Stent delivery catheter assembly

摘要

In one aspect the invention concerns an elongate tubular shaft for use in catheter assemblies. The shaft is a metallic hypotube (14) having a plurality of cuts in the side wall thereof to define slots (25). The slots (25) are elongate slots extending about the wall of the hypotube in a substantially spiral or circumferential path which is interrupted at intervals by solid struts (20). The invention also relates to a delivery catheter assembly (100) for a self-expanding stent or other device deployed in a similar manner, comprising: an inner shaft (1) located coaxially within an outer shaft (2). Each of the shafts (1, 2) comprises an elongate spiral-cut outer hypotube (12,14). Each of the hypotubes (12, 14) has a plurality of slots (25) cut in the side wall thereof to increase the flexibility of the hypotube, and the slots are elongate slots (25) extending about the hypotube in a spiral or circumferential path which is interrupted at intervals by solid struts (20).