Importance

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Abstract

A medical catheter including a continuous liner defining a guidewire lumen. The liner has a constant inner diameter and a constant outer diameter. A continuous layer is braided over the liner and encapsulated between the liner and a bump layer. The bump layer has a proximal segment, and a bump section. The bump section has a transition zone at the proximal end of the bump section. The proximal segment has a distal end affixed to the proximal end of the bump section. The proximal segment of the bump layer has an outer diameter which is less than the outer diameter of the bump section of the bump layer. The transition zone has an outer diameter which smoothly transitions from the outer diameter of the distal end of the proximal segment of the bump layer to the larger outer diameter at the distal end of the transition zone. The bump layer is encapsulated between the outer jacket layer and the braided layer. The outer jacket layer has a constant outer diameter and an inner diameter conforming to the variable outer diameter of the bump layer. The bump layer is made of a material with a greater flexural modulus than that of the outer jacket layer, such that the flexibility of the catheter is greater at the distal end of the catheter than at the proximal end of the catheter.

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First Claim