Patent ID: 8603067

Claim:
A flexible catheter for fluid access to a vascular system, the catheter comprising: a conduit comprising: a flexible polymer; a proximal end, a distal end, and at least one lumen therein extending from the proximal end to the distal end; and a proximal section that includes the proximal end, a distal section that includes the distal end, and an intermediate section extending between said proximal and distal sections, each of said proximal, distal, and intermediate sections comprising a cross-sectional diameter and a wall thickness, the cross-sectional diameter and the wall thickness of the intermediate section being less than the cross-sectional diameter and the wall thickness of the distal section, the cross-sectional diameter of the intermediate section being less than the cross-sectional diameter of the distal end, and the cross-sectional diameter of the intermediate section being less than the cross-sectional diameter of the proximal section.