Method of moulding a catheter to include an integrally formed catheter tip

Abstract

A method of moulding a catheter to include an integrally formed catheter tip is disclosed. The method includes stabilizing a core pin within a cavity of a mould with a mould member that is inserted into the mould at a location between the distal end and the proximal end of the core pin. Removing the mould member from the mould after the moulding process forms a drainage eye in a moulded urinary catheter. Removing the core pin after the moulding process provides the moulded urinary catheter with a lumen formed in the moulded urinary catheter with the lumen in communication with the drainage eye.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of moulding a catheter to include an integrally formed catheter tip, the method comprising:
 providing a mould having a cavity shaped to define an external surface of the catheter;   inserting a core pin inside the cavity;   fixing a distal end of the core pin relative to the mould and locating a proximal end of the core pin a distance away from a surface of the cavity of the mould;   stabilizing the core pin with a mould member inserted into the mould at a location between the distal end and the proximal end of the core pin;   filling the mould cavity with a liquid and allowing the liquid to solidify to provide a moulded urinary catheter;   removing the mould member from the mould and exposing a drainage eye formed in the moulded urinary catheter;   removing the core pin from the moulded urinary catheter and:
 exposing a lumen formed in the moulded urinary catheter with the lumen in communication with the drainage eye, and 
 exposing an integrally formed tip of the urinary catheter. 
   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising stabilizing the core pin with a first mould member inserted into the mould at a first location between the distal end and the proximal end of the core pin and a second mould member inserted into the mould at a second location between the distal end and the proximal end of the core pin. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 removing the first mould member from the mould and exposing a first drainage eye formed in the moulded urinary catheter and removing the second mould member from the mould and exposing a second drainage eye formed in the moulded urinary catheter.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 removing the mould member from the mould and forming a rounded edge around the drainage eye formed in the moulded urinary catheter.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising stabilizing the core pin with the mould member by inserting the mould member into the mould at a location that is closer to the proximal end of the core pin than to the distal end of the core pin. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising providing a single piece mould having one cavity shaped to define the external surface of the catheter. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 moulding a connector to a distal end of the moulded urinary catheter.