Claims
- 1. An intravascular catheter which comprises:
- a flexible, plastic inner tube; a fibrous, tubular reinforcement member carried by said inner tube;
- a first section comprising a first plastic material overlying said inner tube and reinforcement member;
- a second section comprising a second plastic material having different physical properties from said first plastic material and overlying said inner tube and reinforcement member;
- said first section being in abutting relationship which said second section;
- said tubular reinforcement member comprising integral fibers that extend between and are embedded in the plastic of both said first and second sections; and
- a third section abutting said second section, said third section comprising a plastic free of said embedded, fibrous, tubular reinforcement member and generally free of said inner tube;
- said catheter having a central, smooth, plastic-walled open lumen.
- 2. The catheter of claim 1 in which said fibrous, tubular reinforcement member comprises braided fibers.
- 3. The catheter of claim 1 in which said first and second plastic materials are nylon.
- 4. The catheter of claim 1 in which said first and second plastic materials are each of a Shore D Durometer that differs by at least 15 units from the other.
- 5. The catheter of claim 1 in which said reinforcement member comprises metal fibers, said reinforcement member defining annular, integral, welded ends free of outwardly projecting individual fibers.
- 6. The catheter of claim 1 in which the smooth, lumen-defining inner plastic surface is defined by said inner tube about which said embedded, fibrous, tubular reinforcement member resides.
- 7. The catheter of claim 6 in which said inner tube is made of polytetrafluoroethylene.
- 8. The catheter of claim 7 in which said first and second plastic materials are nylon, each being of a Shore D durometer that differs by at least 15 units from the other.
- 9. The catheter of claim 8 in which said reinforcement member comprises metal fibers, said reinforcement member defining annular, integral, welded ends free of outwardly projecting individual fibers.
- 10. An intravascular catheter which comprises:
- a flexible, plastic inner tube;
- a fibrous, braided tubular reinforcement member comprising metal fibers carried by said inner rube;
- a first section comprising first nylon material overlying said inner tube and reinforcement member;
- a second section comprising second nylon material having different physical properties from said first nylon material and overlying said inner tube and reinforcement member;
- said first section being in abutting relationship with second section;
- said tubular reinforcement member comprising integral metal braided fibers that extend between and are embedded in the nylon material of both said first and second sections;
- said reinforcement member defining annular, integral, welded ends free of outwardly projecting individual fibers;
- a third section abutting said second section, said third section comprising a plastic free of said embedded, fibrous, tubular reinforcement member and generally free of said inner tube; and
- said catheter having a central, smooth, plastic-walled, opened lumen.
- 11. The catheter of claim 10 in which said first and second nylon plastic materials are each of a Shore D durometer that differs by at least 15 units from the other.
Parent Case Info
This is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 07/665,298, filed Mar. 6, 1991 (now abandoned).
US Referenced Citations (12)
Foreign Referenced Citations (3)
Number |
Date |
Country |
117093 |
Feb 1984 |
EPX |
273618 |
Dec 1987 |
EPX |
303487 |
Aug 1988 |
EPX |
Continuations (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
665298 |
Mar 1991 |
|