Patent ID: 8100856

Claim:
A balloon catheter comprising: a catheter shaft having a distal end, an inflatable balloon disposed on the distal end, a proximal end coupled to a connecting piece, a guiding wire lumen extending between the proximal and distal ends within the catheter shaft, and an inflation lumen extending from the connecting piece to the inflatable balloon, the guiding wire lumen being formed within the catheter shaft and from a proximal metallic reinforcing pipe having a selectable length and a separate distal plastics pipe extending distally from and being fixably connected to a reinforcing pipe distal-most end, the proximal metallic reinforcing pipe and the separate distal plastics pipe fluidly sealing the inflation lumen from the guidewire lumen, the inflation lumen being formed between an exterior surface of the proximal metallic reinforcing pipe and the distal plastics pipe and an interior surface of the catheter shaft, the proximal metallic reinforcing pipe and the distal plastics pipe each being made of a solid material, the material of the proximal metallic reinforcing pipe being more rigid than the material of the distal plastics pipe, wherein a transitional portion, transitioning the guidewire lumen from the proximal metallic reinforcing pipe to the distal plastics pipe, between the proximal and distal pipes being provided with kink protection overlapping and being fixably connected to the proximal and distal pipes.