Importance

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Abstract

A soft tip guiding catheter for atraumatic insertion into delicate, tortuous coronary vessels and introduction of an angioplasty balloon catheter therethrough. The guiding catheter includes a main tubular portion and a soft tubular tip with respective, matching external and internal tapers for increasing the contact area of the thermal bond. The outer and inner diameters of the main portion are uniform and match the respective outer and inner diameters of the soft tip for providing a uniform outer catheter surface and a continuous, uniform catheter passageway surface. The tapers further provide for a gradual change in durometer between the main portion and soft tip. The main portion preferably includes an inner layer of lubricous material, an outer layer of a polyether block amide, and a reinforcing braid positioned therebetween. The layers of the main portion provide a thin catheter wall with pushability, torquability, and kink resistance. The composite durometer of the main portion is harder than the durometer of the soft tip, which comprises a combination of polyether block amide material and tungsten for increasing the radiopacity thereof.

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First Claim