Patent ID: 7351914

Claim:
A flexible printed circuit board for a catheter, comprising: a substrate including (i) a base insulating layer, (ii) a wiring pattern on one surface of said base insulating layer, and (iii) at least two support plates on a surface of said base insulating layer that is opposite to said one surface, wherein said substrate has a form of a single non-linear band-like pattern including two substantially parallel linear parts and a folding margin interconnecting said two linear parts at longitudinal ends of said two linear parts, with said substrate being constructed and arranged to be turned into a single substantially linear product by folding said folding margin about a first folding line that is parallel to longitudinal axes of said two linear parts, and at said folding margin, folding one of said two linear parts by 180 degrees about a second folding line which is transverse to said first folding line, and wherein said at least two support plates comprise one of (a) a first support plate laminated only on one of said two linear parts, and a second support plate laminated only on the other of said two linear parts, (b) a first support plate laminated on one of said two linear parts, and a second support plate laminated on the other of said two linear parts and a portion of said folding margin adjacent the other of said two linear parts, and (c) a first support plate laminated on one of said two linear parts, a second support plate laminated on the other of said two linear parts, and a third support plate laminated on a portion of said folding margin adjacent the other of said two linear parts, with the proviso that said second support plate does not extend onto the portion of said folding margin and said third support plate does not extend onto the other of said two linear parts.