Manufacture of variable stiffness microtubing

摘要

A process for manufacturing novel composite microtubing with variable stiffness over the length of the tubing. By varying the pick count of a braided layer the stiffness of the microtubing may be varied by a factor of 100 from proximal end to distal end. The continuous process allows a predetermined stiffness pattern to be repeated over a measured length for economical manufacture and results, if desired, in tubing of extremely small diameter and extremely thin tube walls.