Catheter with low-friction distal segment

摘要

A catheter for accessing a target site along a tortuous, small-vessel pathway. The catheter includes a flexible distal segment which is composed of a flexible polymer tube and a low-friction internal tubular surface. The surface allows the catheter to be advanced over sharp bends and small-diameter loops in a guidewire, in advancing the catheter along a small-vessel pathway. Various embodiments of the catheter are disclosed wherein the internal tubular surface of a distal portion of the catheter include a variety of different constructions and are comprised of a variety of different materials so as to best avoid the jamming, sticking or locking of the distal end or any part of the guidewire against the surface. Braided sleeve-like constructions, surfaces embedded with a plurality of small particles and surfaces comprised of various anti-friction materials are used in order to obtain the object of the invention.