Soft tip guiding catheter

Claim 2

A soft tip guiding catheter (10) comprising: a main tubular portion (11) including a distal outer surface material (27), an inner tube (25) lining a passageway (18) of said main tubular portion and extending proximally from a distal end (17) thereof, and a braiding material (26) positioned around said inner tube; a tubular tip (12) of relatively soft material (36) forming a longitudinal passageway (24) with said passageway of said main tubular portion; and first (37) and second (38) cooperating bonding surfaces, said first bonding surface on said main tubular portion and said second bonding surface on said tubular tip, said first and said second cooperating bonding surfaces each having a longitudinal portion (42) essentially parallel to said passageway (18) and a tapered portion (41), wherein said longitudinal portion of each bonding surface is distal to said tapered portion, wherein said first and second bonding surfaces form a bond at the interface of said surfaces, and wherein said braiding material further extends along the tapered portions of said first and said second cooperating bonding surfaces.

Claim 3

The catheter of claim 1 wherein said distal outer surface material (27) has a first durometer extending along a distal segment (44) of said main tubular portion and wherein said main tubular portion comprises a proximal outer surface material (45) having a second durometer higher than said first durometer and extending along a proximal segment (46) of said main tubular portion.

Claim 4

The catheter of claim 2 wherein said distal and said proximal outer surface materials include a heat shrink bond (47) therebetween at a proximal end (49) and a distal end (50) thereof, respectively.

Claim 5

The catheter of claim 3 wherein said distal and said proximal outer surface materials include first (51) and second (52) cooperating ground taper bonding surfaces at said proximal and said distal ends, respectively.

Claim 6

The catheter of claim 1 wherein said inner tube is of polytetrafluoroethylene.

Claim 7

The catheter of claim 5 wherein said inner tube has a rough outer surface (43).

Claim 8

The catheter of claim 1 wherein said distal outer surface material is of polyether block amide with a first durometer and wherein said soft material of said tubular tip is of polyether block amide and has a second durometer lower than said first durometer of said distal outer surface material.

Claim 9

The catheter of claim 7 wherein said distal outer surface material includes a radiopaque material (35) dispersed therein and in a range of 10 to 30 percent and wherein said soft material of said tubular tip includes a radiopaque material (34) in a range of 76 to 95 percent.

Claim 10

The catheter of claim 1 wherein the tapered portions of said first and second cooperating bonding surfaces are approximately four times greater in longitudinal length than the distal longitudinal portions of said first and said second cooperating bonding surfaces.

Claim 11

A soft tip guiding catheter (10) comprising: a main tubular portion (11) including a distal (27) and a proximal (45) outer surface material, an inner tube (25) lining a passageway (18) of said main tubular portion and extending proximally from a distal end (17) thereof, and a braiding material (26) positioned around said inner tube, said distal and said proximal outer surface materials having a heat shrink bond (47) therebetween and with said inner tube through said braiding material; a tubular tip (12) of relatively soft material (36) forming a longitudinal passageway (24) with said main tubular portion; and first (39) and second (40) cooperating bonding surfaces, said first bonding surface on said main tubular portion and said second bonding surface on said tubular tip, wherein said first and said second cooperating bonding surfaces each have a longitudinal portion and a tapered portion, wherein said longitudinal portion of each bonding surface is distal with respect to said tapered portion, and wherein said first and second bonding surfaces form a heat bond (15) therebetween.

Claim 12

A soft tip guiding catheter (10) comprising: a main tubular portion (11) including a distal (27) and a proximal (45) outer surface material, an inner tube (25) lining a passageway (18) of said main tubular portion and extending proximally from a distal end (17) thereof, and a braiding material (26) positioned around said inner tube, said distal and said proximal outer surface materials having a heat shrink bond (47) therebetween and with said inner tube through said braiding material; a tubular tip (12) of relatively soft material (36) forming a longitudinal passageway (24) with said main tubular portion; and first (39) and second (40) cooperating bonding surfaces, said first bonding surface on said main tubular portion and said second bonding surface on said tubular tip, wherein said first and said second cooperating bonding surfaces each have a longitudinal portion and a tapered portion, wherein said longitudinal portion of each bonding surface is distal with respect to said tapered portion, and wherein said first and second bonding surfaces form a heat bond (15) therebetween.

Claim 13

The catheter of claim 10 wherein said first and said second cooperating bonding surfaces each has a distal longitudinal portion (42) extending proximally from said distal end of said main tubular portion and a proximal tapered portion (41) positioned proximal of said distal longitudinal portion, said braiding material further extending along the tapered portions of said first and said second cooperating bonding surfaces.

Claim 14

The catheter of claim 11 wherein the tapered portions of said first and second cooperating bonding surfaces are approximately four times greater in length than the distal longitudinal portions of said first and said second cooperating bonding surfaces.

Claim 15

The catheter of claim 10 wherein said distal outer surface material has a first durometer lower than a second durometer of said proximal outer surface material.

Claim 16

The catheter of claim 10 wherein a proximal end (49) of said distal outer surface material and a distal end (50) of said proximal outer surface material have first (51) and second (52) cooperating ground taper bonding surfaces, respectively.

Claim 17

The catheter of claim 10 wherein said distal outer surface material includes a radiopaque material (35) of bismuth in a range of 10 to 30 percent.

Claim 18

The catheter of claim 10 wherein said soft material of said tubular tip includes a radiopaque material (34) of tungsten in a range of 76 to 95 percent.

Claim 19

The catheter of claim 10 wherein said inner tube is of polytetrafluoroethylene.

Claim 20

The catheter of claim 10 wherein said distal and said proximal outer surface materials and said soft material of said tubular tip is of polyether block amide.

Claim 21

A soft tip guiding catheter (10) comprising: a main tubular portion (11) and including a distal (27) and a proximal (45) outer surface material, an inner tube (25) with a rough outer surface (43) lining a passageway (18) of said main tubular portion and extending proximally from a distal end (17) thereof, and a braiding material (26) positioned around said tube, said distal and said proximal outer surface materials having first (51) and second (52) cooperating ground taper surfaces at a proximal end (49) of said distal outer surface material and a distal end (50) of said proximal outer surface material, respectively, said first and said second cooperating ground taper surfaces having a heat shrink bond (47) therebetween, said distal and said proximal outer surface materials being heat shrink bonded to said rough outer surface of said inner tube through said braiding material, said distal and said proximal outer surface materials comprising polyether block amide, at least one of said distal and said proximal outer surface materials including a radiopaque material (35) of bismuth in a range of 10 to 30 percent; a tubular tip (12) of relatively soft polyether block amide material (36) including a radiopaque material (34) of tungsten in a range of 76 to 95 percent and forming a longitudinal passageway (24) with said passageway of said main tubular portion, said relatively soft polyether block amide material having a durometer less than the durometer of said distal and said proximal outer surface materials, said proximal outer surface material having a durometer greater than the durometer of said distal outer surface material; and first (37) and second (38) cooperating bonding surfaces, said first bonding surface on said main tubular portion and said second bonding surface on said tubular tip, said first and said second cooperating bonding surfaces having a heat bond (15) therebetween, said first and said second cooperating bonding surfaces each having a longitudinal portion (42) and a tapered portion (41), wherein said longitudinal portion is distal to said tapered portion and is essentially parallel to said passageway (18), and wherein said braiding material further extends along the tapered portions of said first and said second cooperating bonding surfaces.

Claim 22

A soft tip guiding catheter (10) comprising: a main tubular portion (11) and including a distal (27) and a proximal (45) outer surface material, an inner tube (25) with a rough outer surface (43) lining a passageway (18) of said main tubular portion and extending proximally from a distal end (17) thereof, and a braiding material (26) positioned around said tube, said distal and said proximal outer surface materials having first (51) and second (52) cooperating ground taper surfaces at a proximal end (49) of said distal outer surface material and a distal end (50) of said proximal outer surface material, respectively, said first and said second cooperating ground taper surfaces having a heat shrink bond (47) therebetween, said distal and said proximal outer surface materials being heat shrink bonded to said rough outer surface of said inner tube through said braiding material, said distal and said proximal outer surface materials comprising polyether block amide, at least one of said distal and said proximal outer surface materials including a radiopaque material (35) of bismuth in a range of 10 to 30 percent; a tubular tip (12) of relatively soft polyether block amide material (36) including a radiopaque material (34) of tungsten in a range of 76 to 95 percent and forming a longitudinal passageway (24) with said passageway of said main tubular portion, said relatively soft polyether block amide material having a durometer less than the durometer of said distal and said proximal outer surface materials, said proximal outer surface material having a durometer greater than the durometer of said distal outer surface material; and first (37) and second (38) cooperating bonding surfaces, said first bonding surface on said main tubular portion and said second bonding surface on said tubular tip, said first and said second cooperating bonding surfaces having a heat bond (15) therebetween, said first and said second cooperating bonding surfaces each having a longitudinal portion (42) and a tapered portion (41), wherein said longitudinal portion is distal to said tapered portion and is essentially parallel to said passageway (18), and wherein said braiding material further extends along the tapered portions of said first and said second cooperating bonding surfaces.