Catheters including radiopaque markers and methods of making the same
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.
1. A method of making a catheter, comprising:
providing a catheter body having a distal end and defining a lumen therethrough;
inserting a radiopaque marker into the lumen of the catheter body, wherein inserting the radiopaque marker into the lumen comprises extending a portion of the radiopaque marker out from the distal end of the catheter body;
providing an abutment in the lumen of the catheter body, the abutment configured to transfer force from a stylet to the catheter body and to prevent the stylet from directly engaging the radiopaque marker; and
after the radiopaque marker has been inserted into the catheter body lumen, providing a non-metal tip on the distal end of the catheter body, wherein providing the non-metal tip on the distal end of the catheter body comprises receiving the portion of the radiopaque marker in an indentation in the non-metal tip.
2. A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein providing a tip comprises molding the tip onto the distal end of the catheter body.
3. A method as claimed in claim 2 , wherein
the catheter body is formed from a first thermoset material; and
the tip is formed from a second thermoset material;
wherein the first and second thermoset materials are different thermoset materials.
4. A method as claimed in claim 2 , wherein
the catheter body is formed from a first silicone thermoset material; and
the tip is formed from a second silicone thermoset material;
wherein the first and second silicon thermoset materials are different silicon thermoset materials.
5. A method as claimed in claim 2 , wherein
the catheter body is formed from a first material having a first hardness; and
molding the tip comprises molding the tip from a second material having a second hardness that is less than the first hardness.
6. A method as claimed in claim 2 , wherein
the catheter body is formed from a thermoplastic material; and
molding the tip comprises molding the tip from an adhesive that is chemically similar to the thermoplastic material.
7. A method as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the radiopaque marker is formed from a noble metal.
8. A method as recited in claim 1 , wherein providing the non-metal tip on the distal end of the catheter body comprises securing a non-metal tip to the distal end of the catheter body with adhesive.
9. A method as claimed in claim 8 , wherein
securing the non-metal tip further comprises securing the non-metal tip to a distal end of the radiopaque marker with the adhesive.
10. A method as claimed in claim 8 , wherein
the catheter body is formed from a first material having a first hardness; and
securing a non-metal tip comprises securing a non-metal tip that is formed from a second material having a second hardness that is less than the first hardness.
11. A method as claimed in claim 8 , wherein
the radiopaque marker is formed from a noble metal.
12. A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the lumen of the catheter body has a longitudinal dimension and wherein the abutment substantially fills a cross-section of the lumen along a portion of the longitudinal dimension of the lumen.
13. A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein providing the abutment comprises applying a volume of non-hardened molding compound to a surface of the catheter body lumen, and hardening the molding compound at an abutment location within the catheter body lumen.
14. A method as claimed in claim 13 , further comprising inserting the radiopaque marker into the catheter body lumen to push the non-hardened molding compound within the lumen to the abutment location before hardening the molding compound.
15. A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the non-metal tip is made of a softer material than the catheter body.
16. A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein providing the non-metal tip on the distal end of the catheter body comprises receiving a first portion of the non-metal tip within the lumen of the catheter body and locating a second portion of the non-metal tip outside of the lumen and adjacent to the distal end of the catheter body.