Depuy Synthes Products, Inc.

Chadwin Hanna, Jr

Pedro Pedroso

The disclosed technology can include a catheter braid including wire segments with varying cross-section shapes. Wire segments at a proximal portion of the braid can have a substantially rectangular cross-section shape, while wire segments at a distal portion of the braid can have a substantially circular cross-section shape. The cross-section shape can gradually transition from rectangular to circular along the length of the braid. The catheter braid can include wire segments having an outer core and an inner core. The inner core at the proximal section of the braid can have a substantially rectangular cross-section shape, while the inner core at the distal portion of the braid can have a substantially circular cross-section shape. The cross-section shape of the inner core can gradually transition from rectangular to the circular to provide a smooth transition. The composition of the inner core can be varied along the length of the braid.

Catheter braid wire with variable cross-section shape

The objectives for the designs presented herein can be for a variably flexible and kink-resistant catheter for vascular applications. The designs benefit from good compressive and tensile stiffness. A braided wire support structure can be disposed around an inner liner and an outer layer having a plurality of outer jackets of variable durometer. A metallic reinforcing layer can be cut from a hypotube and be used as the primary structure for catheter stiffness, reducing the reliance on and number of jackets to transition stiffness changes along the length of the catheter. The metallic reinforcing layer can have one or more ribbon cut segments and one or more axial hole patterns laser cut into the hypotube to progressively evolve the stiffness from proximally regions with more column stiffness and distal regions with greater lateral flexibility. The polymer jackets can be reflowed to bond the structure together.

Catheter designs for enhanced column strength

A catheter can have a textured outer body surface with protrusions and/or indentations that can reduce friction between the outer body surface and vascular anatomy or an inner lumen of another catheter in contact with the outer body surface. The catheter can include protrusions and/or indentations on an inner lumen surface that can reduce friction between the inner lumen surface and an outer body surface of another catheter within the example catheter. The protrusions can be filled with a lubricant or vasodilating drug, and the protrusions can be configured to break to release the fluid in response to forces on the protrusion during navigation through vascular anatomy and/or an inner lumen of another catheter. The catheter can include a metallic tubular reinforcing layer with openings through which the protrusions and/or indentations extend and/or protrusions and/or indentations shaped into the reinforcing layer.

Growing community of inventors

Raynham, MA, United States of America

Chadwin Hanna, Jr