A method of forming a urinary catheter is disclosed that includes injecting a polymer melt through a primary melt channel and into an elongated recess around an outer surface of a core; and controlling a first pressure of the polymer melt in a first secondary melt channel separately and individually from a second pressure of the polymer melt in a second secondary melt channel and reducing stress of the polymer melt along the elongated recess. Opening the mould and removing the core provides a moulded intermittent urinary catheter having an open distal end and a closed proximal tip.

Sizing catheters that include an inner member and an outer member. The inner member includes an elongate shaft and a plurality of radiopaque markers spaced axially from each other and secured to an outer surface of the shaft, the span of radiopaque markers defining a first portion of the inner member. The outer member that is disposed snugly around and in substantial contact with the inner member along at least the first portion of the inner member.

The present invention relates to a method for molding a self-supporting silk fibroin catheter stent, which comprises preparing an excellent catheter stent by a mold casting and freeze-drying molding process using silk fibroin as a raw material. The raw material is silk fibroin extracted from natural mulberry silk; and the mold is a hollow tubular mold, having an outer shell that is a transparent polyethylene straw with a diameter of 6 mm and an inner core that is a fiber rod FRP with a diameter of 3 mm, with the two ends being closed. The mold casting and freeze-drying molding process comprises the steps of casting; pre-freezing; removing the mold and placing the mold onto a pre-frozen freeze-drying plate; and freeze-drying. The freeze-drying procedure comprises: (1) a pre-freezing stage; (2) a freezing—vacuum transition stage; (3) a gradient temperature-rising and freeze-drying stage; and (4) a secondary freeze-drying stage. The freeze-drying procedure is strictly regulated in accordance with the specifications of freeze-dried stents. The prepared stent has a good shape, and good tolerance without adding any additional components. The stent presents a three-dimensional porous space structure, the process is simple, and the stent meets the requirements for tissue-engineered vascular stent in clinic.

A medical tube having improved lubricity is disclosed. The medical tube is produced by extruding a polymer material blended with a lubricity enhancing additive through a resilient die. The polymer material can be medical-grade high-density polyethylene, and the lubricity enhancing additive can be a silicone-based or alloy-based material. The medical tube can include one or more internal elongated protuberances so as to reduce the internal surface area of the medical tube available to generate friction on a guide wire inserted or withdrawn through the medical tube.

According to the invention an apparatus for extrusion of a structured extrudate, which can be introduced into a human or animal body, is provided. This apparatus comprises an extrusion apparatus with a housing, whereas the housing has a revolving lateral wall which at a front end in the direction of production is provided with a nozzle wall with an outlet nozzle, and in the direction of production prior to that with a global sleeve, whereas the space in the housing between the global sleeve, the lateral wall and the outlet nozzle confines an extrusion space, and the housing in the region of the extrusion space can be connected to a polymer feeding appliance. In the global sleeve at least one guide channel extending in the direction of production is provided in order to be able to insert at least one rod-shaped body from a feeding appliance for rod-shaped bodies into the extrusion space, whereas the at least one guide channel is arranged in about straight alignment to the outlet nozzle.

Disclosed herein are sterilized medical coiled tubing and process for producing the same. One process comprises: helically winding a length of the medical tubing along a mandrel such that adjacent turns of the medical tubing are in contact with each other; applying solvent where the turns of the medical tubing contact each other to produce coiled medical tubing; allowing the solvent to dry; removing the medical tubing from the mandrel after the solvent has dried; and subjecting the medical tubing to a sterilization process using ethylene oxide with in-chamber aeration.

Disclosed herein are sterilized medical coiled tubing and process for producing the same. One process comprises: helically winding a length of medical tubing along a mandrel such that adjacent turns of the medical tubing are in contact with each other at tubing contact points; applying a UV adhesive to the tubing contact points to produce a medical coiled tubing; curing the tubing by applying UV light to the tubing contact points; and removing the medical tubing from the mandrel after the solvent has dried.

An attachment configuration for a vascular filter assembly including a self-expanding filter member attached to a catheter body and constrained from expansion in a first configuration by a constraining sheath is presented. The attachment configuration includes an outer tube of material that is overlaid over an end of the filter member and bonded to the catheter body through cutouts disposed through the end of the filter member.

A catheter including a tubular catheter body defining a distal portion, a distal end and a lumen that extends to the distal end, a radiopaque marker carried within the lumen, and a non-metal tip that is bonded to distal end of the catheter body.

The instant invention relates generally to introducer catheters used to help deliver catheters or other medical devices to locations within the human body. In particular, the instant invention relates to large diameter introducer catheters (introducer catheters with lumens greater than about 6 French) having increased strength, flexibility, and kink resistance. Introducer catheters according to the teachings herein may also include curved distal ends and flared (that is, funnel-like) transition sections within their lumens.