Scimed Life Systems, Inc.

Boston Scientific Scimed, Inc.

Brian J Scovil

Todd Allen Berg

Jason A Galdonik

Henry John Pepin

Thomas Jerome Bachinski

Roger Noel Hastings

Scott P Thome

John W Humphrey

Kevin M Klitz

Jeffrey M Welch

A tubing assembly for manufacture for a catheter of the type having an inner tubular member defining a lumen, an outer tubular member surrounding said inner member, and a support member mounted between the tubular members to provide rigidity to the flexible catheter. The support member comprises a high tensile strength wire braid, and in the preferred embodiment comprises a stainless steel wire braid which has been tempered or hardened. This higher tensile strength affords significantly greater kink resistance to the flexible catheter. One wire braid has a tensile strength in the range of 300 to 425 kpsi and a braid density of approximately 40 pic. The high tensile strength wire braid has the disadvantage of tending to flare out at its free ends. Therefore, means are provided for preventing the flaring of the wire braid during manufacture of the tubing assembly. One means includes adhesive applied over the free ends. Another means includes a restraining sleeve applied over the free ends.

Catheter having a high tensile strength braid wire constraint and method of manufacture

Guide catheter incorporating a braidless construction having increased performance characteristics for catheterization procedures. The guide catheter may include a tracking wire, inner or outer guide for positioning the guide catheter within the patient's vascular system.

Braidless guide catheter

A device and method for exchanging guide catheters over a guide wire, while maintaining the position of the guide wire within a patient. One guide catheter exchange device includes an elongate shaft and a distally tapering tube disposed at the distal end of the shaft. The tube includes a guide wire lumen and a controlled resistance washer having an aperture disposed in line with the guide wire lumen. One controlled resistance washer is formed of a resilient material and has an aperture with a central hole and four radial slits. The radial slits form control flaps which have, in a relaxed state, a minimum inside dimension less than the outside diameter of the guide wire to be received. While receiving a guide wire, the control flaps are in a flexed state and exert a static frictional force on the guide wire. The exerted frictional force inhibits longitudinal movement of the guide wire. Guide wire movement could otherwise be result from frictional forces caused by proximally retracting the guide catheter over the guide wire.

Controlled guide wire resistance washer for guide catheter exchange

Catheter having a high tensile strength braid wire constraint

A guiding catheter for use in coronary angioplasty and other cardiovascular interventions which incorporates a transition element in the shaft of the device. The transition element which has a different flexibility than the sections immediately proximal and distal to it, creates a zone in the catheter shaft which is either more or less flexible than the rest of the shaft. The transition element allows a portion of the shaft to be made more rigid or more flexible, without changing the flexibility of the other portions of the shaft. The transition element also allows for a differential flexibility to be added to the catheter shaft.

Guide catheter having a plurality of filled distal grooves

An intravascular flexible catheter of the type having an inner tubular member defining a lumen, an outer tubular member surrounding the inner tubular member, and a metallic support member situated between the tubular members to provide rigidity to the flexible catheter. In the preferred embodiment the support member comprises a stainless steel wire braid which has been tempered or hardened to give it a significantly higher tensile strength than the prior art annealing process. This higher tensile strength affords significantly greater kink resistance to the flexible catheter as the lumen size is increased and the wall thickness is decreased.

Thin-walled catheter

Guide catheter exchange device and method of exchanging a guide catheter. The guide catheter exchange device includes a magnetically responsive segment located on a proximal end for maintaining a previously placed guide wire in position across a stenosis, while performing a guide catheter exchange procedure. The guide catheter exchange device allows a guide catheter exchange procedure to be performed by a solo physician.

Shaft movement control apparatus and method

An intravascular guide catheter includes a main shaft member, a bond member, an intermediate shaft member and a terminal shaft member. The main shaft has a proximal end and a mating distal end. The bond ring includes a mating proximal end, which is joined to the mating distal end of the main shaft member, and a mating distal end. The intermediate shaft member includes a mating proximal end, which is joined to the mating distal end of the bond member, and a mating distal end. The terminal shaft member includes a mating proximal end, which is joined to the mating distal end of the intermediate member, and a distal end. The main and intermediate shaft members have wire braiding reinforcing layers. The material of the intermediate shaft member has a greater hardness than the material of the terminal shaft member and a lower hardness than the material of the main shaft member.

Multiple member intravascular guide catheter

A method for forming a guide catheter with a deformable tip includes setting a mating distal end of a tubular member against a mating proximal end of a soft, deformable tip to form a butt joint. The butt joint is then softened to render the mating proximal and distal ends of the deformable tip and tubular member flowable. The tubular member and the deformable tip are then oscillated along a longitudinal axis such that the materials of the mating proximal and distal ends flow into one another creating a connection zone. The connection zone then solidifies to form a lap joint tip bond that securely fastens the deformable tip to the tubular member.

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New Hope, MN, United States of America

Brian J Scovil