A catheter includes a balloon and a shaft having a coaxial portion including an outer tubular member having a bore, a transition neck, an access fitting adjacent the proximate end of the catheter shaft for directing a guidewire into the catheter shaft, an inflation port, a guidewire tubular member disposed coaxially in the outer tubular member, the outer tubular member and guidewire tubular member defining a first, annular inflation/deflation lumen fluid communication with the inflation port, at least one second inflation/deflation lumen separate from and non-coaxial with the guidewire tubular member and having a cross-sectional area less than the cross-sectional area of the first inflation/deflation lumen and opening at a proximate end into the first inflation/deflation lumen and at the distal end of the transition neck.

A mesh to flexible screen frame laminator includes a first table with a horizontal surface and an alignment fence, a second table that is lower than the first table and a first pair of selectively driven heater rollers which are shiftable between a raised position and a lowered position relative to the first table. A cradle is located adjacent the first table and above the second table and at least a portion of the cradle is shiftable between a raised position and a lowered position, the raised position being substantially coplanar with the first table. A second pair of selectively driven heater rollers is shiftable between a raised position and a lowered position relative to the second table and is oriented transversely to the first pair of heater rollers. A third table is located adjacent the second table and at a height substantially coplanar with the second table.

A mesh to flexible screen frame laminator includes a first table with a horizontal surface and an alignment fence, a second table that is lower than the first table and a first pair of selectively driven heater rollers which are shiftable between a raised position and a lowered position relative to the first table. A cradle is located adjacent the first table and above the second table and at least a portion of the cradle is shiftable between a raised position and a lowered position, the raised position being substantially coplanar with the first table. A second pair of selectively driven heater rollers is shiftable between a raised position and a lowered position relative to the second table and is oriented transversely to the first pair of heater rollers. A third table is located adjacent the second table and at a height substantially coplanar with the second table.

A method for coupling a tube to a tube fitting includes radially outwardly expanding a tubular compression collar from a constricted state to an expanded state, the compression collar having a throughway extending there through and being made of a resiliently flexible material. An end of the tube is inserted within the throughway of the expanded compression collar, the tube bounding a passageway. A tube fitting is inserted within the passageway of the tube. The compression collar is allowed to resiliently rebound back towards the constricted state so that the compression collar pushes the tube against the tube fitting.

A process of heat recovering tubing includes forming a multilayer tubing assembly, heating the multilayer tubing assembly to a shrink temperature to form a heat-recovered tubing assembly, and visually inspecting the heat-recovered tubing assembly for a presence of at least one colorant. A multilayer tubing assembly and an adhesive assembly are also disclosed. The multilayer tubing assembly includes an outer tubing of a heat-recoverable material, an inner tubing of a heat-meltable material, a substrate encased by the inner tubing, at least one protrusion encased by the inner tubing, and an adhesive strip including an adhesive composition and the colorant. The outer tubing encases the inner tubing. The adhesive strip is located between the substrate and the protrusion.

A process of heat recovering tubing includes forming a multilayer tubing assembly, heating the multilayer tubing assembly to a shrink temperature to form a heat-recovered tubing assembly, and visually inspecting the heat-recovered tubing assembly for a presence of at least one colorant. A multilayer tubing assembly and an adhesive assembly are also disclosed. The multilayer tubing assembly includes an outer tubing of a heat-recoverable material, an inner tubing of a heat-meltable material, a substrate encased by the inner tubing, at least one protrusion encased by the inner tubing, and an adhesive strip including an adhesive composition and the colorant. The outer tubing encases the inner tubing. The adhesive strip is located between the substrate and the protrusion.

Apparatus and methods are provided for creating tubular devices, e.g., as components for catheters, sheaths, and or other devices sized for introduction into a patient. In one embodiment, a method is provided for making a tubular device using a sheet of material including a coated first surface. The sheet is rolled around a mandrel until longitudinal edges of the sheet are disposed near or adjacent one another, e.g., without attaching the longitudinal edges together. A tubular braid is positioned over the sheet-wrapped mandrel, one or more tubular segments are positioned over the tubular braid, and heat shrink tubing is positioned over the tubular segments. The resulting assembly is heated to cause the tubular segments to at least partially reflow and/or otherwise laminate the tubular segments to the tubular braid and sheet. The heat shrink tubing and mandrel are then removed to create the tubular device.

The invention provides a heat-shrinkable polyester-based film comprising ethylene terephthalate units, constituent units derived from at least one monomer which forms an amorphous component, and constituent units derived from butanediol. The amount of the constituent units derived from at least one monomer which forms an amorphous component is 18 mol % or more, and the amount of the constituent units derived from butanediol is 1 to 25 mol % based on 100 mol % of all polyester resin components. The heat-shrinkable polyester-based film is characterized by particular values for the secondary shrinkage ratio of the film, the hot-water heat shrinkage ratio of the film, and the reversing heat capacity difference before and after the glass transition temperature of the film.

A hollow fiber membrane fluid transport device is disclosed wherein the fibers are comprised of Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), and the potting materials are comprised of fluorocopolymer and or fluoroterpolymer based materials. The potting of the device utilizes a compressed chemically resistant fluorocopolymer and or fluoroterpolymer film, allows for ease of manufacture without destruction of the PTFE hollow fibers, with high packing densities, and without the processing complexity of pre-melting, extruding, or chemical crosslinking of any polymeric adhesives. Furthermore, the PTFE hollow fibers can be treated with a fluoropolymeric solvent solution before the chemically resistant film is applied to enhance the adhesion of the PTFE fiber to the film. PTFE hollow fibers, and its respective fluoro-co and terpolymers as potting films impart high packing densities, superb chemical resistance and temperature resistance without membrane contamination, or low fiber pull strength, as is sometimes observed with standard potting materials such as polyurethane and epoxy.

A hollow fiber membrane fluid transport device is disclosed wherein the fibers are comprised of Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), and the potting materials are comprised of fluorocopolymer and or fluoroterpolymer based materials. The potting of the device utilizes a compressed chemically resistant fluorocopolymer and or fluoroterpolymer film, allows for ease of manufacture without destruction of the PTFE hollow fibers, with high packing densities, and without the processing complexity of pre-melting, extruding, or chemical crosslinking of any polymeric adhesives. Furthermore, the PTFE hollow fibers can be treated with a fluoropolymeric solvent solution before the chemically resistant film is applied to enhance the adhesion of the PTFE fiber to the film. PTFE hollow fibers, and its respective fluoro-co and terpolymers as potting films impart high packing densities, superb chemical resistance and temperature resistance without membrane contamination, or low fiber pull strength, as is sometimes observed with standard potting materials such as polyurethane and epoxy.