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:
Feb. 22, 2005
Filed:
Jun. 05, 2002
Michael W. Sterud, Prescott, WI (US);
Matthew C. Heidner, Maple Grove, MN (US);
Brandon Worcester, Maple Grove, MN (US);
Michael W. Sterud, Prescott, WI (US);
Matthew C. Heidner, Maple Grove, MN (US);
Brandon Worcester, Maple Grove, MN (US);
SciMed Lifesystems, Inc., Maple Grove, MN (US);
Abstract
For weld bonding polymeric components, a bond monitoring device is utilized to sense emissivity from a bonding site to preferably determine the temperature of the material at the surface of the bonding site, in order to provide feedback information to a current generator that controls the thermal energy that is transferred to the bonding site. The bond monitoring device preferably comprises an infrared detector or pyrometer that determines the temperature at the surface of the bonding site by sensing the infrared radiation, which information is used to control current generation. The current generation device preferably comprises a radio-frequency current generator, which RF current is controllably used to create a magnetic field within a magnetic flux concentrator. When used with an mandrel of magnetically permeable material that is positioned close to the magnetic flux concentrator, the mandrel can generate resistive heat based directly on the supply of RF current. The present invention is particularly applicable to weld bonding of tubular type components, such as may be used to make up a medical catheter lumen, because a heatable mandrel can be inserted within a plurality of components having at least adjacently positioned portions that are to be weld bonded together. By carefully monitoring such a weld bonding site and controlling the current generation and thus the heat created by the mandrel, an effective weld bond can be consistently created even where small polymeric components are weld bonded.