One aspect relates to a catheter system, a use of such catheter system and a manufacturing method for such catheter system. The catheter system includes an at least partially flexible catheter body, at least a ring electrode, and at least a strain gauge. The ring electrode surrounds at least a portion of the flexible catheter body. The strain gauge is allocated to the ring electrode and the strain gauge is configured to measure a deformation of the flexible catheter body at a position allocated to the ring electrode to detect a contact between the ring electrode and tissue.

A method of manufacturing tubing suitable for use as a component of a medical device, such as a catheter body, and the real-time adjustment of characteristics of the tubing as it passes from one reel to another reel during manufacture. Thus, a length of tubing is manufactured that includes a plurality of segments of different flexibilities and the length of tubing is then cut into a plurality of sub-lengths of tubing that are suitable for use as a component of a medical device. In one embodiment, a method of manufacturing a length of catheter tubing comprises: extruding a base layer; overlaying a braided layer on the base layer; overlaying a sub-jacket layer over the braided layer; overlaying an outer jacket on the jacket sub-layer; and heating at least a portion the jacket sub-layer to change a characteristic of the length of catheter tubing.

A catheter assembly is constructed by reflow bonding an inner liner and an outer layer. The inner liner defines at least one lumen. The inner liner is made of a gamma-irradiated polymeric material that includes a polyether block amide and a gamma radiation activated cross-linking agent.

In some examples a catheter includes an inner liner, an outer jacket, and a structural support member positioned between at least a portion of the inner liner and at least a portion of the outer jacket. A first portion of the structural support member has a first residual stress and a second portion of the structural support member has a second residual stress, greater than the first residual stress. The second portion of the structural support member includes a percent cold work greater than about 20%.

A catheter is made by coextruding first and second molten polymers, wherein the second molten polymer forms a flexible inner core and the first molten polymer forms exactly two bands on opposite sides of the inner core. The inner core is braided, and a third molten polymer extruded onto the braid to form a flexible jacket that encloses the braid, the bands and the inner core. The bands are more rigid than the inner core, and they provide preferential in-plane bending.

A method for producing a catheter includes inserting a temporary mandrel into a catheter tube, followed by preshaping a FPCB in a round hollow cylindrical shape and position it on the catheter tube. Then a shrink tube is positioned around the FPCB on the outside of the catheter tube. The assembly is preheated to the point that the shrink tube has fully contracted and directly contacts and closes the FPCB around the catheter tube. Then the assembly is heated above the melting temperature of the catheter tube to reflow the catheter tube material around the FPCB inside the shrinking tube. After a resting period to allow solidification of the assembly material the mandrel is removed from the inner lumen of the re-solidified catheter tube, and finally the shrink tube is removed.

An aspiration system for aspirating blood clots from a human body has a power source, an aspiration pump, and an electrical motor coupled to the power source and the aspiration pump, wherein the aspiration pump is pulsed at a frequency below 10 Hz.

Described herein are methods, devices, and support structures for assembling optical fibers in catheter tips and facilitating alignment and structural support. A method for assembling a plurality of optical fibers and lenses in a support structure for an ablation catheter includes providing a support structure with a proximal end, a body, and a distal end, the distal end including a plurality of alignment orifices or slits. A plurality of optical fibers are threaded through the alignment orifices or slits, such that each optical fiber is threaded through a corresponding alignment orifice or slit. An adhesive material is applied at each alignment orifice or slit to secure the optical fibers, and the plurality of optical fibers are then cleaved at the distal end to remove portions of the fibers extending out of the distal end. Finally, a lens is attached to each of the ends of the plurality of optical fibers.

A method of making a catheter includes obtaining a hollow tube having a proximal section, a distal section, an elongated conduit, and one or more fluid openings formed in the distal section of the hollow tube that are in fluid communication with the elongated lumen. The method includes inserting a mandrel within the elongated lumen, positioning a first visible marker over an outer surface of the hollow tube at a junction of the proximal and distal sections of the hollow tube, and placing a sacrificial material over the first visible marker to completely cover the first visible marker. Heat is applied for shrinking the sacrificial material, which, in turn, compresses the first visible marker against the outer surface of the hollow tube, and for least partially melting the first visible marker for fusing the first visible marker to the outer surface of the hollow tube.

A steerable sheath includes an inner liner extending from a proximal end to a distal end of the steerable sheath. The inner liner includes a non-deflectable portion and a deflectable portion. The steerable sheath includes a first pull wire positioned along a first helical path around the circumference of the inner liner from a proximal end to a distal end of the non-deflectable portion of the inner liner and along a first straight path from a proximal end of the deflectable portion to a distal end of the deflectable portion. The steerable sheath includes a second pull wire positioned along a second helical path around the circumference of the inner liner from the proximal end to the distal end of the non-deflectable portion and along a second straight path from the proximal end of the deflectable portion to the distal end of the deflectable portion.