Catheter including a unibody distal guidewire port and method of manufacture

摘要

Methods and devices incorporating a guidewire entry port subassembly for use in rapid exchange catheters. The use of a subassembly allows for stronger quality control and simpler fabrication of a rapid exchange device. In several embodiments, methods of making a molded guidewire entry port using a mold, often in conjunction with one or more mandrels, are disclosed. Several device embodiments include a separate molded guidewire port as well as molded guidewire ports which are attached, during a molding step, to segments of a catheter.

主权项

1. A catheter, comprising:
a port joint having a proximal end and a distal end, the port joint including an inflation lumen extending from the proximal end to the distal end of the port joint, the port joint including a guidewire lumen extending from the distal end to a guidewire port located intermediate the proximal end and the distal end of the port joint, the guidewire lumen of the port joint defined by an interior surface of the port joint fully surrounding a periphery of the guidewire lumen; a proximal shaft section of the catheter joined to the proximal end of the port joint such that a lumen of the proximal shaft section is in fluid communication with the inflation lumen of the port joint; and a distal shaft section of the catheter joined to the distal end of the port joint such that a first lumen of the distal shaft section is in fluid communication with the inflation lumen of the port joint and a second lumen of the distal shaft section is in fluid communication with the guidewire lumen of the port joint; wherein the port joint is a discrete monolithic structure formed of a material discrete from materials forming the proximal shaft section and the distal shaft section.