Catheter with splittable wall shaft and peel tool

摘要

A method and apparatus for uncoupling a wire guide from and elongate medical device comprising a catheter shaft having a wire guide lumen extending there through, wherein the material surrounding the wire guide lumen is selected or adapted to facilitate splittability for removal of the wire guide. The catheter shaft is coextruded and comprises a plurality of materials. The portion of the shaft adjacent the wire guide lumen is formed from a first material and the balance of the shaft is formed from a second material. The first material is selected or adapted to facilitate splittability as compared to the second material. The first material may have a lower durometer than the second material. A peel tool for separating the wire guide from the catheter shaft is also provided.