Soft tip catheter

Claim 2

In an intravascular flexible catheter having a tubular shaft containing a reinforced polyether block amide (PEBA) copolymer ply, the improvement consisting essentially of: a soft flexible radiopaque tubular tip distal of and bonded to said shaft, said tip having a sidewall with inner, outer and intermediate plies, said intermediate tip ply formed from a PEBA material embedded with radiopaque particles, said inner and outer plies being formed from an unfilled PEBA copolymer, said inner and outer plies providing a smooth inner and outer surface for said tip, said inner and outer plies constituting a coating on said intermediate ply and being a small fraction of the overall thickness of said intermediate ply.

Claim 3

The catheter of claim 1 wherein: said radiopaque particles are tungsten.

Claim 4

The catheter of claim 2 wherein: said intermediate tip ply has a thickness that is approximately eighty percent of the thickness of said sidewall of said tip.

Claim 5

The catheter of claim 3 wherein: said tungsten constitutes approximately sixty-five to seventy percent by weight of said intermediate tip ply.

Claim 6

The catheter of claim 4 wherein: said PEBA of said intermediate tip ply constitutes approximately ninety percent by volume of said intermediate tip ply.

Claim 7

An intravascular flexible catheter consisting essentially of: a tubular shaft containing a reinforced polyether block amide (PEBA) copolymer ply, a soft flexible radiopaque tubular tip distal of and bonded to said shaft, said tip having a sidewall with inner, outer and intermediate plies, said intermediate tip ply formed from a PEBA material embedded with radiopaque particles, said inner and outer plies being formed from an unfilled PEBA copolymer, said inner and outer plies providing a smooth inner and outer surface for said tip, said inner and outer plies constituting a coating on said intermediate ply and being a small fraction of the overall thickness of said intermediate ply.

Claim 8

An intravascular flexible catheter consisting essentially of: a tubular shaft containing a reinforced polyether block amide (PEBA) copolymer ply, a soft flexible radiopaque tubular tip distal of and bonded to said shaft, said tip having a sidewall with inner, outer and intermediate plies, said intermediate tip ply formed from a PEBA material embedded with radiopaque particles, said inner and outer plies being formed from an unfilled PEBA copolymer, said inner and outer plies providing a smooth inner and outer surface for said tip, said inner and outer plies constituting a coating on said intermediate ply and being a small fraction of the overall thickness of said intermediate ply.

Claim 9

The catheter of claim 6 wherein: said radiopaque particles are tungsten.

Claim 10

The catheter of claim 7 wherein: said intermediate tip ply has a thickness that is approximately eighty percent of the thickness of said sidewall of said tip.

Claim 11

The catheter of claim 8 wherein: said tungsten constitutes approximately sixty-five to seventy percent by weight of said intermediate tip ply.

Claim 12

The catheter of claim 9 wherein: said PEBA of said intermediate tip ply constitutes approximately ninety percent by volume of said intermediate tip ply.

Claim 13

the catheter of claim 9 wherein: said tubular shaft is reinforced by a nylon ply.

Claim 14

The catheter of claim 9 wherein: said PEBA copolymer of said shaft has a hardness and a melting point greater than the respective hardness and melting point of said PEBA copolymer of said tip.

Claim 15

An intravascular catheter comprising: a flexible tubular shaft having a sidewall, a soft flexible radiopaque tubular tip distal of and bonded to said tubular shaft, said tubular shaft having a reinforced polyether block amide (PEBA) copolymer ply, said tip having a sidewall with inner, outer and intermediate plies, said intermediate tip ply formed from a PEBA material embedded with radiopaque particles, said outer and inner tip plies being formed from an unfilled PEBA copolymer, said outer and inner plies providing a smooth inner and outer surface for said tubular tip, said outer and inner plies constituting a coating on said intermediate ply and being a small fraction of the thickness of said intermediate ply, said outer, intermediate and inner plies being the sole plies of said tip.

Claim 16

An intravascular catheter comprising: a flexible tubular shaft having a sidewall, a soft flexible radiopaque tubular tip distal of and bonded to said tubular shaft, said tubular shaft having a reinforced polyether block amide (PEBA) copolymer ply, said tip having a sidewall with inner, outer and intermediate plies, said intermediate tip ply formed from a PEBA material embedded with radiopaque particles, said outer and inner tip plies being formed from an unfilled PEBA copolymer, said outer and inner plies providing a smooth inner and outer surface for said tubular tip, said outer and inner plies constituting a coating on said intermediate ply and being a small fraction of the thickness of said intermediate ply, said outer, intermediate and inner plies being the sole plies of said tip.

Claim 17

The catheter of claim 13 wherein: said radiopaque particles are tungsten.

Claim 18

The catheter of claim 14 wherein: said intermediate tip ply has a thickness that is approximately eighty percent of the thickness of said sidewall of said tip.

Claim 19

The catheter of claim 15 wherein: said tungsten constitutes approximately sixty-five to seventy percent by weight of said intermediate tip ply.

Claim 20

The catheter of claim 16 wherein: said PEBA of said intermediate tip ply constitutes approximately ninety percent by volume of said intermediate tip ply.

Claim 21

The catheter of claim 13 wherein: said tubular shaft is reinforced by a nylon ply.

Claim 22

The catheter of claim 13 wherein: said PEBA copolymer of said shaft has a hardness and a melting point greater than the respective hardness and melting point of said PEBA copolymer of said tip.