IP Library › Granted Patent US 12685826
Granted Patent B2
US 12685826 · App. 17/812,881 · Granted Jul 21, 2026

Sheaths for needle delivery

Inventors: Jean-Martin Baillargeon (Seattle, WA); Christopher Ralph (Woodinville, WA)
Assignee: Gyrus ACMI, Inc.
A61M5/3202A61B1/2676A61B8/12A61B10/0283A61B10/04A61B17/3478A61B2010/045A61B2090/0801A61B2090/3925A61M2205/0266A61M2207/00
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12685826
App. No.
17/812,881
Granted
Jul 21, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A needle apparatus having a sheath with a protective hypotube insert and a method of making the needle sheath. An example needle apparatus includes a handle, a needle having a proximal end connected to the handle and a sheath. The sheath is configured to receive of the needle. The sheath includes a proximal end connected to the handle, a distal end, a lumen and the protective insert. The lumen passes from the proximal end to the distal end of the sheath. The protective insert is received within the lumen at the distal end of the sheath when force and/or heat are applied.

Claims (29)

1 . A method comprising:

providing a tube including a plurality of interrupted cuts through a sidewall of the tube to increase flexibility of the tube;

applying heat to a distal end portion of a polymer sheath for a needle, the sheath comprising a lumen extending from a proximal end to a distal end of the sheath, wherein the proximal end of the sheath is configured to be attached to a handle; and

subsequent to applying the heat to the distal end portion of the sheath, inserting the tube into a distal end of the lumen of the sheath, by applying a force to at least one of the sheath or the tube until a distal end of the tube is within the distal end of the sheath and the tube is fully received within the sheath, wherein the inserting results in the distal end of the sheath expanding radially at a region occupied by the tube resulting in the region of the sheath including a first outer diameter and the sheath proximal from the region having a second outer diameter, the first outer diameter is greater than the second outer diameter.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the providing the tube includes obtaining the tube having an outside diameter greater than a diameter of the lumen of the sheath before inserting the tube into the polymer sheath.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the obtaining the tube includes an inside diameter of the tube that is greater than or equal to the diameter of the lumen of the sheath before applying the force to the at least one of the sheath or the tube.

4 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising making the plurality of interrupted cuts through the sidewall of the tube.

5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein making the plurality of interrupted cuts includes making radial cuts.

6 . The method of claim 4 , wherein making the plurality of interrupted cuts includes making spiral cuts.

7 . The method of claim 4 , wherein making the plurality of interrupted cuts includes making overlapping cuts.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the tube is stainless steel.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the polymer sheath is made from polytetrafluoroethylene.

10 . A sheath device comprising:

a handle;

a sheath including:

a distal end portion extending proximally from a distal end of the sheath for a first length and having a first outer diameter;

a proximal end connected to the handle, the proximal end having a second outer diameter; and

a lumen passing from the proximal end to the distal end of the sheath, the lumen including a first inner diameter proximal of the distal end portion; and

a tube including a longitudinal length equal to the first length, the tube received within the lumen at the distal end of the sheath, wherein the tube expands a distal portion of the lumen to generate the first outer diameter of the distal end portion,

wherein the first outer diameter is collocated longitudinally with the tube and extends the length of the tube,

wherein the first outer diameter is greater than the second outer diameter and the tube includes an inner diameter greater than or equal to the first inner diameter of the lumen, and

wherein a proximal end of the tube is collocated with a proximal end of the distal end portion of the sheath and a distal end of the tube is collocated with a distal end of the distal end portion.

11 . The sheath device of claim 10 , wherein an outer diameter of the tube is greater than the first inner diameter of the lumen at the proximal end of the sheath.

12 . The sheath device of claim 10 , wherein the inner diameter of the tube is greater than or equal to the first inner diameter of the lumen at the proximal end of the sheath.

13 . The sheath device of claim 10 , wherein the tube is stainless steel.

14 . The sheath device of claim 13 , wherein the tube comprises a plurality of cuts.

15 . The sheath device of claim 14 , wherein the plurality of cuts are radial cuts.

16 . The sheath device of claim 14 , wherein the plurality of cuts are spiral cuts.

17 . The sheath device of claim 14 , wherein the plurality of cuts are overlapping cuts.