Patent ID: 8871136

Claim:
A method, comprising: positioning at least one section of a tubular catheter in a heater apparatus and on a mandrel, the mandrel extending through the tubular catheter; clamping the at least one section of the tubular catheter to the mandrel in the heater apparatus while the heater apparatus is at a temperature at or near room-temperature; rapidly heating the heater apparatus from the temperature at or near room-temperature, with the at least one section of the tubular catheter clamped to the mandrel by a clamping force, to a selected temperature sufficient to at least partially melt or reform at least a portion of the at least one section of the tubular catheter, the rapid heating and the clamping force toward the mandrel fusing and/or reshaping the at least one section of the tubular catheter; rapidly cooling the heater apparatus with the at least one section of the tubular catheter clamped therein to a temperature at or near room-temperature; and unclamping the at least one section of the tubular catheter from the heater apparatus and removing the at least one section of the tubular catheter therefrom.