| abstract |
[PROBLEMS] To provide an intravascular medical catheter and a method for manufacturing the same. A medical catheter (10) includes a guidewire shaft (14), a sleeve (18), and a balloon (16). The sleeve is attached to a guidewire shaft, and the balloon tip tail (20) is thermally coupled to the sleeve. The sleeve allows the distal tail of the balloon to be thermally bonded even if the guidewire shaft is made of a material that is thermally incompatible with the balloon. Thus, for example, a medical catheter can be formed with a guidewire shaft made of HDPE and a balloon made of PEBA, PET, polyurethane, or nylon. The resulting medical catheter is durable and flexible and has a low profile catheter tip to improve intravascular compliance and lesion cross-over. |