Patent ID: 7220336

Claim:
A process for bonding at least one polymeric material to a polymeric catheter tube having a longitudinal axis, comprising the steps of: over-lapping a portion of the at least one polymeric material with a portion of the polymeric catheter tube thereby creating an over-lapped portion; generating an annular beam of electromagnetic energy such that a region enclosed by said annular beam is absent of electromagnetic energy, said annular beam being directed so that the longitudinal axis of the catheter tube traverses said region of the annular beam; and redirecting at least a portion of the annular beam such that it converges on the polymer material at the overlapped portion circumscribing at least a portion of the polymeric catheter tube to at least partially melt at least one material selected from the group consisting of the polymeric material and the polymeric catheter tube along at least a portion of the overlapped portion.