract

Abstract A high torque, thin walled guiding catheter has resilient reinforcement material (8, 23, 29, 70, 73) integrally spiraled or braided into monolithic walls (21) of flexible material. A solid lubricant, also referred to as dry lubricant, comprised of either special fluorine containing materials or polymeric organic silicon compounds is embedded into interior and exterior wall surfaces of the catheters. Smooth interior walls (11) are channeled (10) to decrease friction resistance, to trap resistance particles and to dissipate friction heat in the high ratio of surface area to cross-sectional area of small catheters. Number of spirals or braids of reinforcement strands per unit of length, number of layers of strands of the catheters, catheter diameter and progressiveness thereof are designedly different for separate portions of particular catheters. Catheter tips (6) are weldable immediately adjacent to select density of strands of reinforcement material. Perfusion ports are weldable where desired. Directional bends (7) are positional selectively at distal ends (5) of the catheters (1). Methods for manufacture and modification with co-extrusion, miniature milling and welding while maintaining structural integrity with monolithic wall structure are described.

Inventors

  • 👤 Joe E. Brown
  • 👤 Matt D. Pursley

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-23 06:44
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61M; A61M25/00; A61M25/0009; A61M25/0012; A61M25/0021; A61M25/0023; A61M25/0043; A61M25/005; B; B29; B29C; B29C48/00; B29C48/03; B29C48/06; B29C48/09; B29C48/12; B29C48/13; B29C48/15; B29C48/151; B29C48/152; B29C48/153; B29C48/156; A61M2025/0062; A61M25/001; A61M25/0053; B29C48/10; B29K; B29K2105/00; B29K2105/06; B29K2105/08; B29K2105/10; B29K2105/101; B29L; B29L2023/00; B29L2023/18; B29L2024/00; B29L2024/003; B29L2031/00; B29L2031/753; B29L2031/7542; Y; Y10; Y10T; Y10T156/00; Y10T156/10; Y10T156/1002; Y10T156/1007; Y10T156/1023; Y10T156/1052; Y10T156/1056; Y10T156/1057; Y10T156/1062; Y10T156/1064

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 21
Claim 1
Independent Claim 110 words
A catheter having: strands of resilient reinforcement material having a structural memory embedded in monolithic catheter walls of flexible material, the reinforcement material being select strands of resilient material positioned in select spiralled relationship within the monolithic walls, linear diagnostic communication members positioned in the monolithic walls, solid lubricant material on inside and outside peripheral surfaces of the catheter walls, friction reduction channels in the inside peripheral surfaces of the catheter walls, the reinforcement material being a plurality of layers of multiple strand resilient lines spiral braided in oppositely spiralled relationship within the monolithic walls, and having select variation of density of helical spirals per linear distance within the catheter.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 110 words
A catheter having: strands of resilient reinforcement material having a structural memory embedded in monolithic catheter walls of flexible material, the reinforcement material being select strands of resilient material positioned in select spiralled relationship within the monolithic walls, linear diagnostic communication members positioned in the monolithic walls, solid lubricant material on inside and outside peripheral surfaces of the catheter walls, friction reduction channels in the inside peripheral surfaces of the catheter walls, the reinforcement material being a plurality of layers of multiple strand resilient lines spiral braided in oppositely spiralled relationship within the monolithic walls, and having select variation of density of helical spirals per linear distance within the catheter.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 17 words
A catheter according to claim 1 and further comprising: linear reinforcement members positioned in the monolithic walls.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 13 words
A catheter according to claim 2 wherein the linear reinforcement members are resilient.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 20 words
A catheter according to claim 3 wherein at least one perfusion port positioned selectively in a wall of the catheter.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 116 words
A catheter having: strands of resilient reinforcement material having a structural memory embedded in monolithic catheter walls of flexible material, the reinforcement material being select strands of resilient material positioned in select spiralled relationship within the monolithic walls, linear diagnostic communication members positioned in the monolithic walls, solid lubricant material on inside and outside peripheral surfaces of the catheter walls, friction reduction channels in the inside peripheral surfaces of the catheter walls, the reinforcement material being a plurality of layers of multiple strand resilient lines positioned concentrically with oppositely spiralled multiple strand resilient lines stacked circumferentially within the monolithic catheter walls, and having select variation of density of helical spirals per linear distance within the catheter.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 116 words
A catheter having: strands of resilient reinforcement material having a structural memory embedded in monolithic catheter walls of flexible material, the reinforcement material being select strands of resilient material positioned in select spiralled relationship within the monolithic walls, linear diagnostic communication members positioned in the monolithic walls, solid lubricant material on inside and outside peripheral surfaces of the catheter walls, friction reduction channels in the inside peripheral surfaces of the catheter walls, the reinforcement material being a plurality of layers of multiple strand resilient lines positioned concentrically with oppositely spiralled multiple strand resilient lines stacked circumferentially within the monolithic catheter walls, and having select variation of density of helical spirals per linear distance within the catheter.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 17 words
A catheter according to claim 5 and further comprising: linear reinforcement members positioned in the monolithic walls.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 13 words
A catheter according to claim 6 wherein the linear reinforcement members are resilient.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 20 words
A catheter according to claim 7 wherein at least one perfusion port positioned selectively in a wall of the catheter.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 69 words
A catheter having: strands of reinforcement material embedded in monolithic catheter walls of flexible material, solid lubricant material on inside and outside peripheral surfaces of the catheter walls, friction reduction channels in the inside peripheral surfaces of the catheter walls, and wherein the friction reduction channels are between opposite directional helical ridges between braided solid lubricant covered opposite directional helical reinforcement members at inside peripheral surfaces of the catheter.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 69 words
A catheter having: strands of reinforcement material embedded in monolithic catheter walls of flexible material, solid lubricant material on inside and outside peripheral surfaces of the catheter walls, friction reduction channels in the inside peripheral surfaces of the catheter walls, and wherein the friction reduction channels are between opposite directional helical ridges between braided solid lubricant covered opposite directional helical reinforcement members at inside peripheral surfaces of the catheter.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 66 words
A catheter having: strands of reinforcement material embedded in monolithic catheter walls of flexible material, solid lubricant material on inside and outside of peripheral surfaces of the catheter walls, friction reduction channels in the inside peripheral surfaces of the catheter walls, and wherein the friction reduction channels are between opposite direction helical ridges in solid lubricant covered catheter material at inside peripheral surfaces of the catheter.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim 66 words
A catheter having: strands of reinforcement material embedded in monolithic catheter walls of flexible material, solid lubricant material on inside and outside of peripheral surfaces of the catheter walls, friction reduction channels in the inside peripheral surfaces of the catheter walls, and wherein the friction reduction channels are between opposite direction helical ridges in solid lubricant covered catheter material at inside peripheral surfaces of the catheter.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim 117 words
A catheter having: strands of reinforcement material embedded in monolithic catheter walls of flexible material, solid lubricant material on inside and outside peripheral surfaces of the catheter walls, friction reduction channels in the inside peripheral surfaces of the catheter walls, the reinforcement material being select strands of resilient material positioned in select spiralled relationship within the monolithic walls, at least one stress relief cut in a distal end of the catheter, a tip welded to the distal end of the catheter, the density of spirals of the reinforcement material being decreased selectively in proximity of the distal end of the catheter, at least one linear member in the monolithic wall proximate the distal end of the catheter.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim 117 words
A catheter having: strands of reinforcement material embedded in monolithic catheter walls of flexible material, solid lubricant material on inside and outside peripheral surfaces of the catheter walls, friction reduction channels in the inside peripheral surfaces of the catheter walls, the reinforcement material being select strands of resilient material positioned in select spiralled relationship within the monolithic walls, at least one stress relief cut in a distal end of the catheter, a tip welded to the distal end of the catheter, the density of spirals of the reinforcement material being decreased selectively in proximity of the distal end of the catheter, at least one linear member in the monolithic wall proximate the distal end of the catheter.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim 25 words
A catheter according to claim 11 wherein the at least one linear member is selectively bendable to provide a bendable tip section of the catheter.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim 32 words
A catheter according to claim 11 wherein the at least one linear member is selectively resilient and bendable in a desired resilient curve to provide a curved resilient tip of the catheter.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim 15 words
A catheter according to claim 11 wherein the solid lubricant is a fluorine containing material.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim 16 words
A catheter according to claim 11 wherein the solid lubricant is a polymeric organic silicon material.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim 31 words
A catheter according to claim 11 wherein the friction reduction channels are helical voids between catheter material containing solid lubricant on helical reinforcement members at inside peripheral surfaces of the catheter.

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1997-08-01 1998-01-31 1998-08-02 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 2001-08-01 2002-01-31 2002-08-02 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 2005-08-01 2006-01-31 2006-08-02 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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