Catheter for treatment of total occlusions and methods for manufacture and use of the catheter

摘要

A catheter for treatment of chronic total occlusions includes an occlusion breach device, a catheter body made of a temperature-dependent softening, shape-memory, thermoplastic polymer having a first flexible state and a second stiff state. The catheter body has a heat transfer conduit and a conduit for slidably receiving the breach device. A heat-transferring device selectively changes a temperature of the heat transfer conduit to, thereby, change stiffness of the catheter body between the two states. To treat a CTO with the catheter, it is warmed above the glass-transition temperature and below the melting-temperature to make the catheter flexible. The catheter has a shape when inserted at the occlusion site and is cooled to, thereby, stiffen. Breaching of the occlusion is assisted with the stiff catheter. The catheter is removed by warming the polymer. Also provided is a method for manufacturing such a selectively stiffening catheter.