Catheter and balloon catheter

Abstract

A catheter includes a tubular inner layer, a reinforcing layer disposed at least partially within the inner layer or on an outer circumference of the inner layer, and an outer layer. The reinforcing member is made of wound wires, each adjacent pair of the wires having a gap therebetween. A bonding portion is disposed in the gap of the reinforcing layer and includes an inner layer protruding portion of the inner layer that extends into the outer layer and is engaged with an outer layer protruding portion of the outer layer that extends into the inner layer. This configuration enlarges the area across which the outer layer and the inner layer are bonded to each other within the gap of the reinforcing layer, leading to a strengthened bond between the outer layer and the inner layer.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A balloon catheter comprising:
 a tubular inner layer;   a reinforcing layer disposed at least partially within the inner layer or on an outer circumference of the inner layer, the reinforcing layer being made of wound wires, each adjacent pair of the wires having a gap therebetween; and   a balloon covering the reinforcing layer,   wherein a bonding portion is disposed in the gap of the reinforcing layer, the bonding portion including an inner layer protruding portion of the inner layer that extends into the balloon and is engaged with a balloon protruding portion of the balloon that extends into the inner layer.   
     
     
         2 . The balloon catheter according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 the inner layer protruding portion comprises a proximally extending portion, an inwardly extending portion, and a distally extending portion extending from the inner layer in that order, and   the balloon protruding portion comprises an inwardly extending portion, a distally extending portion, an outwardly extending portion, and a proximally extending portion extending from the balloon in that order.   
     
     
         3 . The balloon catheter according to  claim 2 , wherein the inner layer protruding portion further comprises an outwardly extending portion that terminates at the proximally extending portion of the inner layer protruding portion. 
     
     
         4 . The balloon catheter according to  claim 1 , wherein the bonding portion includes at least two inner layer protruding portions that extend into the balloon and are engaged with the balloon protruding portion. 
     
     
         5 . The balloon catheter according to  claim 4 , wherein the balloon protruding portion is bifurcated and includes two outwardly extending portions that engage with the two inner layer protruding portions.