Patent ID: 7682352

Claim:
A catheter comprising: an elongate shaft having open proximal and distal ends and a lumen extending therebetween, the shaft having longitudinal reinforcement to provide sufficient axial and torsional stiffness to enable the shaft to be advanced to a distal arterial location without buckling, the shaft including a thermoformed curved distal section comprising inner and outer curved portions and a first thermoplastic material, the longitudinal reinforcement extending into the curved distal section and having sufficient stiffness to apply a straightening force to the curved distal section; and a plurality of spaced apart pre-curved reinforcing strips positioned in the outer curved portion and comprising a second material that is unaffected by exposure to a glass transition temperature of the first material, the pre-curved strip and thermoformed section being configured to oppose the straightening force of the reinforcement to the curved distal section, the pre-curved strip having sufficient elasticity to enable elastic straightening of the curved shape, whereby the catheter may be navigated to the distal arterial site and whereby the distal end may return from a straightened or less curved configuration to its curved configuration under the influence of its own resilience.