Coated tubular support members and methods of manufacturing same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016015928-A1
Application number	US-201514799953-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 15, 2015
Priority date	Jul 18, 2014
Publication date	Jan 21, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A tubular support member located in a distal portion of an elongate flexible medical device is provided with a plurality of wall openings, e.g., axially-spaced, substantially transverse slots, formed therein to thereby increase a flexibility of the support member. A layer of sealing material overlays an outer surface the support member so as to provide a sealed portion of the support member including the wall openings, the sealing material having respective flexible invaginations formed therein overlaying the wall openings in the support member so that the sealing material does not substantially impede flexibility of the support member.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An elongate flexible medical device, comprising:
a support member comprising a tubular wall having a plurality of wall openings formed therein so as to increase a flexibility of the support member; and a layer of sealing material overlaying an outer surface of the support member so as to provide a sealed portion of the support member including the plurality of wall openings, the layer of sealing material comprising respective flexible invaginations formed therein overlaying respective wall openings in the tubular wall, so that the layer of sealing material does not substantially impede the flexibility of the tubular support member.

2 . The medical device of claim 1 , wherein the invaginations extend radially inward into the respective wall openings in the support member.

3 . The medical device of claim 1 , wherein the invaginations extend radially outward at locations overlaying the respective wall openings in the support member.

4 . The medical device of claim 1 , wherein the wall openings formed in the support member comprise axially-spaced, substantially transverse slots.

5 . The medical device of claim 4 , wherein the invaginations comprise respective portions of the sealing material layer extending radially inward into respective slots in the support member.

6 . The medical device of claim 4 , wherein the invaginations comprise respective portions of the sealing material layer extending radially outward at locations overlaying respective slots in the support member.

7 . A method of manufacturing an elongate flexible medical device, comprising:
forming a plurality of openings in a wall of an elongate tubular support member to thereby increase a flexibility of the support member; forming a layer of sealing material on an outer surface of the support member so as to create a sealed portion of the support member including the plurality of wall openings; and forming a plurality of flexible invaginations in the layer of sealing material that overlay respective wall openings in the support member, such that the layer of sealing material does not substantially impede the flexibility of the support member.

8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the invaginations in the sealing material layer extend into the wall openings of the support member.

9 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the invaginations extend radially outward at locations overlaying the wall openings in the support member.

10 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the wall openings formed in the support member comprise axially-spaced, substantially transverse slots.

11 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the layer of sealing material is formed by:
inserting a substrate into an axial lumen of the support member so that the substrate underlies and thereby blocks the respective wall openings; applying a coating of sealing material to the outer surface of the support member; and removing the substrate from the support member lumen.

12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the substrate comprises a polymer beading having an outside diameter slightly greater than a diameter of the support member lumen, the method further comprising:
stretching the polymer beading to thereby neck down its outer diameter to a diameter slightly smaller than a diameter of the support member lumen, wherein inserting a substrate into the support member lumen comprises inserting the stretched polymer beading into the support member lumen; heating the polymer beading so that its outer diameter expands to approximately its pre-stretched diameter, thereby creating a tight fit of the polymer beading within the support member lumen, wherein the coating of sealing material is applied to the outer surface of the support member after expanding the outer diameter of the polymer beading so that sealing material is deposited directly on exposed portions of the polymer beading through the wall openings in the support member; and stretching and removing the polymer beading from the support member lumen, such that the sealing material remains intact and covers the wall openings in the support member.

13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the invaginations are formed in the sealing material by pressurizing the support member lumen relative to atmosphere exterior of the support member after removing the polymer beading therefrom to thereby radially expand portions of the sealing material overlaying the respective wall openings.

14 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the invaginations are formed in the sealing material by drawing a vacuum within the support member lumen relative to atmosphere exterior of the support member, after removing the polymer beading therefrom, to thereby draw respective portions of the sealing material radially inward through the respective wall openings.

15 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the polymer beading comprises PTFE.

16 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the substrate comprises a polymer tubing, and wherein the invaginations are formed in the sealing material by pressurizing an inner lumen of the polymer tubing relative to atmosphere exterior of the support member after insertion into the support member lumen to cause portions of the polymer tubing to extend radially outward through respective wall openings in the support member, thereby forming bulges in portions of the sealing material overlaying the wall openings.

17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the inner lumen of the polymer tubing is pressurized prior to applying the coating of sealing material to the outer surface of the support member.

18 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the inner lumen of the polymer tubing is pressurized after applying the coating of sealing material to the outer surface of the support member.

19 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the polymer tubing comprises PTFE.

20 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the invaginations are formed in the layer of sealing material by
heating so as to soften the sealing material; and drawing a vacuum within an inner axial lumen of the support member relative to atmosphere exterior of the support member to thereby draw respective portions of the softened sealing material radially inward through the respective wall openings.

Assignees

• Stryker Corp
• Stryker Europe Holdings I Llc

Inventors

• Northrop Clay
• Layman Ted
• Paul James

Classifications

• B29C69/008

  of tubular articles · CPC title

• B29C69/007

  Lining or sheathing in combination with forming the article to be lined · CPC title

• B29C67/004

  Closing perforations or small holes, e.g. using additional moulding material · CPC title

• B29C63/481

  mechanically · CPC title

• B29C63/48

  Preparation of the surfaces · CPC title