Catheter and method for manufacturing the same

Abstract

The objective of the present invention is to provide a catheter, and a production method therefor, allowing a marker member to be fixed to a reinforcement body while ensuring adequate flexibility.　This catheter 1 comprises a tubular body 11 having a lumen 11h, a reinforcement body 21 provided at an outer periphery 11b of the tubular body 11, and a radiopaque marker member 31 disposed over the reinforcement body 21 along the circumferential direction of the reinforcement body 21. In the long axis direction of the tubular body 11, the forward end of the reinforcement body 21 is either positioned at the same site as the forward end of the marker member 31, or positioned at a site more toward the forward end than the forward end of the marker member 31. A forward end section 31a of the marker member 31 is joined to the reinforcement body 21, while a site 31b excluding the forward end section of the marker member 31 is not joined to the reinforcement body 21.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a catheter and a method for manufacturing the same.

Background Art

[0002] For example, when treating a lesion or the like that has occurred in a blood vessel, a hollow long-shaped catheter is used as a medical instrument to be inserted into the blood vessel.

[0003] For such a catheter, it is required to be able to accurately grasp the position of the catheter in the blood vessel so that other medical instruments or the catheter itself can be safely and surely guided to the lesion in the blood vessel.

[0004] As such a catheter whose position in the blood vessel can be grasped, for example, a technique has been proposed in which an X-ray impermeable marker is provided at a specific part of a tubular shaft, and the position of the catheter is grasped by an X-ray transmission image (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0005] According to the above-described technique, for example, a coil-shaped member formed of a metal wire is used as the X-ray impermeable marker, and the marker is fixed by caulking it to the outer peripheral surface at a specific part of the tubular shaft.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0006]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0007] However, in the conventional technology as described above, when caulking the marker, the entire marker is firmly fixed to the tubular shaft in the longitudinal direction. For this reason, the rigidity of the tubular shaft increases (flexibility decreases) due to caulking, and there is a risk that the operability of the catheter in a particularly curved blood vessel decreases.

[0008] The present invention has been made based on the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a catheter capable of fixing a marker member to a reinforcing body while ensuring flexibility, and a method for manufacturing the same.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0009] Some aspects of the present disclosure are (1) A catheter comprising a tubular body having a lumen, a reinforcing body provided on the outer periphery of the tubular body, and a radiopaque marker member disposed on the reinforcing body along the circumferential direction of the reinforcing body, In the longitudinal direction of the tubular body, the tip of the reinforcing body is located at the same position as the tip of the marker member or at a position on the tip side of the tip of the marker member, A catheter characterized in that the tip portion of the marker member is joined to the reinforcing body and a portion other than the tip portion of the marker member is not joined to the reinforcing body, (2) The catheter according to (1) above, wherein in the longitudinal direction of the tubular body, the tip of the reinforcing body is located at the same position as the tip of the marker member, (3) The catheter according to (1) or (2) above, wherein the reinforcing body is a braided body braided by wire strands, (4) A method for manufacturing a catheter comprising a tubular body having a lumen, a reinforcing body provided on the outer periphery of the tubular body, and a radiopaque marker member disposed on the reinforcing body along the circumferential direction of the reinforcing body, In the longitudinal direction of the tubular body, the tip of the reinforcing body is arranged at the same position as the tip of the marker member or at a position on the tip side of the tip of the marker member, A method for manufacturing a catheter, characterized in that while bringing the tip of the marker member into contact with the reinforcing body without applying a mechanical external force, the contact portion between the tip of the marker member and the reinforcing body is welded by heating without welding the portion other than the tip of the marker member to the reinforcing body. (5) In the longitudinal direction of the tubular body, the tip of the reinforcing body is disposed at a portion on the tip side of the tip of the marker member, and while welding the contact portion by heating, the portion of the reinforcing body on the tip side of the tip of the marker member is cut off from the contact portion. The method for manufacturing a catheter according to (4) above, and (6) The method for manufacturing a catheter according to (4) or (5) above, wherein the heating of the contact portion is performed by irradiating laser light.

[0010] In this specification, "tip side" means a direction along the longitudinal axis of the catheter and means a direction in which it is inserted deeper into the body. Also, "base end side" means a direction along the longitudinal axis of the catheter and means a direction opposite to the tip side. Also, "tip portion" means, in any member or part, a portion that includes the tip and extends from this tip toward the base end side to the middle of the longitudinal axis.

Effects of the Invention

[0011] The present invention can provide a catheter capable of fixing a marker member to a reinforcing body while ensuring flexibility, and a method for manufacturing the same.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0012]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6A

Figure 6B

Figure 6C

Figure 6D

Figure 7A

Figure 7B

Figure 7C

Figure 7D

Figure 8

Figure 9

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0013] Hereinafter, the first to fifth embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings, but the present invention is not limited only to the following embodiments. In each drawing, for convenience, the covering member is indicated by a dashed line. Also, the dimensions of the catheter shown in each drawing are the dimensions shown for ease of understanding of the implementation content and do not correspond to the actual dimensions. Further, in each drawing, the left side shown is the distal end side (distal side) inserted into the body, and the right side is the proximal end side (proximal side, hand side) operated by a technician such as a doctor.

[0014] <Catheter> The catheter of the present disclosure is a catheter including a tubular body having a lumen, a reinforcing body provided on the outer periphery of the tubular body, and a radiopaque marker member disposed on the reinforcing body along the circumferential direction of the reinforcing body, wherein in the longitudinal direction of the tubular body, the distal end of the reinforcing body is located at the same position as the distal end of the marker member or at a position on the distal side of the distal end of the marker member, the distal end portion of the marker member is joined to the reinforcing body, and a portion other than the distal end portion of the marker member is not joined to the reinforcing body. Hereinafter, the catheter of the present disclosure will be described in detail.

[0015] [First Embodiment] FIG. 1 is a schematic side view showing the first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the catheter 1 is generally composed of a tubular body 11, a reinforcing body 21, a marker member 31, a covering member 41, and a connector 51.

[0016] The tubular body 11 is a cylindrical (hollow) shaft having a lumen. Specifically, the tubular body 11 can be configured to have a lumen 11h penetrating from the opening 11a at the distal end to the proximal end, for example. A medical device such as a guide wire is inserted into the lumen 11h, or a fluid such as a drug solution flows therethrough.

[0017] As the material constituting the tubular body 11, since the tubular body 11 is inserted into the body cavity, it is preferably thromboresistant, flexible, and biocompatible. As the above material, for example, resin materials such as polyamide, polyamide elastomer, polyolefin, polyester, polyester elastomer, polyurethane, silicone, fluororesin, etc. can be adopted.

[0018] The reinforcing body 21 is a member provided on the outer periphery of the tubular body. As shown in FIG. 2, the reinforcing body 21 can be constituted by, for example, a tubular member and can be provided in contact with and covering the outer peripheral surface 11b of the tubular body 11. In the present embodiment, a mesh-like reinforcing body 21 having a large number of pores 21b on its side portion and integrally formed is exemplified. The pores 21b can be formed, for example, by perforating the side portion of a tubular member with a laser beam or the like.

[0019] Examples of the material constituting the reinforcing body 21 include metal materials such as stainless steel (SUS304, SUS316, etc.), tungsten, and resin materials such as reinforced plastics.

[0020] The marker member 31 is a radiation-impermeable member disposed on the reinforcing body 21 along the circumferential direction of the reinforcing body 21. Specifically, the marker member 31 can be constituted by, for example, an annular member in contact with the outer peripheral surface 21a of the reinforcing body 21 and disposed along the circumferential direction of the reinforcing body 21.

[0021] Examples of the radiation impermeable to the marker member 31 include X-rays, γ-rays, particle beams, etc.

[0022] Examples of the material constituting the marker member 31 include radiation-impermeable materials such as gold, platinum, tungsten, and alloys containing these elements (e.g., platinum-nickel alloy). Note that the material of the marker member 31 may be a combination of a radiation-impermeable material and a non-radiation-impermeable material, such as a material in which a radiation-impermeable material is coated on the surface of a non-radiation-impermeable material, or a material in which a radiation-impermeable material is kneaded into a non-radiation-impermeable resin material.

[0023] Here, the catheter can be configured such that, in the longitudinal direction of the tubular body, the tip of the reinforcing member is located at the same position as the tip of the marker member or at a position on the tip side of the tip of the marker member. Also, the position of the marker member 31 on the reinforcing member 21 can be appropriately selected so as to correspond to the part of the catheter where the position is to be specified by a radiation-transmission image.

[0024] In the present embodiment, the tip of the reinforcing member 21 is located at a position on the tip side of the tip of the marker member 31 (see FIG. 2).

[0025] Also, in the present embodiment, the tip portion of the marker member 31 is joined to the reinforcing member 21, and the portion other than the tip portion of the marker member 31 is not joined to the reinforcing member 21. That is, in the longitudinal direction of the tubular body 11, only the tip portion 31a (tip) of the marker member 31 is fixed to the reinforcing member 21 (see the joint C in FIG. 2), and the portion 31b on the base end side of the marker member 31 is not fixed to the reinforcing member 21. The portion 31b on the base end side may be in contact with the reinforcing member 21 (see FIG. 2) or may be separated from the reinforcing member 21 (not shown).

[0026] As a method of joining the marker member 31 and the reinforcing member 21, for example, a method of welding by irradiating laser light L in the vicinity of the tip portion 31a of the marker member 31, as will be described in detail in the section <Method of manufacturing a catheter> described later, can be mentioned.

[0027] The covering member 41 is a member that covers the outer peripheries of the tubular body 11, the reinforcing member 21, and the marker member 31. Specifically, the covering member 41 can be formed of, for example, a material that is soft and has high slidability and has a smooth surface.

[0028] Examples of the material constituting the covering member 41 include polyamide, polyamide elastomer, polyester, polyurethane, and the like.

[0029] By providing the covering member 41 in this way, for example, the catheter 1 can smoothly move within a body cavity such as a blood vessel.

[0030] The connector 51 is a part where a technician pushes the catheter 1 into the body or performs a rotational operation. The tip of the connector 51 is connected to the proximal end of the tubular body 11 and / or the reinforcing member 21. The connector 51 has a lumen 51h whose tip communicates with the lumen 11h of the tubular body 11 and has an opening 51a at the proximal end. During the procedure, a medical device such as a guide wire can be inserted through the lumen 51h, or a fluid such as a drug solution can be introduced.

[0031] Next, an example of the usage mode of the catheter 1 will be described. Here, an example of a procedure in which the catheter 1 is used as a guiding catheter and a stenosis occurring in the coronary artery of the heart is expanded with a balloon catheter will be illustrated.

[0032] Prior to the use of the catheter 1, first, a guide wire A (not shown) is inserted into the blood vessel, and its tip is advanced to near the coronary artery entrance of the heart. Next, the proximal end portion of the guide wire A is inserted into the lumens 11h and 51h through the opening 11a, and the catheter 1 is advanced while being pushed into the blood vessel along the guide wire A so that the tip of the catheter 1 reaches the coronary artery entrance of the heart. At this time, the catheter 1 is pushed in while confirming the position of the marker member 31 in the blood vessel displayed on a radiation transmission image display device (not shown), and advances while following the curvature of the blood vessel due to the flexibility of the catheter 1 (the flexibility of the catheter 1 at the mounting portion of the marker member 31).

[0033] Next, remove the guide wire A and replace it with a thinner guide wire B (not shown) for the balloon catheter. Advance the tip of the guide wire B through the lumens 51h and 11h until it reaches a position where it passes through the stenosis. Next, insert a balloon catheter (not shown) along the guide wire B inside the stenosis, and perform treatment by expanding the stenosis with the balloon. After the above treatment is completed, the procedure is completed by removing these, in the order of the balloon catheter, the guide wire B, and the catheter, from the body.

[0034] As described above, since the catheter 1 has the above configuration, the marker member 31 can be fixed to the reinforcing body 21 while ensuring flexibility. As a result, the marker member 31 does not detach from the reinforcing body 21 or move (displace) relative to the reinforcing body 21, and even in a blood vessel that bends complexly, the catheter 1 can be smoothly and accurately fed to a desired site within the blood vessel while following its shape.

[0035] [Second Embodiment] FIG. 3 is a schematic side view showing an enlarged part of the second embodiment. As shown in FIG. 3, the catheter 2 is generally composed of a tubular body 11, a reinforcing body 21, a marker member 31, a covering member 41, and a connector 51 (not shown). The positional relationship between the tubular body 11 and the reinforcing body 21 and the marker member 31 of the catheter 2 is different from that of the first embodiment. Since the configurations of the tubular body 11, the reinforcing body 21, and the marker member 31 themselves, as well as the configurations of the covering member 41 and the connector 51, are the same as those of the first embodiment, the same reference numerals are given to the same parts and the detailed description thereof is omitted. Also, since the usage mode of the catheter 2 is the same as that of the first embodiment, the description thereof is omitted.

[0036] In the long axis direction of the tubular body 11, the tip of the reinforcing member 21 is located at the same position as the tip of the marker member 31. That is, in the long axis direction, the positions of the tips of the reinforcing member 21 and the marker member 31 are aligned, and the position of the tip of the marker member 31 imaged in the fluoroscopic image is configured to coincide with the position of the tip of the reinforcing member 21.

[0037] As described above, since the catheter 2 has the above configuration, the position of the tip of the reinforcing member 21 can be accurately grasped by referring to the position of the tip of the marker member 31. Therefore, the operation of the catheter, which generally has a tendency for the rigidity to change easily around the tip of the reinforcing member in the long axis direction, can be surely performed while grasping its position.

[0038] [Third Embodiment] FIG. 4 is a schematic side view showing a partially enlarged view of the third embodiment. As shown in FIG. 4, the catheter 3 is generally composed of a tubular body 11, a reinforcing member 23, a marker member 31, a covering member 41, and a connector 51 (not shown). The configuration of the reinforcing member 23 of the catheter 3 is different from that of the second embodiment. Since the configurations of the tubular body 11 and the marker member 31 themselves, as well as the configurations of the covering member 41 and the connector 51, are the same as those of the first embodiment, the same reference numerals are given to the same parts and their detailed descriptions are omitted. Also, since the usage mode of the catheter 3 is the same as that of the first embodiment, its description is omitted.

[0039] The reinforcing member 23 is a member provided on the outer periphery of the tubular body 11. In the present embodiment, the reinforcing member 23 is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the tubular body 11 and is formed as a braided body (hereinafter also referred to as "braided body 23") braided by wire elements 23w. The braided body 23 can be formed, for example, by using one or two or more single wires or stranded wires as the wire elements 23w and braiding them in a mesh shape. Here, a single wire means a single line, and a stranded wire means a bundle of wire groups formed by twisting a plurality of single wires together in advance.

[0040] As the material of the wire 23w constituting the braided body 23, for example, the same materials as those of the reinforcing body 21 exemplified in the first embodiment can be adopted.

[0041] As described above, since the catheter 3 has the above configuration, the reinforcing body 23 (braided body 23) can be easily formed using the wire 23w.

[0042] [Fourth Embodiment] FIG. 5 is a schematic side view showing a partially enlarged view of the fourth embodiment. As shown in FIG. 5, the catheter 4 is generally composed of a tubular body 11, a reinforcing body 24, a marker member 31, a covering member 41, and a connector 51 (not shown). The configuration of the reinforcing body 24 of the catheter 4 is different from that of the third embodiment. Since the configurations of the tubular body 11 and the marker member 31 themselves, as well as the configurations of the covering member 41 and the connector 51, are the same as those in the first embodiment, the same reference numerals are given to the same parts and their detailed descriptions are omitted. In addition, since the usage mode of the catheter 4 is the same as that of the first embodiment, its description is omitted.

[0043] The reinforcing body 24 is a member provided on the outer periphery of the tubular body 11. In the present embodiment, the reinforcing body 24 is formed as a coil body provided on the outer peripheral surface 11b of the tubular body 11 and spirally wound so that the wire 24w winds around the outer peripheral surface 11b along the major axis direction. The reinforcing body 24 can be formed, for example, by using one or two or more single wires or stranded wires as the wire 24w and winding this in a single strand or multiple strands.

[0044] As the wire 24w constituting the reinforcing body 24, for example, the same materials as those of the wire 23w constituting the reinforcing body 23 (braided body 23) exemplified in the third embodiment can be adopted.

[0045] As described above, since the catheter 4 has the above configuration, the reinforcing body 24 can be easily formed using the wire 24w.

[0046] [Manufacturing Method of Catheter] The manufacturing method of the catheter of the present disclosure is a manufacturing method of a catheter including a tubular body having a lumen, a reinforcing body provided on the outer periphery of the tubular body, and a radiopaque marker member disposed on the reinforcing body along the circumferential direction of the reinforcing body. In the longitudinal direction of the tubular body, the tip of the reinforcing body is disposed at the same position as the tip of the marker member or at a position on the tip side of the tip of the marker member. While bringing the tip portion of the marker member into contact with the reinforcing body without applying mechanical external force, the contact portion between the tip portion of the marker member and the reinforcing body is welded by heating without welding the portion other than the tip portion of the marker member and the reinforcing body. Hereinafter, an embodiment of the manufacturing method of the catheter of the present disclosure will be described.

[0047] [Fifth Embodiment] The manufacturing method of the catheter of the present disclosure can be configured by, for example, the following [A process] to [D process]. In this embodiment, a manufacturing method of a catheter using a braided body 23 will be exemplified.

[0048] [A Process] The A process is a process of covering the tubular body 11 formed in advance with the reinforcing body 23. In this process, for example, a tubular (cylindrical) braided body 23 (reinforcing body 23) braided in a mesh shape by metal wires 23w is used, and this braided body 23 is covered so as to cover the outer peripheral surface 11b of the resin tubular body 11 and contact the outer peripheral surface 11b (see the intermediate assembly A1 in FIG. 6A). The braided body 23 may be braided into a tubular shape in advance, or may be formed by winding the wire 23w around the tubular body 11.

[0049] [B Process] Step B is a step of arranging a radiopaque marker member along the circumferential direction on the braid 23 of the intermediate assembly A1 obtained in Step A. In this step, for example, a metal marker member 31 that is annular and radiopaque is used, and the marker member 31 is placed in contact with the outer circumference 23a of the braid 23 and arranged along its circumferential direction so that the tip of the braid 23 is located at a position more distal than the tip of the marker member 31 in the longitudinal axis direction of the tubular body 11 (see the intermediate assembly A2 in FIG. 6B). The position of the marker member 31 on the braid 23 in the longitudinal axis direction can be appropriately arranged so as to correspond to the desired position of the catheter to be specified by the marker member 31.

[0050] [Step C] Step C is a step of welding by heating the contact portion between the tip portion of the marker member 31 and the braid 23 in the intermediate assembly A2 obtained in Step B (the portion where the joint C between the tip portion 31a of the marker member 31 and the braid 23 is formed) (see FIG. 6C). In this step, during the above welding, the tip portion 31a of the marker member 31 and the braid 23 are simply brought into contact with each other without applying mechanical external force, and the contact portion is welded to form the joint C. Further, in the method for manufacturing the catheter of the present disclosure, the portion 31b other than the tip portion of the marker member 31 and the braid 23 are not welded (see the intermediate assembly A3 in FIG. 6C). That is, the braid 23 and the marker member 31 are joined only at the tip portion 31a of the marker member 31, and the portion 31b other than the tip portion of the marker member 31 is formed to simply contact the braid 23 or be separated from the braid 23.

[0051] Examples of the heating method for the above-described contact portion include, for example, a method of heating by irradiating laser light L generated by a laser light generating device 500 (see FIG. 6C), a method of heating by irradiating an electron beam (not shown), and the like. When heating with the laser light L, it is possible to surely heat (weld) only a predetermined portion without applying mechanical external force to the irradiated portion (particularly the portion where the joint C is formed).

[0052] [Step D] In Process D, the outer periphery of the intermediate assembly A3 obtained in Process C is covered with the covering member 41. In this process, for example, after covering the outer periphery of the intermediate assembly A3 with a tubular covering member, this is heated in a heating furnace to soften the resin constituting the tubular body 11 and the covering member 41. Next, it is taken out from the heating furnace and cooled, so that the resin of the tubular body 11 and the covering member 41 solidifies, and the tubular body 11, the reinforcing body 21, the marker member 31, and the covering member 41 are integrally fixed (see Fig. 6D). Note that the heating temperature, heating time, and atmosphere in the above heating furnace can be appropriately selected according to the physical properties, shape, etc. of the resin and the like.

[0053] In addition, in the manufacturing method of a catheter in which the tip of the braided body 23 is located at the same part as the tip of the marker member 31 in the longitudinal axis direction of the tubular body 11, when arranging the marker member 31 on the braided body 23, instead of the arrangement of the braided body 23 and the marker member 31 in Process C described above, the tip of the braided body 23 may be arranged at the same part as the tip of the marker member 31 in the longitudinal axis direction, and then the contact part may be welded to form the joint C.

[0054] Also, in the longitudinal axis direction of the tubular body 11, the tip of the braided body 23 may be arranged at a part on the tip side of the tip of the marker member 31, and while welding the contact part by heating, the part on the tip side of the tip of the marker member 31 in the braided body 23 may be cut off from the contact part (joint C). In this case, for example, after irradiating the braided body 23 with a laser beam (see Fig. 7A) simultaneously to the contact part C and the part of the braided body where no marker member is arranged adjacent to the contact part (adjacent part R) to cut off the braided body 23 (see Fig. 7B), the tip side part of the separated braided body 23 may be removed (see Fig. 7C) and covered with the covering member 41 (see Fig. 7D). According to such a manufacturing method, a catheter in which the position of the tip of the braided body 23 and the position of the tip of the marker member 31 are aligned can be easily formed.

[0055] As described above, since the manufacturing method of the catheter has the above configuration, the marker member 31 can be fixed to the reinforcing body 23 (reinforcing body 23) while ensuring flexibility. Further, since no mechanical external force is applied to the contact portion (joint portion C), deformation of the marker member 31 and the braided body 23 can be suppressed. For this reason, the inner cavity 11h of the tubular body 11 is not inadvertently squeezed, and the outermost peripheral surface of the catheter does not bulge, and a catheter that can be operated smoothly can be obtained.

[0056] Note that the present disclosure is not limited to the configuration of the above-described embodiments, is defined by the claims, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope equivalent to the claims. A part of the configuration of the above-described embodiments may be deleted, replaced with another configuration, or another configuration may be added to the configuration of the above-described embodiments.

[0057] For example, in the above-described embodiments, the catheters 1 to 4 in which one marker member 31 is disposed on the reinforcing bodies 21, 23, and 24 and the manufacturing method thereof have been described. However, as shown in FIG. 8, a catheter 100 in which two or more marker members (for example, a first marker member 311 and a second marker member 312) are disposed in the major axis direction may be used. Thereby, a plurality of sites in the catheter 100 can be specified, and the procedure can be performed more accurately.

[0058] Further, in the above-described embodiments, the marker member 31 in contact with the outer periphery of the reinforcing bodies 21, 23, and 24 has been described. However, for example, as shown in FIG. 9, a catheter 200 in which a marker member 313 is in contact with the inner periphery 23a of the reinforcing body 23 may be used.

[0059] Further, in the above-described embodiments, the catheters 1 to 4 having the annular marker member 31 have been described. However, the marker member only needs to be disposed on the reinforcing body along the circumferential direction of the reinforcing body, and the shape of the marker member may be a shape other than an annular shape such as a flat plate shape or an arc shape along the circumferential direction of the reinforcing body.

[0060] In addition, in the above-described fifth embodiment, a method for manufacturing a catheter provided with a braided body 23 (reinforcing body 23) braided using metal wires 23w has been described. However, the material constituting the reinforcing body is not particularly limited as long as the reinforcing body and the marker member can be welded. The reinforcing body may be formed of a resin material or a material combining resin and metal.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0061] 1, 2, 3, 4, 100, 200 Catheter 11 Tubular body 21, 23, 24 Reinforcing body 23 Braided body 31, 311, 312, 313 Marker member 31a, 313a Tip portion C Joint portion R Adjacent portion

Claims

1. A catheter comprising a tubular body having a lumen, a reinforcing member provided on the outer periphery of the tubular body, and a radiopaque marker member disposed on the reinforcing member along the circumferential direction of the reinforcing member, In the longitudinal direction of the tubular body, the tip of the reinforcing member is located at the same position as the tip of the marker member, The tip portion of the marker member is a portion that includes the tip of the marker member and extends from this tip toward the proximal end side to the middle of the longitudinal direction of the tubular body, The tip portion of the marker member is joined to the tip portion including the tip of the reinforcing member, and the portion other than the tip portion of the marker member is not joined to the reinforcing member, A catheter, characterized in that the length of the tip portion of the marker member in the longitudinal direction is smaller than the length of the portion other than the tip portion of the marker member in the longitudinal direction of the marker member.

2. The catheter according to claim 1, wherein the reinforcing member is a braided body braided by wires.

3. The catheter further comprises a covering member covering the outside of the tubular body, the reinforcing member, and the marker member, The catheter according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein in a state where the tubular body, the reinforcing member, and the marker member are covered by the covering member, the portion other than the tip portion of the marker member is separated from the reinforcing member.

4. A method for manufacturing a catheter comprising a tubular body having a lumen, a reinforcing member provided on the outer periphery of the tubular body, and a radiopaque marker member disposed on the reinforcing member along the circumferential direction of the reinforcing member, In the longitudinal direction of the tubular body, the tip of the reinforcing member is disposed at the same position as the tip of the marker member, The tip portion of the marker member is a portion that includes the tip of the marker member and extends from this tip toward the proximal end side to the middle of the longitudinal direction of the tubular body, Without applying mechanical external force, while bringing the tip portion of the marker member in the major axis direction into contact with the reinforcing body, without welding the portion other than the tip portion of the marker member in the major axis direction to the reinforcing body, the contact portion between the tip portion of the marker member and the tip portion including the tip of the reinforcing body is welded by heating, characterized in that the length of the tip portion of the marker member in the major axis direction is smaller than the length of the portion other than the tip portion of the marker member in the major axis direction.

5. In the major axis direction of the tubular body, the tip of the reinforcing body is arranged at a portion on the tip side of the tip of the marker member, and while welding the contact portion by heating, the portion of the reinforcing body on the tip side of the tip of the marker member is cut off from the contact portion. The method for manufacturing a catheter according to claim 4.

6. The heating of the contact portion is performed by irradiating laser light. The method for manufacturing a catheter according to claim 4 or claim 5.

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