US6273878B1
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Shaft for medical catheters
Assignee: Medtronic Vascular Inc
•
Filing: 1999-08-25
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Granted: 2001-08-14
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Expires: 2019-08-25
Abstract
Abstract Several improvements are provided in the design of a catheter shaft to reduce costs and improve performance. In one aspect, a small notch is fabricated into a catheter tube by a nonlaser process such as electric discharge machining (EDM) or mechanical grinding. This notch in the catheter tube is necessary for fluid communication between the catheter lumen and a balloon or other element in communication with the tube. Use of a nonlaser process reduces the costs of fabrication while ensuring a high degree of structure integrity. In another aspect, a method is provided to produce a nonuniform polymer coating on a catheter shaft to reduce friction and to maintain a catheter with a low profile. In another aspect, the catheter is provided with a radiopaque marker which is more visible and is more effective at identifying the location of a balloon. The marker is moved closer to a distal balloon by placing it within an adhesive taper adjacent the balloon.
Inventors
- 👤 Ketan P. Muni
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-22 22:29
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61M; A61M25/00; A61M25/10; A61M25/1027; A61M25/1036; A61M25/104; A61M25/0043; A61M25/0045; A61M2025/0046; A61M2025/1043; A61M2025/1079
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 23
Claim 1
Independent Claim
40 words
A catheter, comprising: an elongate shaft; and a nonuniform polymer coating formed onto at least a portion of the shaft to provide a substantially frictionless surface; wherein the nonuniform coating is of varying thickness around the circumference of the shaft.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
40 words
A catheter, comprising: an elongate shaft; and a nonuniform polymer coating formed onto at least a portion of the shaft to provide a substantially frictionless surface; wherein the nonuniform coating is of varying thickness around the circumference of the shaft.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
16 words
The catheter of claim 1 , wherein the nonuniform polymer coating is produced by sputter coating.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
21 words
The catheter of claim 1 , wherein the nonuniform coating is produced by selectively spraying a polymer coating onto the shaft.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
13 words
The catheter of claim 1 , wherein the elongate shaft is substantially cylindrical.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
28 words
The catheter of claim 2 , wherein the nonuniform coating formed onto at least a portion of the shaft provides a coating substantially 360 degrees around the shaft.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
29 words
The catheter of claim 2 , wherein the nonuniform coating formed onto at least a portion of the shaft provides a coating less than 360 degrees around the shaft.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
21 words
The catheter of claim 1 , wherein the nonuniform coating is formed by providing coated and uncoated portions on the shaft.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
15 words
The catheter of claim 1 , wherein the polymer coating is made of a polytetrafluoroethylene.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
19 words
The catheter of claim 1 , further comprising an expandable device on a distal end portion of the shaft.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
13 words
The catheter of claim 9 , wherein the expandable device is a balloon.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
82 words
A medical device, comprising: an elongate shaft having a proximal end and a distal end; an expandable member connected to the distal end of the shaft; and a nonuniform polymer coating formed onto at least a portion of the shaft to provide a substantially frictionless surface, the coating being provided proximal to the expandable member; wherein the nonuniform coating is formed by varying the thickness of the coating both around the circumference of the shaft and along the length of the shaft.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
82 words
A medical device, comprising: an elongate shaft having a proximal end and a distal end; an expandable member connected to the distal end of the shaft; and a nonuniform polymer coating formed onto at least a portion of the shaft to provide a substantially frictionless surface, the coating being provided proximal to the expandable member; wherein the nonuniform coating is formed by varying the thickness of the coating both around the circumference of the shaft and along the length of the shaft.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
17 words
The medical device of claim 11 , wherein the nonuniform polymer coating is produced by sputter coating.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
22 words
The medical device of claim 11 , wherein the nonuniform coating is produced by selectively spraying a polymer coating onto the shaft.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
14 words
The medical device of claim 11 , wherein the elongate shaft is substantially cylindrical.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
30 words
The medical device of claim 14 , wherein the nonuniform coating formed onto at least a portion of the shaft provides a coating less than 360 degrees around the shaft.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
16 words
The medical device of claim 11 , wherein the polymer coating is made of a polytetrafluoroethylene.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
26 words
The medical device of claim 11 , further comprising a proximal marker on the shaft, the coating provided between the proximal marker and the expandable device.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
14 words
The medical device of claim 11 , wherein the expandable device is a balloon.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
19 words
The medical device of claim 11 , wherein the coating has a thickness of less than about 0.01 inches.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
19 words
The medical device of claim 19 , wherein the coating has a thickness of less than about 0.0035 inches.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
31 words
The medical device of claim 11 , wherein the thickness of the coating is varied by providing coated and uncoated portions around the circumference and along the length of the shaft.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2004-08-13 | 2005-02-12 | 2005-08-14 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2008-08-13 | 2009-02-12 | 2009-08-14 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2012-08-13 | 2013-02-12 | 2013-08-14 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |