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:
Mar. 18, 2003
Filed:
Jan. 21, 1998
Keke J. Lepulu, Menlo Park, CA (US);
Sylvia W. Fan, San Francisco, CA (US);
Heartport, Inc., Redwood City, CA (US);
Abstract
A cannula having reinforced sections and nonreinforced sections, the nonreinforced sections having openings communicating with the lumen of the cannula. The nonreinforced sections are plain tubing and the reinforced sections are formed by winding a coated elongate member in a helical manner around a mandrel. The coated elongate member preferably has a square cross-sectional shape so that adjacent portions of the coated elongate member engage one another when the coated elongate member is wound around the mandrel. The coated elongate member is then heated so that the coating on adjacent portions of the coated elongate member fuse together to form an integral structure. Another layer of material may be provided on the radially inner or outer wall of the coated elongate member. The resulting tubular body is reinforced by the elongate member which is encased in the fused coating. The tubular body is cut into sections which are fused to the plain tubing sections to form the cannula. The reinforced sections and the plain tubing sections are alternately disposed along all or a portion of the length of the cannula. The openings are formed in the plain tubing sections for withdrawing or delivering fluid into or out of the lumen of the cannula.