Catheter with helical drive shaft and methods of manufacture

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9770259-B2
Application number	US-201514642811-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 10, 2015
Priority date	Sep 1, 2011
Publication date	Sep 26, 2017
Grant date	Sep 26, 2017

Abstract

Drive shafts having helical blades and methods of making are disclosed. In one method a helical auger blade is formed by twisting or sculpting a heated polymer tube which has been placed over a cylindrical drive shaft. In another method a drive shaft is placed within a helical winding and heat is applied to melt polymer which has been coated over one or both of the drive shaft and helical winding.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of making a helical drive shaft having a helical auger blade with a desired pitch, depth, width and outer diameter comprising:
coating a cylindrical drive shaft with a polymer;
after said coating a cylindrical drive shaft with a polymer, placing the cylindrical drive shaft within a helical winding; and
after the drive shaft is placed within the helical winding, applying heat at a temperature sufficient to melt the polymer coating and join the helical winding to the drive shaft, the helical coil forming an auger blade having the desired pitch, depth, width and outer diameter.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the helical winding comprises a metal wire made of copper, stainless steel, NiTi, a cobalt alloy, or other metal alloy having a rectangular cross-section with desired dimensions.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the polymer comprises a thermoplastic polymer having a low glass transition temperature.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the thermoplastic polymer is nylon.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the polymer coating has a thickness in the range of 0.0005″ to 0.005″.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein heat is applied at a temperature in the range of 100° C. to 300° C.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the drive shaft comprises wire wound in alternating right and left hand layers.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising forming a meniscus of the polymer on the helical winding during said applying heat.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising cooling the polymer after said applying heat, wherein during cooling the meniscus hardens and mechanically anchors to the helical winding.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising spot welding the helical winding to the cylindrical drive shaft at a plurality of locations.

11. A method of making a helical drive shaft having a helical auger blade with a desired pitch, depth, width and outer diameter comprising:
coating a helical winding with a polymer;
after said coating a helical winding with a polymer, placing a cylindrical drive shaft within the helical winding; and
after the drive shaft is placed within the helical winding, applying heat at a temperature sufficient to melt the polymer coating and join the helical winding to the drive shaft, the helical coil forming an auger blade having the desired pitch, depth, width and outer diameter.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the helical winding comprises a metal wire made of copper, stainless steel, NiTi, a cobalt alloy, or other metal alloy having a rectangular cross-section with desired dimensions.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein the polymer comprises a thermoplastic polymer having a low glass transition temperature.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the thermoplastic polymer is nylon.

15. The method of claim 11 wherein the polymer coating has a thickness in the range of 0.0005″ to 0.005″.

16. The method of claim 11 wherein heat is applied at a temperature in the range of 100° C. to 300° C.

17. The method of claim 11 wherein the drive shaft comprises wire wound in alternating right and left hand layers.

18. The method of claim 11 , further comprising forming a meniscus of the polymer on the helical winding during said applying heat.

19. The method of claim 18 , further comprising cooling the polymer after said applying heat, wherein during cooling the meniscus hardens and mechanically anchors to the helical winding.

20. The method of claim 19 , further comprising spot welding the helical winding to the cylindrical drive shaft at a plurality of locations.

Assignees

• Covidien Lp

Inventors

• Zeroni Jenny
• Sills Cory David
• Schuman Victoria
• Knutson Marc D
• Ladd Bryan Matthew
• Fruland Benjamin Robert
• Schneider Lucas
• Rice Alexander J

Classifications

• Y10T156/1043

  Subsequent to assembly · CPC title

• B29L2031/7542

  Catheters · CPC title

• B29K2705/00

  Use of metals, their alloys or their compounds, for preformed parts, e.g. for inserts · CPC title

• B29K2077/00

  Use of {PA, i.e.} polyamides, e.g. polyesteramides {or derivatives thereof}, as moulding material · CPC title

• B29C66/532

  Joining single elements to the wall of tubular articles, hollow articles or bars · CPC title