| 摘要 |
<p>An apparatus and method of making a thinwall guide catheter useful in delivery of therapeutic devices through a body vessel. The method comprises braiding a flat wire over the surface of a cylindrical core 18, placing a heat bondable polymer tube 16 over the braid 12, surrounding the polymer tube with a heat shrink sleeve 26, heating the assembly to a temperature and for a time period sufficient to expand the core into braid interstices 48 and bond the polymer tube 6 to substantially only the outer surface of the braid 12 and finally removing the heat shrink sleeve 26 and core 18. The resulting guide catheter has approximately half the wall thickness of prior guide catheters and has excellent column stiffness and kink resistance. <IMAGE></p> |
