Patent ID: 8342218

Claim:
An apparatus for manufacturing a tubular product comprising a tube forming means, a tube maintaining means, a drawing means and energy application means, in which the tube forming means comprises a block having a formation aperture passing therethrough, adapted to form a subject material drawn therethrough into a tubular shape, the formation aperture adapted to wind the subject material through at least 720 degrees on itself around an axis of the tubular shape, wherein the formation aperture comprises a circular section and a flat section, and, as the formation aperture passes through the block in the direction of travel of the subject material, the flat section decreases in size, in which the tube maintaining means comprises a circular aperture or series of apertures adapted to maintain the subject material drawn therethrough in the tubular shape, in which the drawing means is adapted to draw the subject material through the tube forming means and the tube maintaining means, in which the energy application means is adapted to direct an energy to the subject material, or an energy absorbent component disposed thereon, such that the subject material is set in the tubular shape, and in which the tube maintaining means is adapted to maintain the subject material in the tubular shape during absorption of the energy.