Granted Patent B2

US 12,484,924 · App. 18/378,393 · Granted Dec 2, 2025

Inventors: Ehsan Shameli (Irvine, CA); Fatemeh Akbarian (Rancho Palos Verdes, CA); Todd A. Veloni (Orange, CA); Babak Ebrahimi (Irvine, CA)

Assignee: Acclarent, Inc.

A61B17/32002A61B5/0055A61B17/00234B23P15/00A61B17/24A61B2017/320032B21D22/14B21D41/04Y10T29/49764Y10T29/4978Y10T29/49968

Abstract

Claims (34)

1 . A method of manufacturing a medical instrument, the medical instrument including a shaft assembly having a first tube and a second tube, the method comprising:

engaging a die against a distal first end portion of the first tube while simultaneously moving the die relative to the distal first end portion of the first tube along a predetermined path thereby forming the distal first end portion with a predetermined shape;

inserting the second tube into the first tube;

bonding the first tube to the second tube;

positioning a position sensor on a distal second end portion of the second tube; and

testing the position sensor, testing the position sensor including:

measuring a resistance value of the position sensor,

comparing the measured resistance value to a threshold resistance value, and

determining whether the position sensor is operable based on a comparison of the measured resistance value to the threshold resistance value.

2 . The method of claim 1 , the predetermined shape including a coaxial hole extending through the distal first end portion and surrounded by an inner radial surface sized to engage an outer radial surface of the second tube.

3 . The method of claim 1 , the step of inserting the second tube into the first tube further comprising inserting the second tube into the first tube such that an inner radial surface of the distal first end portion engages an outer radial surface of the second tube.

4 . The method of claim 1 , the position sensor being coupled with a wire proximally extending along an elongate channel.

5 . The method of claim 1 , the shaft assembly having only one seam sealing the first tube to the second tube.

6 . The method of claim 1 , the step of bonding the first tube to the second tube including welding the first tube to the second tube at an engagement therebetween to define a single seam.

7 . The method of claim 1 , the first tube including a tubular sidewall that extends from a proximal end to a distal end before engaging the die against the distal first end portion.

8 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising rotating the first tube relative to the die about a central longitudinal axis defined by the first tube while engaging the die against the distal first end portion of the first tube while simultaneously moving the die relative to the distal first end portion of the first tube along the predetermined path.

9 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising heating the distal first end portion of the first tube.

10 . The method of claim 1 , the step of engaging the die against the distal first end portion of the first tube while simultaneously moving the die relative to the distal first end portion of the first tube along the predetermined path further including using a hemispherical recess of the die to engage against the distal first end portion of the first tube.

11 . The method of claim 1 , the step of engaging the die against the distal first end portion of the first tube while simultaneously moving the die relative to the distal first end portion of the first tube along the predetermined path further including rotating the first tube in a lathe.

12 . The method of claim 1 , the predetermined shape including a fillet.

13 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising attaching the medical instrument to a grip portion.

14 . The method of claim 5 , the predetermined shape including a coaxial hole extending through the distal first end portion and surrounded by an inner radial surface sized to engage an outer radial surface of the second tube.

15 . A method of manufacturing a medical instrument, the method comprising:

engaging a die against a distal first end portion of a first tube while simultaneously moving the die relative to the distal first end portion of the first tube along a predetermined path thereby forming the distal first end portion with a predetermined shape;

rotating the first tube relative to the die about a central longitudinal axis defined by the first tube;

inserting a second tube into the first tube such that an inner radial surface of the distal first end portion engages an outer radial surface of the second tube;

positioning a position sensor on a distal second end portion of the second tube; and

welding the first tube to the second tube at an engagement therebetween to define a seam and assemble a shaft assembly thereby manufacturing at least a portion of the medical instrument.

16 . The method of claim 15 , the shaft assembly having only one seam sealing the first tube to the second tube.

17 . A method of manufacturing a medical instrument, the medical instrument including a shaft assembly having a first tube, a second tube, and a position sensor, the first tube extending from a proximal first end portion to a distal first end portion, the second tube extending from a proximal second end portion to a distal second end portion, the method comprising:

engaging a die against the distal first end portion of the first tube while simultaneously moving the die relative to the distal first end portion of the first tube along a predetermined path thereby forming the distal first end portion with a predetermined shape;

inserting the second tube into the first tube such that an inner radial surface of the distal first end portion engages an outer radial surface of the second tube;

positioning the position sensor on the distal second end portion of the second tube; and

welding a distal end of the first tube to the distal end of the second tube at a location distal of the position sensor to define a single seam.

Assignments (1)

Continuity (3)

References Cited (43)