The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Nov. 13, 2001
Filed:
Aug. 17, 1999
James M. Taylor, Mountain View, CA (US);
Phil Pesta, San Jose, CA (US);
Modified Polymer Components, Inc., Sunnyvale, CA (US);
Abstract
A tubular member useful as an inner liner for the working channel of a flexible endoscope has a distal portion which is specially treated to make it highly flexible and resistant to kinking or collapsing when it bends with the flexible section of the endoscope. The tubular member is also useful as a catheter device or as a component of a catheter device or catheter system. A multiplicity of external ridges on the distal portion of the tubular member reinforce the tubing wall and prevent kinking or buckling of the wall or collapsing of the inner lumen. The external ridges may be formed by convolutions of the tubing wall or by external threads which are formed on the exterior of the tubing wall within the flexible distal portion. An outer helical reinforcing coil may be added between the external ridges to further reinforce the flexible distal portion of the tubular member from kinking or collapsing. The flexible distal portion of the tubular member may be coated with a layer of a flexible polymer to fill in the spaces between the external ridges and to cover the helical reinforcing coil. Manufacturing methods for the tubular member are also disclosed.