Patent ID: 8403912

Claim:
A catheter comprising: an elongated tubular shaft having a proximal shaft section, an intermediate shaft section, a distal shaft section, a length, and an interior lumen extending through the length adapted to slidably receive a guidewire; wherein the elongated tubular shaft includes an inner layer extending from a proximal end of the elongated tubular shaft to a distal end of the elongated tubular shaft; wherein the proximal shaft section includes a first outer layer segment comprising a relatively high durometer polymeric material, and the distal shaft section includes a second outer layer segment comprising a relatively low durometer polymeric material; wherein the intermediate shaft section includes a third outer layer segment comprising a polymeric material having a durometer intermediate to the first outer layer segment and the second outer layer segment, and a fourth outer layer segment comprising a polymeric material having a durometer intermediate to the first outer layer segment and the second outer layer segment that is different from the third outer layer segment; wherein the elongate tubular shaft further includes a first intermediate layer segment disposed between the inner layer and the first, second, third, and fourth outer layer segments and terminating distally at a first location within the distal shaft section proximal to the distal end, and a second intermediate layer segment disposed between the inner layer and the first, second, third, and fourth outer layer segments and extending distally from the first location to a second location proximal to the distal end; and a distal tip section having a pre-shaped tip configuration.