SYSTEMS, METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR GUIDING AND SUPPORTING CATHETERS SUCH AS STENT DELIVERY CATHETERS

1 . A device for guiding and supporting a stent delivery catheter and/or other catheters, the device comprising:

a tubular guiding member and an elongated positioning member extending in a proximal direction beyond the tubular guiding member for advancing and retracting the tubular guiding member in distal and proximal directions;

the tubular guiding member comprising an inner tubular member having an outer surface, an elongate support member disposed along a helical path around the outer surface, a saddle member at least partially encircling the inner tubular member at a location rearward of the elongate support member, and an encapsulation layer overlaying the support structure and the inner tubular member, the encapsulation layer being mechanically interlocked with and adhered to the elongate support member and the saddle member.

2 . The device of claim 1 wherein the encapsulation layer comprises thermoplastic material from a sheet, the thermoplastic material having melted, mixed and solidified during a reflow process, the inner tubular member having a wall thickness less than 0.0015 inch, the encapsulation layer having a layer thickness less than 0.0020 inch, and the tubular guiding member having a total wall thickness less than 0.0030 inch.

3 . The device of claim 2 wherein the inner tubular member has a wall thickness less than 0.0010 inch, the encapsulation layer has a layer thickness less than 0.0017 inch, and the tubular guiding member has a total wall thickness less than 0.0027 inch.

4 . The device of claim 3 wherein the inner tubular member has a wall thickness less than 0.0010 inch, the encapsulation layer has a layer thickness less than 0.0014 inch, and the tubular guiding member has a total wall thickness less than 0.0024 inch.

5 . The device of claim 1 wherein the encapsulation layer comprises thermoplastic material from a sheet, the thermoplastic material having melted, mixed and solidified during a reflow process, and the tubular guiding member has an inner diameter to wall thickness ratio equal to or greater than 18:1.

6 . The device of claim 5 wherein the tubular guiding member has an inner diameter to wall thickness ratio equal to or greater than 22:1.

7 . The device of claim 6 wherein the tubular guiding member has an inner diameter to wall thickness ratio equal to or greater than 24:1.

8 . The device of claim 1 wherein the elongate support member comprises a core portion comprising a core material and a jacket portion disposed about the core portion, the jacket portion comprising a jacket material, the core material being more radiopaque than the jacket material, wherein the core portion of the elongate support member serves as a sole radiographic marker of the device, the device having no radiopaque marker separate from the elongate support member, wherein the jacket material has an X-ray attenuation coefficient less than 50 l/cm and the core material has an X-ray attenuation coefficient greater than the 50 l/cm.

9 . The device of claim 8 further comprising a distal structure fixing a distal end of the elongate support member and/or a proximal structure fixing a proximal end of the elongate support member, each structure comprising a closed loop including a weld and a portion of the elongate support member that extends around the outer surface of the inner tubular member, the weld comprising a weld body, the weld body comprising jacket material from a first part of the elongate support member and jacket material from a second part of the elongate support member, the materials having melted, mixed and solidified during a welding process.

10 . The device of claim 1 wherein the saddle member comprises a saddle interlocking portion, the encapsulation layer comprises a complementary interlocking portion, the saddle interlocking portion and the complementary interlocking portion engaging each other to form a mechanically interlocking connection.

11 . The device of claim 10 wherein the saddle interlocking portion comprises a plurality of lock features, the complementary interlocking portion comprises a plurality of complementary features, and the complementary features are mechanically interlocked with the lock features.

12 . The device of claim 11 wherein:

the lock features of the saddle interlocking portion comprise a plurality of embayments defined by the saddle member and a plurality of peninsular members of the saddle member, each peninsular member being disposed between two embayments;

the complementary features of the complementary interlocking portion comprise a plurality of recesses and a plurality of protrusions, each protrusion being disposed between two recesses;

each peninsular member of the saddle interlocking portion extends into one of the recesses of the complementary interlocking portion of the encapsulation layer; and

each protrusion of the complementary interlocking portion extends into one of the embayments of the saddle interlocking portion.

13 . The device of claim 12 wherein each peninsular member of the saddle interlocking portion comprises a neck portion extending distally beyond an edge of the saddle member and a head portion extending distally from the neck portion, the neck portion having a neck width and the head portion having a head width, the head width being greater than the neck width.

14 . The device of claim 1 wherein the saddle member has a serrated edge and the encapsulation layer includes an overhanging lip portion having a complementary edge portion, the serrated edge and the complementary edge portion engaging each other to form a mechanically interlocking joint.

15 . The device of claim 14 wherein the serrated edge comprises a plurality of edge features, the complementary edge portion comprises a plurality of complementary elements, and the complementary elements are mechanically interlocked with the edge features.

16 . The device of claim 15 wherein:

the edge features of the serrated edge comprise a plurality of grooves defined by the saddle member and a plurality of serration members of the saddle member, each serration member being disposed between two grooves;

the complementary elements of the complementary edge portion comprise a plurality of indentations and a plurality of tongues, each tongue being disposed between two indentations;

each tongue of the complementary edge portion extends into one of the grooves of the serrated edge; and

each serration member of the serrated edge extends into one of the indentations of the complementary edge portion of the encapsulation layer.

17 . The device of claim 16 wherein each tongue has a parallelepiped shape and each groove defines a corresponding parallelepiped shaped void.

18 . The device of claim 1 wherein the saddle member has a first end portion, a second end portion and an intermediate part extending along an arcuate path between the first end portion and the second end portion, the first end portion being coupled to the second end portion by a coupling member of the encapsulation layer so that the coupling member and the saddle member form a ring structure encircling the inner tubular member.

19 . The device of claim 18 wherein:

the coupling member has a first coupling portion, a second coupling portion, and an intermediate part extending between the first coupling portion and the second coupling portion.

the first end portion of the saddle member defines a first cutout;

the second end portion of the saddle member defines a second cutout;

the first coupling portion is received in the first cutout; and

the second coupling portion is received in the second cutout.

20 . The device of claim 19 wherein the first end portion has a first end width, the second end portion has a second end width, and the intermediate part has an intermediate part width, the intermediate part width being less than the first end width and the second end width.