A method for manufacturing a medical introducer includes placing an introducer sheath onto a mandrel, and overmolding an introducer hub onto a proximal end of the introducer sheath. The introducer sheath has one or more score lines formed on an inner surface and the mandrel has a number of surface protrusions so that when the introducer sheath is positioned on the mandrel, each of the surface protrusions contacts one of the score lines formed on the introducer sheath. The surface protrusions on the mandrel prevent plastic material from the introducer hub from contacting the score lines thereby maintaining the score lines during the overmolding.

The present application relates to a method for producing a catheter tube. The method including sucking gas from a second end 43 of a tubular body 40 while introducing pressurized gas into a lumen 41 of the tubular body 40 from a first end 42 of the tubular body 40, so that an internal pressure is applied to the lumen 41 of the tubular body 40 by introducing the pressurized gas, and the tubular body 40 is delivered in a direction from the first end 42 to the second end 43 by sucking the gas from the second end 43 of the tubular body 40.

A method of producing a catheter includes a step of arranging a lead wire in the lumen of a thermoplastic outer-layer tube such that the lead wire extends in the longitudinal direction of the outer-layer tube; a step of exposing one end of the lead wire out of an opening of the outer-layer tube; a step of joining the one end of the lead wire exposed out of the opening with the inner wall of a ring electrode; a step of covering the opening of the outer-layer tube with the ring electrode; an step of inserting a thermoplastic inner-layer tube in the lumen of the outer-layer tube; and an integrating step of heating the outer-layer tube and the inner-layer tube to integrate the outer-layer and the inner-layer tubes to form an electrode tip such that the lead wire is interlaminarly embedded and fixed between the outer-layer and the inner-layer tubes.

A method and system for stretching a length of Teflon (PTFE) tubing where a mandrel is fully inserted therein requires firmly supporting and tensioning the PTFE tubing at ends thereof and grabbing the supported tubing at two adjacent locations at the center thereof and sliding and gripping with grippers from the center towards the two ends thereby stretching and pulling the length of PTFE tubing.

A method for manufacturing a medical introducer includes placing an introducer sheath onto a mandrel, and overmolding an introducer hub onto a proximal end of the introducer sheath. The introducer sheath has one or more score lines formed on an inner surface and the mandrel has a number of surface protrusions so that when the introducer sheath is positioned on the mandrel, each of the surface protrusions contacts one of the score lines formed on the introducer sheath. The surface protrusions on the mandrel prevent plastic material from the introducer hub from contacting the score lines thereby maintaining the score lines during the overmolding.

A system includes a first tubular member comprising a first polymer and a second tubular member comprising a second polymer. The first tubular member defines a lumen configured to receive at least a portion of the second tubular member therein to define a joint region. The system further includes a compression sleeve configured to receive at least a portion of the first tubular member at the joint region and an energy source comprising a fiber laser configured to deliver energy to the joint region to thermally weld the first tubular member to the second tubular member. In some examples, the energy includes a wavelength of radiation transmittable through the compression sleeve and the first tubular member, and absorbable by the first tubular member and the second tubular member.

Systems and methods for manufacturing elongate medical devices including internal components embedded between multiple jacket layers. The system including a heating cartridge, a heating element, a filament handling system, a substrate handling system, and a controller to feed and melt each of the filaments for forming the multiple jacket layers. The system may include a single heating cartridge adapted to make multiple passes to form a first and second jacket or multiple heating cartridges that sequentially form a first and second jacket.

Systems and methods for manufacturing an elongate medical device including various surface features. The system including a heating cartridge, a heating element, a filament handling system, a substrate handling system, a controller, and one or more additional components adapted to form the surface features on the medical device. The heating element melts a filament material within the heating cartridge to form a jacket of the medical device and the one or more additional components engages the outer surface of the jacket to create surface features.

A neuromodulation catheter in accordance with a particular embodiment includes an elongate shaft and a neuromodulation element operably connected to the shaft. The shaft includes a proximal hypotube segment at its proximal end portion and a jacket disposed around at least a portion of an outer surface of the hypotube segment. The jacket may be made at least partially of a polymer blend including polyether block amide and polysiloxane. The neuromodulation element includes a distal hypotube segment and a tubular jacket disposed around at least a portion of an outer surface of the distal hypotube segment. The jacket has reduced-diameter segments spaced apart along its longitudinal axis. The neuromodulation element further includes band electrodes respectively seated in the reduced-diameter segments and respectively forming closed loops extending circumferentially around the jacket.

An alignment tool to be used in a method for the manufacture of an electrode catheter assembly includes an alignment handle, a grooved longitudinal axis which is opposed to the alignment handle and which includes a channel or groove in the radial direction, wherein the grooved longitudinal axis has alignment grooves and alignment surfaces to precisely allow alignment and separation of electrode rings; two arms or tines formed by the channel or groove, wherein the arms or tines are compressible in radial direction to the grooved longitudinal axis; a removable proximal shoulder ring, wherein the proximal shoulder ring has a shoulder surface and an internal opening, wherein the internal opening allows the shoulder proximal ring to slide on or off the grooved longitudinal axis, a control surface, and a distal shoulder surface.