Catheter Sheath for Implant Delivery

Abstract

A tube of material is disclosed having a seam extending between a proximal end and a distal end, two edges of the material meeting and at least partially overlapping along the seam and being sewn together at the seam by stitches of relatively flexible thread, the thread of one or more of the stitches passing from a first side of the overlapped edges of material, through both layers of overlapped material, crossing a relatively rigid member which is disposed on a second, opposite side of the overlapped edges of material, and passing back to the first side. There is further disclosed an implant delivery catheter incorporating the tube of material, and associated methods for its manufacture.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 forming a seam and a seam allowance by bringing opposite edges from a same side of a tubing material together so that the edges overlap to form the seam allowance and the seam lies along an inside edge of the seam allowance;   disposing a relatively rigid member on a second side of the seam; and   securing the seam by stitching the seam using a relatively flexible thread from a first side of the seam allowance, through both layers of the material, across the relatively rigid member and back through to the first side.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein stitching the relatively flexible thread includes passing the thread back to the first side from the second side through both layers of material. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein stitching the relatively flexible thread further includes crossing the relatively rigid member on the first side and passing the thread again through both layers to the second side. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein securing the seam includes stitching the two ends of the tube material from the proximal end of the tube to the distal end of the tube. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein securing the seam includes stitching the two ends of the tube material substantially parallel to the central axis of the tube. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein stitching the relatively flexible thread to cross the relatively rigid member on the second side is done at least at the proximal or distal end of the seam. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , further comprising the step of disposing the seam and seam allowance inside the tube. 
     
     
         8 . A method comprising:
 at least partially overlapping two ends of a tube material between proximal and distal ends to form a seam allowance;   securing a seam by passing a relatively flexible thread from a first side of a seam allowance, through a hole through both layers of the material, to a second, opposite side of the seam allowance to form a loop on the second side, whereby the thread of relatively flexible material passes back to the first side through the same hole through the two layers; and   extending a relatively rigid member on the second side of the seam allowance through the loop.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein securing a seam includes forming a plurality of loops along the seam on the second side of the seam allowance, and wherein extending a relatively rigid member on the second side of the seam allowance includes extending the rigid member through substantially all of the loops. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein securing a seam includes forming a series of loops along the seam on the second side of the seam allowance, each loop in the series from one end passing through the next loop in the series wherein each next loop in the series is inhibited from being pulled through the hole through the two layers to the first side, and wherein extending a relatively rigid member on the second side of the overlapping portion includes disposing the rigid member to extend through at least the loop at the one end.