Claims
- 1. A method of making a kink-resistant catheter; the method comprising forming an assembly by:(a) supporting a helical metallic coil having a plurality of turns on a mandrel; (i) the mandrel supporting a sheathing tube comprising polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) or fluorinated ethylene propylene copolymer (FEP); (b) introducing the helical coil while supported on the mandrel into a first tube; (i) the first tube being formed from a material which is flowable at a first temperature; and (ii) the first tube being received within a second tube to form an assembly; (A) the second tube being heat shrinkable at a second temperature which is equal to or greater than the first temperature; (c) heating the assembly to a temperature equal to or greater than the second temperature to cause shrinkage of the second tube; (i) the shrinkage of the second tube causing material of the first tube to flow between turns of the helical coil and substantially encapsulate the helical coil; (d) removing the mandrel from at least the first tube and the helical coil while leaving the sheathing tube within the helical coil; and (e) longitudinally tensioning the sheathing tube to remove the sheathing tube from at least the first tube and the helical coil.
- 2. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein:(a) the sheathing tube is longer than the helical coil, the first tube, and the second tube; and (b) the sheathing tube extends beyond one or both ends of the helical coil, the first tube, and the second tube; and (c) the step of removing the sheathing tube includes pulling on one or both ends of the sheathing tube.
- 3. A method as claimed in claim 2 wherein:(a) the helical coil is shorter than the first tube and is positioned on the mandrel so that the first tube extends beyond one or both ends of the helical coil; and (b) the step of heating the assembly causes an inwardly tapered tip to be formed at one or both ends of the helical coil.
- 4. A method as claimed in claim 1 further including:(a) after the step of heating, removing the second tube from the first tube and the helical coil.
- 5. A method as claimed in claim 4 wherein:(a) the step of removing the second tube includes slitting the second tube.
- 6. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein:(a) the first tube is heat flowable at a first temperature in the range of 100 to 300° C.; and (b) the second tube is heat shrinkable at a second temperature greater than the first temperature and in the range of 150 to 350° C.
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
This application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 09/327,420, filed Jun. 8, 1999, now abandoned, which is a continuation in part of application Ser. No. 09/093,934, filed Jun. 9, 1998, now abandoned, for a Catheter.
US Referenced Citations (25)
Foreign Referenced Citations (3)
Number |
Date |
Country |
0 617 977 |
Feb 1994 |
EP |
9737713 |
Oct 1997 |
WO |
9748437 |
Dec 1997 |
WO |
Non-Patent Literature Citations (1)
Entry |
Definition of “cathether” from Webster's Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary, 1990, p. 216. |
Continuations (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09/093934 |
Jun 1998 |
US |
Child |
09/327420 |
|
US |
Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09/327420 |
Jun 1999 |
US |
Child |
09/643761 |
|
US |