Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 31
Claim 1
Independent Claim
139 words
A catheter section comprising: an elongate tubular member having a proximal end and a distal end and a passageway defining an open inner lumen extending between those ends, comprising a.) a first super-elastic alloy ribbon stiffener having a width and thickness, and said first ribbon stiffener is spirally wound in spiral turns with a handedness to form said inner lumen and an outer stiffener surface and wherein said outer stiffener surface is at least partially coated with an adhesive material, b.) a second ribbon stiffener of the same handedness wound between said spiral turns of the first ribbon stiffener, and c.) at least one polymeric tubing member exterior to and contiguous with and adherent to said first ribbon stiffener via said adhesive material and wherein the catheter section has a critical bend diameter of no more than 3.5 mm.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
139 words
A catheter section comprising: an elongate tubular member having a proximal end and a distal end and a passageway defining an open inner lumen extending between those ends, comprising a.) a first super-elastic alloy ribbon stiffener having a width and thickness, and said first ribbon stiffener is spirally wound in spiral turns with a handedness to form said inner lumen and an outer stiffener surface and wherein said outer stiffener surface is at least partially coated with an adhesive material, b.) a second ribbon stiffener of the same handedness wound between said spiral turns of the first ribbon stiffener, and c.) at least one polymeric tubing member exterior to and contiguous with and adherent to said first ribbon stiffener via said adhesive material and wherein the catheter section has a critical bend diameter of no more than 3.5 mm.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
13 words
The catheter section of claim 1 wherein the first ribbon stiffener comprises nitinol.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
20 words
The catheter section of claim 1 wherein the tubing member is radiation sterilizable without substantial degradation of its physical attributes.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
27 words
The catheter section of claim 1 where the elongate tubular member has at least one region of variable stiffness between the proximal end and the distal end.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
23 words
The catheter section of claim 1 where the first ribbon stiffener has a pitch which varies between the proximal end and distal end.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
31 words
The catheter section of claim 1 where the first ribbon stiffener comprises a ribbon having a thickness between 0.5 mil and 2.5 mil and a width between 2.5 and 8.0 mil.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
31 words
The catheter section of claim 1 where the second ribbon stiffener comprises a ribbon having a thickness between 0.75 mil and 2.5 mils and a width between 2.5 and 8.0 mils.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
22 words
The catheter section of claim 1 wherein the tubing member comprises a polymer which can be heat-shrunk onto said first ribbon stiffener.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
25 words
The catheter section of claim 8 wherein the tubing member comprises a polymer selected from polyethylene, ethylvinylacetate, polyethylene terephalate, polvinylchloride, and their mixtures and copolymers.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
12 words
The catheter section of claim 9 wherein the tubing member comprises EVA.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
34 words
The catheter section of claim 8 wherein the adhesive material has a softening temperature higher than the heat shrink temperature of the tubing member but lower than the melting temperature of the tubing member.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
21 words
The catheter section of claim 1 wherein the adhesive material has been placed on an interior surface of the tubing member.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
24 words
The catheter section of claim 1 wherein the adhesive material is exuded in situ from the tubing member during assembly of the catheter section.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
25 words
The catheter section of claim 1 wherein the adhesive material has been placed at least on the exterior surface of the wound first ribbon stiffener.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
16 words
The catheter section of claim 1 wherein the adhesive material is selected from polyimides and polyesters.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
13 words
The catheter section of claim 15 wherein the adhesive material is a polyester.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
11 words
The catheter of claim 1 where the tubing member is radiopaque.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
15 words
The catheter of claim 1 wherein adjacent turns in the first ribbon stiffener are contiguous.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
16 words
The catheter of claim 1 wherein adjacent turns in the first ribbon stiffener are not contiguous.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
16 words
The catheter section of claim 1 further comprising a second cover exterior to the tubing member.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
39 words
The catheter section of claim 20 where the second cover comprises a material selected from polyimide, polyamides, polyethylene, polypropylene, polyvinylchloride, polyurethane, fluoropolymers including PTFE, FEP, vinylidene fluoride, and their mixtures, alloys, copolymers, and block copolymers, polysulfones or the like.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
22 words
The catheter section of claim 1 further comprising a removable, slidable guidewire placed interior to and in slidable relationship to said section.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
25 words
The catheter section of claim 1 further comprising an interior catheter removably, slidably, and telescopically placed interior to and in slidable relationship to said section.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
21 words
The catheter section of claim 23 further comprising a guidewire placed interior to and in slidable position to said interior catheter.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
166 words
A catheter comprising: an elongate tubular member having a proximal end and a distal end and a passageway defining an open inner lumen extending between those ends, said elongate tubular member having: a.) relatively flexible distal segment, said distal segment comprising i.) a first super-elastic alloy ribbon stiffener having a width and thickness, and said first ribbon stiffener is spirally wound with a handedness to form said inner lumen and an outer stiffener surface and wherein said outer stiffener surface is at least partially coated with an adhesive material, and ii.) at least one polymeric tubing member exterior to and contiguous with and adherent to said first ribbon stiffener via said adhesive material and wherein the distal segment section has a critical bend diameter of no more than 3.5 mm and b.) a relatively stiffer, more proximal segment comprising a proximal continuation of said first super-elastic alloy ribbon stiffener and an exterior tubing member contiguous with the proximal continuation of said first super-elastic alloy ribbon stiffener.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
166 words
A catheter comprising: an elongate tubular member having a proximal end and a distal end and a passageway defining an open inner lumen extending between those ends, said elongate tubular member having: a.) relatively flexible distal segment, said distal segment comprising i.) a first super-elastic alloy ribbon stiffener having a width and thickness, and said first ribbon stiffener is spirally wound with a handedness to form said inner lumen and an outer stiffener surface and wherein said outer stiffener surface is at least partially coated with an adhesive material, and ii.) at least one polymeric tubing member exterior to and contiguous with and adherent to said first ribbon stiffener via said adhesive material and wherein the distal segment section has a critical bend diameter of no more than 3.5 mm and b.) a relatively stiffer, more proximal segment comprising a proximal continuation of said first super-elastic alloy ribbon stiffener and an exterior tubing member contiguous with the proximal continuation of said first super-elastic alloy ribbon stiffener.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
42 words
The catheter of claim 25 further comprising at least one intermediate segment having a flexibility intermediate the flexibility of the distal and proximal segments, said intermediate segment defining a passageway between the relative stiff proximal segment and the relatively flexible distal segment.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
26 words
The catheter of claim 26 wherein the at least one intermediate segment is composed of an extension of the tubing member and said first ribbon stiffener.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
33 words
The catheter of claim 26 where the intermediate segment of the catheter additionally comprises a second ribbon stiffener of the same handedness coaxially wound between the spiral turns of the first ribbon stiffener.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
33 words
The catheter of claim 25 where the proximal segment of the catheter additionally comprises a second ribbon stiffener of the same handedness coaxially wound between the spiral turns of the first ribbon stiffener.