Patent ID: 7632241

Claim:
A catheter comprising a shaft extending in a proximal direction from a shaft distal end to a shaft proximal end along a longitudinal axis, the shaft comprising: a first tubular member defining a first lumen, the first lumen comprising (i) a first exit port and (ii) a first lumen longitudinal portion extending in the proximal direction away from the first exit port, wherein the first lumen longitudinal portion has a center as viewed in a cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal axis; a second tubular member defining a second lumen, the second lumen comprising (i) a second lumen exit port having an axis that forms an angle with the longitudinal axis, (ii) a second lumen longitudinal portion extending in the proximal direction away from the second lumen exit port and extending parallel to the longitudinal axis, and (iii) a second lumen ramp portion extending in the proximal direction between the second lumen exit port and the second lumen longitudinal portion, so as to smoothly engage a distal end of a second lumen guidewire and avoid a snagging of the distal end of the second lumen guidewire at the second lumen exit port, and wherein the second lumen longitudinal portion has a center as viewed in the cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal axis; and a third tubular member defining a third lumen, the third lumen comprising (i) a third lumen exit port having an axis that forms an angle with the longitudinal axis, (ii) a third lumen longitudinal portion extending in the proximal direction away from the third lumen exit port and extending parallel to the longitudinal axis, and (iii) a third lumen ramp portion extending in the proximal direction between the third lumen exit port and the third lumen longitudinal portion so as to smoothly engage a distal end of a third lumen guidewire and avoid a snagging of the distal end of the third lumen guidewire at the third lumen exit port, and wherein the third lumen longitudinal portion has a center as viewed in the cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal axis; wherein the first lumen extends distally beyond a distal end of the second lumen, wherein a first imaginary line connecting the center of the second lumen longitudinal portion and the center of the third lumen longitudinal portion is longer than each of a second imaginary line connecting the center of the first lumen longitudinal portion to the center of the second lumen longitudinal portion and a third imaginary line connecting the center of the first lumen longitudinal portion to the center of the third lumen longitudinal portion, and wherein a first outer cross sectional thickness of the shaft measured along a line arranged perpendicular to the first imaginary line is less than a second outer cross sectional thickness of the shaft measured parallel to the first imaginary line.