Designers of modern catheters increasingly use high-performancemetal hypotubesin various medical devices. These hypotubes, known for their excellent physical properties and flexible design, are essential components in valve delivery systems, microcatheters, and other interventional consumables.

Metal hypotubesare strong and durable, which helps them work well in complex procedures. This improves device handling and reliability, meeting doctors' high standards for precision and safety.

▲ Laser Cut Hyotube from Manners Technology

As a high-performance metal material, hypotubes offer properties including kink resistance, maneuverability, and torque. However, balancing these properties, such as ensuring flexibility while maintaining maneuverability, is key in catheter design.

Let's explore the important features of hypotubes and how they impact doctors when inserting catheters into patients.

Ⅰ Torque

Vascular and other luminal systems often feature twists and heavy calcification. Physicians must rotate the catheter within these systems to reach the target treatment area.

The catheter's torque capability measures the precise transmission of torque along its length. Inaccurate torque transmission can lead to force buildup and adverse effects along the axis.

A well-designed hypotube ensures it delivers the necessary torque axially and accurately predicts rotational movement.

Ⅱ Pushability

Pushability refers to how easily a catheter can transmit longitudinal force from its proximal to distal end.

Ideally, when the doctor pushes, the force should transfer equally to the catheter's distal tip inside the patient. High transmission force instills confidence in physicians as they navigate. Excellent pushability is a key focus in catheter design.

Ⅲ Trackability

Trackability measures the catheter's overall ability to navigate through complex luminal systems and reach the treatment site.

For physicians, this translates to the overall feel of the catheter or its responsiveness during the procedure. The distal or treatment end of the catheter plays a crucial role in overall trackability. Advanced hypotube processing techniques can enhance the flexibility of the catheter's distal end, aiding in traceability.

Ⅳ Toughness

Toughness measures the stiffness of a hypotube. This is important for catheter design. It influences the ease of guiding the catheter through the body.

While catheters generally require high pushability or stiffness, a well-designed hypotube must accommodate forward angles or anatomical structures.

Ⅴ Kink Resistance

Navigating a catheter through blood vessels is challenging, especially when doctors need to maneuver through sharp angles. Kink resistance shows how well a hypotube keeps its shape when bending, important for keeping the inner passage clear. Doctors often use materials superior to standard 304L, such as 304V, for this purpose.

Other factors, such as lubricity, also impact hypotube design.

Ⅵ Some Design Examples

1. Balloon Catheters

Balloon catheters use smooth edges on thin tubes to connect the metal shaft to the balloon part. This helps prevent any rough spots from forming. Smooth edges make it easier for the parts to fit together seamlessly. This improves the overall trackability and flexibility of the catheter.

2. Delivery Systems

In delivery systems, utilizing various cutting geometries in hypotube cutting enhances flexibility, torque transmission, and compression force, especially in high-load catheter applications.

3. Complex Catheters

For complex catheters, processing involves removing material from the outer layer of hypotubes. This method creates precise outer diameters and thinner walls for complex catheter designs like suction, meeting requirements effectively.