Patent ID: 7531122

Claim:
A method of bonding multiple polymeric elements to form a catheter sized for insertion into a lumen of a body, comprising: providing a molding device having ferromagnetic particles distributed therethrough, the molding device comprising an inner mandrel sized to form the shaft of the catheter and an outer shell sized to form a balloon of the catheter; placing a first polymeric element into operative association on the mandrel to form the shaft and placing a second polymeric element into operative association inside the outer shell to form the balloon on the shaft; placing an interface composition into operative association with the multiple polymeric elements, the interface composition containing the first polymeric element and the second polymeric element, said interface composition being free of ferromagnetic particles; closing the outer shell to clamp the polymeric elements together between the inner mandrel and outer shell; and exposing the molding device to an electromagnetic field thereby heating the polymeric elements and interface composition at least to a fusion temperature of the polymeric element with the highest fusion temperature.