Catheter shaft with electrically-conductive traces
Methods of manufacturing and assembling a catheter shaft may include depositing electrical traces on an interior surface of the shaft of the catheter, rather than using separate wires, forming a bore in a sensor, and electrically coupling the sensor to the trace through a bore in the sensor.
1. A method of manufacturing a shaft for an elongate medical device, the shaft defining a longitudinal axis, the method comprising:
applying axial tension to an interior structure;
depositing an electrically-conductive trace on the interior structure after applying axial tension;
releasing said axial tension after depositing the electrically-conductive trace;
placing an electrically-insulative tube over the interior structure;
placing a sensor radially-outward of the electrically-insulative tube and the interior structure, wherein the sensor is a band electrode;
forming a constant diameter bore hole in the sensor and in the electrically-insulative tube, the bore hole extending orthogonal relative to the longitudinal axis; and
electrically coupling the sensor with the electrically-conductive trace through the bore by filling the bore with an electrically-conductive adhesive.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the interior structure comprises an inner tube.
3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising depositing a circumferential contact pad on the interior structure, wherein a portion of the bore is longitudinally coincident with the contact pad.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein depositing the electrically-conductive trace comprises one or more of electroplating, electrografting, chemical-vapor deposition, and printing electrically-conductive ink.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein depositing the electrically-conductive trace comprises:
coating an entire circumference of a longitudinal section of said interior structure with a layer of electrically-conductive material; and
patterning the layer of electrically-conductive material to remove material not included in the trace.
6. A method of manufacturing a shaft for an elongate medical device, the shaft defining a longitudinal axis, the method comprising:
depositing an electrically-conductive trace on an interior structure;
placing an electrically-insulative tube over the interior structure;
placing a sensor radially-outward of the interior structure and said electrically-insulative tube, wherein the sensor is a rounded tip electrode;
forming a constant diameter bore in the sensor and the electrically-insulative tube; and
electrically coupling the sensor with the electrically-conductive trace through the bore;
wherein depositing the electrically-conductive trace comprises:
coating an entire circumference of a longitudinal section of said interior structure with a layer of electrically-conductive material;
patterning the layer of electrically-conductive material to remove material not included in the trace; and
physically coupling the tip electrode with the interior structure via an electrically-conductive adhesive.
7. The method of claim 6 , wherein electrically coupling the sensor with the electrically-conductive trace comprises filling the bore with the electrically-conductive adhesive.
8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the interior structure comprises an inner tube.
9. A method of manufacturing a shaft for an elongate medical device, the shaft defining a longitudinal axis, the method comprising:
applying axial tension to an interior structure;
depositing an electrically-conductive trace on the interior structure after applying axial tension to the interior structure;
placing an electrically-insulative tube over the interior structure;
placing a sensor radially-outward of the interior structure and the electrically-insulative tube;
forming a constant diameter bore in the sensor and the electrically insulative tube;
electrically coupling the sensor with the electrically-conductive trace through the bore by filling the bore with an electrically-conductive adhesive; and
releasing said axial tension after depositing the electrically-conductive trace;
wherein depositing the electrically-conductive trace comprises:
coating an entire circumference of a longitudinal section of said interior structure with a layer of electrically-conductive material; and
patterning the layer of electrically-conductive material to remove material not included in the trace.
10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the interior structure comprises an inner tube.
11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the sensor is a band electrode.
12. The method of claim 9 , wherein the sensor is a rounded tip electrode, further comprising physically coupling the tip electrode with the interior structure.
13. The method of claim 12 , wherein physically coupling the tip electrode with the interior structure comprises physically coupling the tip electrode with the interior structure with the electrically-conductive adhesive.
14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the bore hole is not a circumferentially extending cut in the electrically-insulative tube.
15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the electrically-conductive adhesive does not radially extend beyond the bore hole in the sensor relative to a longitudinal axis defined by the bore hole.
16. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of forming the bore hole in the sensor and the electrically-insulative tube is a single operation; and
wherein the single operation is a drilling operation through both the sensor and the electrically-insulative tube.