Catheter shaft technology with HDPE liner introduced by Teleflex

A continuously wound, variable-pitch, coil-reinforced shaft technology with a high-density polyethylene (HDPE) liner has been introduced by Teleflex Medical OEM (Limerick, PA), a supplier of custom-engineered diagnostic and interventional catheters. The technology gives original equipment manufacturers new options for achieving precise performance characteristics along the catheter shaft while lowering assembly costs and improving kink resistance, says the company.

As endovascular devices become longer and thinner, there is a need for catheters with a rigid proximal end for pushability and torque without kinking or buckling, and a flexible distal end for successful navigation through tortuous pathways. Teleflex Medical OEM's variable-pitch, reinforcement technology allows customization of shaft performance without the assembly costs and weak bonded joints associated with traditional methods of catheter manufacturing.

The technology is enhanced through the addition of an HDPE liner to reduce internal fiction, says Teleflex. The material adheres to the metal coil wire and maintains lamination even with a very tightly pitched coil, and it is now possible to achieve a significantly tighter pitch in the coiled catheter than would be possible using manual assembly techniques, according to the company. Pitches of 1.2X are possible in the tightly wound region; on the proximal/hub end, the pitch can be relaxed to 3 to 5:1 to provide kink resistance while maximizing tensile strength.

Potential applications include graft or valve delivery, and any device requiring a combination of resistance to ovalization on the distal/deployment end and high tensile strength on the proximal/hub ends.

Teleflex Medical OEM will exhibit at the co-located PLASTEC West and MD&M West events in Anaheim, CA, on Feb. 11 to 13 at booth 3019.