Device for manufacturing a catheter and methods therefor

Abstract

A device includes a body having a cutting chamber and an elongated catheter seat extending in a direction intersecting the cutting chamber, and an electrode within the body and in proximity to a cutting position within the cutting chamber. The electrode is maintained a distance from the cutting position to avoid causing physical conduction at the cutting position. A fluid channel within the body is to receive a conductive fluid and flow the conductive fluid into the cutting chamber, in contact with the electrode, and to the cutting position so that the conductive fluid bridges the distance between the electrode and the cutting position. An electrical circuit is connected to the electrode to drive a current through the conductive fluid as the conductive fluid bridges the distance between the electrode and the cutting position.

Description

DEVICE FOR MANUFACTURING A CATHETER AND METHODS THEREFORTECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present disclosure generally relates to catheter manufacturing, and more particularly relates to catheter braid end treatment.BACKGROUND

[0002] Many catheters have tensioned braided filaments or wires, often in a helical pattern, forming an outer layer of the catheter to provide structural support, steerability, and flexibility to move and bend the catheter. A braided catheter often has relatively fragile underlying structures under the filaments of the braid that are sensitive to thermal and mechanical forces susceptible to damage during imprecise manual trimming. Thus, it is desirable to provide an automatic process and device to reduce or eliminate the risk of such catheter damage and reduce manual labor.BRIEF SUMMARY

[0003] This summary' is provided to describe select concepts in a simplified form that are further described in the Detailed Description. This brief summary is not intended to identify key or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter.

[0004] In one implementation, a device includes a body having a cutting chamber and an elongated catheter seat extending in a direction intersecting the cutting chamber, and an electrode within the body and in proximity to a cutting position within the cutting chamber. The electrode is maintained a distance from the cutting position to avoid causing electrical conductivity due to direct physical contact with the electrode at the cutting position. A fluid channel within the body is to receive a conductive fluid and flow the conductive fluid into the cutting chamber, in contact with the electrode, and to the cutting position so that the conductive fluid bridges the distance between the electrode and the cutting position. Anelectrical circuit is connected to the electrode to drive a current through the conductive fluid as the conductive fluid bridges the distance between the electrode and the cutting position.

[0005] In another implementation, a method of cutting a conductive layer of an article includes placing an electrode in proximity to a cutting position within a cutting chamber defined by a body of a cutting device, and maintaining the electrode a distance from the cutting position to avoid causing electrical conductivity due to direct physical contact with the electrode at the cutting position. The method also includes forming a conductive fluid bridge between the electrode and the cutting position including flowing the conductive fluid into the body, into the cutting chamber, and between the electrode and the cutting position. The method may include driving an electrical current through the conductive fluid while the conductive fluid forms the conductive fluid bridge.

[0006] In yet another implementation, a sy stem includes a body having a cutting chamber and an elongated catheter seat extending in a direction intersecting the cutting chamber, and an electrode within the body and in proximity to a cutting position within the cutting chamber. The electrode is maintained a distance from the cutting position to avoid causing electrical conductivity due to direct physical contact with the electrode at the cutting position. A fluid channel within the body is to receive a conductive fluid and flow- the conductive fluid into the cutting chamber, in contact with the electrode, and to the cutting position so that the conductive fluid bridges the distance between the electrode and the cutting position. An electrical circuit may be connected to the electrode to drive a current through the conductive fluid as the conductive fluid bridges the distance between the electrode and the cutting position.

[0007] Furthermore, other desirable features and characteristics of the device and system will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and the preceding background.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008] Implementations of the subject matter will hereinafter be described in conjunction with the following figures, where like numerals denote like elements, and:

[0009] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a lateral cross-sectional and perspective view of a catheter according to at least one of the implementations described herein;

[0010] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of an upper left and rear perspective view of a catheter braid cutting device according to at least one of the implementations described herein;

[0011] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a lower left and front perspective view of the catheter braid cutting device of FIG. 2 according to at least one of the implementations described herein;

[0012] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of a lower left and rear perspective view of an upper portion of the catheter braid cutting device of FIG. 2 according to at least one of the implementations described herein;

[0013] FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of an upper left and rear perspective view of a lower portion of the catheter braid cutting device of FIG. 2 according to at least one of the implementations described herein;

[0014] FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of a lateral perspective view of an electrode of the catheter braid cutting device of FIG. 2 according to at least one of the implementations described herein;

[0015] FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of a lateral elevational view of the electrode of the catheter braid cutting device of FIG. 6 showing fluid flow according to at least one of the implementations described herein;

[0016] FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram of a left side cross-sectional elevation view of the assembled catheter braid cutting device of FIG. 2 in a catheter cutting system according to at least one of the implementations described herein;

[0017] FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram of a close-up left side cross-sectional view of a cutting chamber of the assembled catheter braid cutting device of FIG. 8 according to at least one of the implementations described herein;

[0018] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of a close-up, conceptual side view of fluid flow at the electrode and catheter of FIG. 9 according to at least one of the implementations described herein.

[0019] FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram of a lateral cross-sectional view showing an electrode mounted on the catheter braid cutting device according to at least one of the implementations described herein;

[0020] FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram of a side view of a catheter with a braid cut by using the catheter braid cutting device according to at least one of the implementations described herein;

[0021] FIGS. 13A-13B is a flow chart of a method of operating the catheter braid cutting device according to at least one of the implementations described herein;

[0022] FIG. 14 is a schematic diagram of a left cross-sectional perspective view of an alternative catheter braid cutting device according to at least one of the implementations described herein; and

[0023] FIG. 14A is a schematic diagram of an upper perspective view of an alternative electrode for the device of FIG. 14 according to at least one of the implementations described herein.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0024] The following detailed description includes example implementations that are not intended to limit the subject matter of the application and uses thereof. Furthermore, there is no intention to be bound by any theory presented in the preceding background, brief summary, or the following detailed description.

[0025] A tensioned metal braid is used on a catheter to control the amount of flexure and twist as mentioned above. The braid is often placed over a catheter assembly and then later cut to a desired length, and this may be performed by using a parallel cut relative to the length of the catheter to cut the transverse, helical strands of the braid. The cut is made manually by a specialized tool. The catheter on one side of the braid cut is discarded, while the other end remains as part of the catheter. The parallel cut and trim steps are both typically performed manually. The result from such a manual cutting technique often is damage to underlying layers. This technique also may limit the size of the braid that can be processed depending on the manual cutting tool depth. There also is a significant possibility of damaging the underlying core materials of the catheter, especially during the initial parallel cut.

[0026] Example catheter braid cutting (CBC) devices (also referred to herein as a catheter conductive layer cutting devices or just the cutting devices) have a body with a cutting chamber. The catheter extends through the cutting chamber and within proximity to an electrode. By one example form, the catheter is placed in a cutting position extending through the electrode in the cutting chamber without contact between the electrode and an exposed conductive layer, which may be a braided layer, on the catheter facing the electrode in the cutting chamber. When a conductive fluid such as electrolyte flows in the cutting chamber and contacts both the electrode and the conductive layer, a conductive fluid bridge is formed. Then when an electrical current is applied to the electrode and catheter, and through the conductive fluid bridge, electrochemical machining (ECM) is performed to cut the conductive layer by removing ions at a desired location on the catheter. An inner ring of the electrode that encircles the catheter and is the closest part of the electrode to the conductive layer forms the highest rate of cutting with the conductive fluid bridge. Thus, a precise thickness of the electrode can be controlled at the inner ring and parallel to the elongated direction of the catheter while the voltage and current are adjusted to control the rate of cutting at the inner ring.

[0027] With this arrangement, a powered conductive fluid bridge results in etching and destructuring of the target metal fdaments of the conductive layer of the catheter, thereby dissolving metal alloy of the catheter braid. This is done automatically without time consuming manual operations to cut and trim the filaments. This device also is very accurate so that undesired damage to the underlying layers is significantly reduced if not entirely eliminated by precisely selecting the cut location and size. Since there is no contact between the metal being cut and the electrode, no wearing of the electrode exists due to contact. The elimination of direct physical conductive contact also reduces undesired heat generation. During operation of the device in an intended orientation, in accordance with an implementation, the catheter extends horizontally (relative to the ground) through the cutting device with properly placed fluid drains, the conductive fluid may be provided at very low pressures to direct the fluid by gravity to the drains to reduce or avoid erosion of the device and discoloration of the catheter due to the fluid pooling or seeping into joints and crevices on the device.

[0028] Referring to FIG. 1 now for more detail, an example catheter 100 may be used for various medical procedures including cardiovascular interventions, such as angioplasty or stent placement, electrophysiology for procedures like ablation, neurointerventions,endoscopy when an optical core is used, and delivery7of medication or diagnostic agents, to name a few examples. The catheter 100 in the present example may have a body 102 that has a flexible core 104 of metal or metal alloy such as copper, but may be other materials instead such as polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), a central lumen of polymers, silicone, polyurethane, polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride, or even a hollow core. The core 104 is amid elongated mandrels 106 in this example and used for steering the catheter. The mandrels 106 may be formed of a metal or metal alloy such as stainless steel, platinum or platinum-alloy, and / or nitinol (nickel-titanium alloy).

[0029] An outer conductive layer 108 may be a braided layer of braids 110 in tension and formed of braided filaments 116 (also referred to as fibers) and that covers the core 104 and the mandrels 106 to provide additional strength and flexibility to the catheter 100. The braids 110 may be formed of stainless steel, tungsten, and / or other metals or alloys. It will be appreciated, however, that the conductive layer 108 may not have braids and still may be cut by the present methods and devices described herein, such as a with a cylindrical metal or metal alloy layer on the catheters such as hypotubes, and whether such a layer is an outer layer over one or more inner layers or cores, or is tubular and hollow instead.

[0030] By some examples, and whether before or after cutting the conductive layer 108 to a desired length, an additional outer protective layer 112 may be placed over the braids 110. This may include an elastomer such as a polyamide 12 in the Nylon 12 family as one example. By one form, the protective layer 112 may be placed on the catheter 100 and then may be used to guide the cut locationlOO to form a target cutting edge or location 114 that indicates the axial location to cut the conductive layer 108 around the catheter 100. The protective layer 112 also acts to assist with holding the braids underneath the protective layer 12 and to further reduce or eliminate splaying of the filaments 116 under the protective coating. The protective layer 112 may be a permanent covering over the conductive layer 108 or may be a temporary covering during manufacture. By one form, the protective layer 112 is placed on the conductive layer 108 specifically to indicate the target cut location and assist with holding the filaments as mentioned.

[0031] By some forms, the radial depth of the conductive layer 108 or braids 110 to be cut may range from about 0.5 mm to 2.0 mm deep, while the radial depth of the conductive layer 108 above the mandrels may be about 0.2 mm to 1.0 mm, as some possible examples. Many variations may be used.

[0032] The catheter 100 defines a central axis A and in turn an elongated (or longitudinal direction) that is maintained for the catheter 100 and the cutting devices described herein, and throughout the description and figures. The axis A also is parallel to an X direction on XYZ coordinates as shown where the Y-axis refers to a lateral direction, and also is maintained throughout the figures herein.

[0033] Referring to FIGS. 2-3, an example assembled catheter braid cutting (CBC) device 200 (or catheter conductive layer cutting device or just cutting device) has a body 202 (or block or housing) that may have many different shapes and configurations. By one form, the body 202 is made of Polylactic Acid (PLA) and / or Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET), which may be carbon reinforced. Other options may be Ultra-High Molecular Weight Polyethylene (UHMWPE) although other non-conductive materials may be used, and may be formed by 3D printing or other methods. Otherwise, a metal or metal alloy body could be used, but the fluids, electrode, and catheter described herein would need to be insulated from such a metal body. Also, many of the components defined by the body 202 herein such as fluid channels, chambers, and so forth may be directly integrally formed by the bulk material of the cutting device body 202. Alternatively, the body 202 may have separate components within the body 202 instead, such as a separate piece of polymer pipe extending through the body 202 to provide a fluid inlet channel as one of many possible examples. Thus, the body 202 may be or include a housing with all separate components as described herein coupled together within the housing or body 202 to form the cutting device 200.

[0034] The body 202 has an upper portion 204 that is mounted on a lower portion 206 (or base). A top surface 228 of the body 202 has an opening 208 to hold an electrode described below and a fluid inlet or opening 210 to receive a conductive fluid also described in detail below. For purposes of explanation herein, the body 202 may have a front side or end 220, a rear side or end 222, a left side 224, and a right side 226. The body 202 is labeled with these references merely for clarity of explaining the body components relative to each other.

[0035] Also, it should be noted that the terms horizontal / vertical, top / bottom, upper / lower, above / below, and so forth used to describe location of parts of the cutting device 200 or catheter 100 anywhere herein refer to the position of the parts relative to each other and not necessarily to the ground unless context suggests otherwise.

[0036] A catheter hole 212 on the rear side 222 of the body 202 is cooperatively formed by the upper and lower portions 204 and 206 to receive the catheter 100. A widened bulge 214 on the left side 224 of the lower portion 206 has a slot 216 to receive a terminal portion of an electrode, also as described below.

[0037] A bottom surface 300 (FIG. 3) of the lower portion 206 has drain openings 302 and 304 that drain fluid from catheter seats, while a main drain opening 306 drains fluid from a cutting chamber 800 (FIG. 8). A catheter hole 308 receives the catheter 100 on the front side 220 of the body 202 and opposite the catheter hole 212 on the rear side of the body 202.

[0038] Referring to FIGS. 4-5. a bottom surface 400 of the upper portion 204 defines an opening 402 to a cutting chamber and receives an electrode 520. The bottom surface 400 also defines an upper seat portion 410 that receives the catheter 100 and is described in detail below. The bottom surface 400 also has elongated recesses 404 and 406 that when assembled, respectively sit upon rails 506 and 504 on the lower portion 206, while a bottom portion 401 of the upper portion 204 and the bottom surface 400 fit between the rails 506 and 504 laterally and between upwardly extending stops 524 longitudinally. The lower portion 206 has an upper surface 500 with a channel 502 formed by the rails 504 and 506 and the upper surface 500 that provides a bottom surface 508 of the channel 502. A catheter seat 510 has the upper seat portion 410 and a bottom seat portion 51 on the bottom surface 508 and may extend from the front side 220 to the rear side 222 of the channel bottom 508. The seat 510 defines a seat axis SA that indicates the elongated or longitudinal direction of the seat 510. The seat 510 may have a cylindrical surface cooperatively formed by upper and lower seat portions 410 and 511 that align laterally (along the Y-axis) to receive and hold the catheter 100. By one form, both of the upper and lower seat portions 511 and 410 are half circles but may be more or less of a proportion of the cylindrical shape of the seat 510 around the catheter. By one alternative, one of the upper and lower seat portions 410 and 511 may be U-shaped while the other of the upper and lower seat portions 410 and 511 is flat. Many variations in shape exist for the seat 510.

[0039] The lower portion 206 also is show n with an electrode 520 extending within a gap 522 along the seat 510 and that contributes to forming the cutting chamber 800 described below in FIGS. 8-9. The seat 510 extends in an elongated direction along axis SA and that intersects the cutting chamber 800 to place the catheter 100 within the cutting chamber. The electrode 520 and gap 522 divide the seat 510 into a first or front side seat 530 and a secondor rear side seat 532 opposite the first side seat 530. The first side seat 530 has a first or front seat drain opening 512 (or just front or first drain) while the second side seat 532 has a second or rear seat drain opening 514 (or just second or rear drain) to catch conductive fluid that has run up the seat 510 or channel 502 and away from the gap 522. The first and second drain openings 512 and 514 may extend the width of the channel 502 although other configurations could be used instead. By one form, the bottom surface 508 of the channel 502 may taper toward the first or second seat drain openings 512 and / or 514, or the gap 522. to direct any fluid moving up the channel 502 into the drain openings 512 or 514.

[0040] The second side seat 532 terminates in a projection 813 (FIG. 8) as the second side seat extends toward the electrode 520 and forms a rear edge or end of gap 522. The projection is described in greater detail with FIG. 8.

[0041] Also, the lower portion 206 is shown with an electrode support portion 628 (or just electrode support (FIG. 6 and 11)) of the electrode 520 located in the slot 216. When the upper portion 204 is assembled onto the lower portion 206, the upper portion prevents removal of the electrode support 628 from the slot 216 and secures the electrode support 628, and in turn the upper and lower electrode portions 602 and 604 (FIG. 6), onto the lower portion 206. The electrode support 628 also may be held in the slot 216 by a tight or press fit. This arrangement maintains the electrode 520 in a vertical (or upright or other desired) orientation and lateral (and longitudinal) position to efficiently be placed through hole 208 and into an electrode cavity 805 (FIG. 8) in the upper portion 204.

[0042] Referring to FIG. 6. the electrode 520 may have a generally plate-shaped body 600 with an upper electrode portion 602 that can be separated from a lower electrode portion 604 to provide clearance to place the catheter 100 through the electrode 520. The electrode 520 may be made of a conductive material such as brass or other metals or metal alloys. The upper electrode portion 602 may have a stem 606 terminating at a shoulder 616 of a widened portion 608 of the upper electrode portion 602. An upper end of the stem 606 that remains outside of the body 202 may have an electrode terminal portion (or just electrode terminal) 859 connected to an electrical power source 854 (FIG. 8) to provide voltage and current near the opening 614 to generate the conductive fluid bridge in the cutting chamber 800 (FIG. 8). By one form, the lower and upper electrode portions 604 and 602 may have edges perpendicular to vertical (Z-axis) that engage each other. In the present example, however, a self-centering arrangement is provided. Thus, the widened portion 608 has a protruding edge 610, herehaving a V-shape. The lower electrode portion 604 may have a concave edge 612 forming an opening or groove that receives and engages the protruding edge 610, and in the present example also is in a V-shape. It will be understood that which of the lower and upper electrode portions 602 and 604 have a protruding edge or concave edge may be switched when desired.

[0043] The protruding edge 610 and concave edge 612 both have aligning arcuate concave recesses 620 and 622 that each form a part 624 and 626 of the inner ring 708 (FIG.7 and 9), respectively, and that cooperatively form an opening 614 that is to be placed around the catheter at the cutting chamber and gap 522. When the electrode portions 602 and 604 move toward each other, the V-shaped edges 610 and 612 will force the two electrode portions 602 and 604 to be self-centering by aligning laterally with each other (in the Y -axis direction). This also aligns the recesses 620 and 622 to form the opening 614, here being a circular opening 614 but could be other shapes.

[0044] The electrode 520 also has the support connector portion 618 that connects the electrode support 628 to the lower electrode portion 604. The electrode support 628 and connector portion 618 may be formed of the same material as the upper and lower electrode portions 602 and 604, such as brass, or another metal or metal alloy of may be of other materials, such as polymers or some combination of metal and other materials to hold the conductive material of the upper and lower portions 602 and 604 in a fixed position as mentioned above.

[0045] Referring to FIG. 7, the catheter 100 is placed through the electrode 520 and is spaced a distance from the electrode 520 by an annular space or offset 702 so that no contact exists between the electrode 520 and the catheter 100, and specifically the conductive layer 108 of the catheter 100. By one example form, the electrode 520 has an interior rim 704 of an indent 706 and that extends inward from an outer front or rear surface 716 and to an inner ring 708 within the indent 706 (see FIG. 9 for a clearer view of the indent 706). This may occur on one or both sides of the electrode 520. The inner ring 708 has an interior annular surface 710 that faces the catheter 100 and is the closest part of the electrode 520 to the catheter 100 at the cutting chamber 800 (FIGS. 8-9) and gap 522. The arrows 700 show the direction of the conductive fluid flow as it flows down the electrode 520 and forms a conductive fluid bridge 712 between the electrode 520 and the inner ring 708, and specifically at the inner surface 710. By one form as described below, the cutting chamber 800 may be filled with the conductive fluid 714 thereby filling the annular space 702 so that all orsubstantially all of the inner surface 710 is electrically coupled to the catheter 100 by the conductive fluid bridge 712 forming a bridge ring 713 around the catheter 100.

[0046] Referring to FIG. 8 for more detail, a catheter cutting system 801 has the cutting device 200 connected to an electrical system or circuit 850 and a fluid system 860. In this view, the body 202 of the cutting device 200 defines or holds the cutting chamber 800. Here, the catheter 100 is shown extending on seat 510 and through the cutting chamber 800. The electrode 520 may have a biasing mechanism, such as a coil spring 804 spiraling around the electrode stem 606. In this example, the stem 606 extends vertically (or generally or substantially vertically) out of the upper portion 204 through the hole 208, and both the stem 606 and the spring 804 extend vertically through an electrode cavity’ 805 with a top wall 806 (or upper retaining wall or surface) that engages an upper end of the spring 804. The stem 606 may have one or more retaining protrusions 808 that engage a lower end of the spring 804. With this arrangement, the upper electrode portion 602 can be retracted from the lower electrode portion 604 by pulling the stem 606 upward, whether manually or automatically by a robotic connection. This provides more clearance for the catheter 100 to be placed axially in the seat 510 and through the cutting chamber 800. The spring 804 biases the upper electrode portion 602 back down toward the lower electrode portion 604, which then may self-center laterally due to the engagement of the protruding edge 610 w ith the concave edge 612 to form the opening 614 around the catheter 100.

[0047] The fluid inlet 210 opens to a fluid channel 802 that extends through the body 202 and downward to the cutting chamber 800. In this case, the fluid channel is set at a slant to flow the fluid at least partially or entirely by gravity, but other orientations may be used instead. By one form, the fluid is injected along direction 824 and at a low pressure to avoid leakage or seeping into joints or crevices in the body 202 as the fluid fdls the cutting chamber 800, and again, at least partially (or significantly) due to gravity.

[0048] The cutting chamber 800 includes an upper rear recess 815, an upper front recess 816, a lower front recess 822, and a lower rear recess 820. The fluid channel 802 may open into the upper front recess 816. Both rear recesses 815 and 820 are much larger than the front recesses 816 and 822 to provide extra space for the fluid to overflow resulting in a pressure drop within the cutting chamber 800. This further permits the fluid to remain at a low pressure and fall due to gravity onto the catheter and downward toward a main drain 818 and out of the drain opening 306 rather than be diverted to move up the seat 510.

[0049] The cutting chamber 800 also may include a projection 810 on a rear side of the cutting chamber 800 and with an upper projection portion 812 above a lower projection portion 813. The projections 812 and 813 extend inward toward the electrode 520 from a rearmost part 814 of the cutting chamber 800. The lower projection 813 is also shown on FIG. 5. The proj ections 812 and 813 are provided to shift the location of the gap 522 towards the front side 220 and at the seat 510 for reasons explained below. The upper projection portion 812 is surrounded by the upper rear recess 815, while the lower projection portion 813 is surrounded by the lower rear recess 820.

[0050] As to the seat drains 512 and 514, front seat drain 512 is fluidly coupled to a front drain passage 826 that opens to drain outlet or opening 302, while the rear seat drain 514 is coupled to a fluid drain passage 828 that opens to rear drain outlet or opening 304.

[0051] The cutting device 200 may have or be connected to the fluid circuit or system 860 to deliver conductive fluid to the body 202 of the cutting device 200, and the electrical circuit or system 850 to generate the electrical current and voltage at the conductive fluid bridge to cause ion removal as the conductive fluid carries away dissolved material. In one example approach, the electrical circuit 850 may have a conductive member 848 connecting a power source 854 to the catheter 100 and a conductive member 858 from the power source 854 to the electrode terminal 859. The conductive member 848 may be attached to the end of the catheter 100 that is to be saved and used rather than the end that is to be discarded, and may be attached at the front side or rear side (or both) of the body 202. Thus, the connection The conductive members 848 and 858 may be any suitable conductive connector such as one or more wires, leads, and so forth.

[0052] To connect the conductive members 848 and 858 respectively to the catheter 100 and electrode terminal 859, temporary connections to the catheter can be made using alligatortype clips, small clamps, or any other suitable temporary connection. Additionally, pin connectors or snap fasteners can be used to ensure reliable, temporary electrical connections. This may apply to the electrode terminal portion (or just electrode terminal) 859 as well when desired. For more secure or long-term applications, the electrode terminal 859 may be permanently attached to wires or other conductive members using adhesives, soldering, or specialized connectors such as lugs or screws, and so forth. Other permanent connections may include other types of threaded connectors or soldered wires.

[0053] By one example form to explain the electrical circuit 850, a supply perspective is used so that the electrode 520 may be considered the anode (where oxidation occurs, and is the site of electron loss) for the circuit to perform ECM. while the catheter 100 is considered the cathode (where reduction happens, and is the site of electron gain) while ion removal occurs at the cathode. The electrode 520 is connected to the negative terminal of the power source 854 while the catheter 100 is connected to the positive terminal of the power source 854. The supply side perspective refers to how the external power source 854 supplies current to the system. The anode is considered the "source" of electrons, while the cathode is where the electrons are accepted. Thus in this case, the supply side perspective considers the electrode 520 as the source of electrons and the catheter as the point where those electrons are absorbed.

[0054] By one example form, the power source 854 is set to apply 10V with a varied low DC current between 2-10 Amps, and by one form 5 Amps, and in another form 10 Amps. By another form, voltage is to be more than at least about 5V, but otherwise may be 10-20V to perform the cutting at a reasonable cutting rate (also referred to as an ion removal rate).

[0055] As to the example fluid system or circuit 860, and as mentioned above, the conductive fluid may flow at very low flow rates, such as about 100 mils / minute or within a range of about 300 mils / minute, as one example, to direct the conductive fluid to fall due to gravity into the drain 818 rather than be diverted away from the cutting chamber 800 along the seat 510 or in any other joints or crevices on the body 202. It is noted, however, that the fluid pressure should be at least high enough pressure to maintain a continuous electron bridge to the catheter from the electrode.

[0056] By some example alternatives, the example fluid system 860 has a fluid feed line or pipe 862 fluidly coupled to the inlet 210 and may work by gravity alone or may have a pump 856 to pump the conductive fluid into the fluid line 862 at a set fluid pressure instead of, or in addition to, relying on gravity. By one example, the fluid may be pumped at a fluid pressure of about 5 PSIG. Also by one example, a peristaltic or diaphragm pump may be used, although others may be used as well. By yet another option, the drains 818, 512, and 514 have piping (not shown) coupled to a recycling system (not shown) that captures effluent from the drains 818, 512, and 514. cleans the fluid, and recycles the fluid back to the pump 856 and / or the fluid inlet 210.

[0057] By one form, the conductive fluid is an electrolyte, saline, salt water, and so forth. By one example, the conductive fluid includes at least distilled water, salt (which may be kosher salt (as pure sodium chloride as practical), and by another form, an electrolyte solution of 10% Sodium Chloride and 90% distilled water. It will be appreciated that other electrolytic conductors may be used instead or in addition as long as sufficient ion removal can be achieved in an ECM process at the conductive layer 108.

[0058] By one approach, both the power source 854 and the pump 856 may be operated manually where a user places settings on each unit and then activates (or turns on and off) the power source 854 and the pump 856. By another approach, the power source 854, the pump 856, or both may be automatically controlled by a controller 852 that automatically turns the power source 854 and / or pump 856 on or off and sets settings on the power source 854 and / or pump 856. The controller 852 may have hardware, software, and firmware to perform these operations and may be programmed with the desired settings and timing of the operation of the power source 854 and / or pump 856. Otherwise, the controller 852 may be programmed, such as with machine learning algorithms, neural networks, and so forth to determine the settings and operation timing of the power source 854 and / or pump 856.

[0059] To accomplish this, such a controller 852 may have one or more processors, memory, and communications hardware and networks including wireless network transceivers. The controller 852 may refer to, be part of, or include: an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC); a digital, analog, or mixed analog / digital discrete circuit; a digital, analog, or mixed analog / digital integrated circuit; a combinational logic circuit; a field programmable gate array (FPGA); a processor circuit (specific purpose, shared, dedicated, or group) that executes code; a memory circuit (specific purpose, shared, dedicated, or group) that stores code executed by the processor circuit; other suitable hardware components that provide the described functionality7; a central processing unit (CPU), a digital signal processor (DSP), and so forth; or a combination of some or all of the above, such as in a microprocessor or system-on-a-chip (SoC).

[0060] Referring now' to FIG. 9, a close-up of the cutting chamber 800 is show n with the catheter 100 extending through the cutting chamber 800. The cutting chamber 800 is shown filled with the conductive fluid 900 while the catheter 100 provides a cutting position 902 occupied by the conductive layer 108 and being cylindrical and ring-shaped to face the annular surface 710 for cutting the catheter within the annular surface 710 of the inner ring 708. Asmentioned, the inner ring 708, and in turn the annular surface 710, is the closest conductive part of the electrode 520 to the conductive surface of the conductive layer 108 to form the conductive fluid bridge 712 around the inner ring 708 where the strength of the electric field of the conductive fluid bridge 712 is the greatest. The inner ring 708 provides a precise cutting width at the highest rate of cutting along the thickness of the electrode 520. The conductive fluid bridge 712 encircles the catheter 100 at the cutting chamber 800 to form the bridge ring 713 (FIG. 7) so that the electrode is in proximity to the cutting position 902 but not in conductive physical contact with the cutting position 902 and specifically the conductive layer 108 of the catheter 100. By one form, a distance D or a span of the conductive fluid bridge 712 from the annular surface 710 to the cutting position (or conductive layer position) 902 is about 0.2 to 0.4 mm (about 8-16 mils). By one specific example, the catheter has an about 2.8 mm diameter and the inner ring 708 has an inner diameter of 4.5 mm so that the annular space 702 or distance D is about 1.7 mm.

[0061] The precise width of the cut can be controlled by setting the thickness of the electrode 520 that is closest to the position 902 of the conductive layer 108, or in other words, the thickness of the inner ring 708 in this example, where the thickness is in the elongated or longitudinal direction of, or parallel to, axes A or SA. In one example, this thickness T is about 1 to 2 mm. The cutting rate (or ion removal rate) also can be adjusted by adjusting the voltage, current, and electrolyte flow.

[0062] By one form, the space 702 (or separation or offset) is initially empty (with air or atmosphere) before it is filled by the conductive fluid 900, or could be other gases. By other alternatives, however, nonconductive fluid guides could be placed within space 702 to direct the fluid radially relative to the catheter 100 or for other reasons, as long as a conductive separation is maintained between the electrode 520 and the catheter 100 to result in a conductive fluid bridge 712 between the two.

[0063] As another example feature, a groove 912 expands the cutting chamber 800 at the first side seat 530. The groove 912 is provided because it was determined that fluid pools on the front side seat 530 in contact with the catheter 100, and particularly on the same side of the seat 510 that has fluid 900 directly falling from the fluid channel 802 onto the catheter 100 at the front side seat 530. This can cause the catheter 100 to become discolored or tarnished even though it is believed such discoloration does not have adverse effects when using the catheter 100. Providing the groove 912 permits the fluid to fall away from thecatheter rather than pool next to the catheter. A distal end or edge 904 of the groove 912 is the start of the end of the first side seat 530 nearest the electrode 520. To compensate for the groove 912, the projection 810 (and its upper and lower projection portions 812 and 813) are extended forward toward the first side seat 530 so that the gap 522 is sufficiently narrow from the distal end 904 to a forward most tip 906 of the projection 810 and at the second side seat 532 so that the gap 522 provides sufficient support to the catheter 100 without permitting the catheter to sag within the gap 522.

[0064] With this arrangement, the conductive fluid 900 flows from fluid channel 802 (arrow 824) into the upper front recess 816, into the opening 614 of the electrode 520 (along arrow 914). and in this example, overflowing into the upper rear recess 815 (along arrow 916). This may fill the opening 614 with the conductive fluid 900. The fluid then flows downward by gravity (also shown by arrow 914) and flows out the drain recesses 822 and 820 along arrows 908 and 910.

[0065] As yet another feature, the seat 510 maintains the catheter in cutting chamber 800 in ahorizonal orientation (where the axis A extends parallel to the X-axis and seat SA-axis), whether exactly horizontal, or substantially horizontal, and in other forms, at least generally horizontal (less than a 45 degree vertical angle). As shown in the conceptual setup 1000 (FIG.10). the horizontal orientation 1002 of the catheter 100 directs the fluid to flow downward (as shown by the arrows 824, 908, 910) and to the drains (FIGS. 8-9). This reduces the amount of fluid that flows along the seat 510 instead. While the seat drains 512 and 514 may catch a portion of such diverted fluid on the seat 510, the fluid still may pool adjacent the catheter 100 or within cracks, crevices, joints, and so forth in the body 202 of the cutting device 200. The horizontal orientation also is more efficient for placing the catheter 100 on the cutting device 200 since it has been found to achieve a precise alignment between the upper and lower portions 204 and 206 of the cutting device 200.

[0066] Referring to FIG. 11, the cutting device 200 here may have an alternative right retaining wall 1100 extending upward from the lower portion 206 of the cutting device 200 thereby extending the right side 226 of the cutting device 200. The retaining wall 1100 contacts the right side 1112 of the upper portion 204 of the cutting device 200 to provide additional lateral bracing so that the upper portion 204 aligns correctly with the lower portion 206 and does not move relative to the lower portion 206.

[0067] The body 202 here shows the widened portion 608 of the electrode 520 extends laterally in the electrode cavity 805 that may or may not be open to, or part of, the cutting chamber 800. The widened portion 608 may have the shoulder 616 abut a transition ceiling or surface 1102 of the electrode cavity 805. The clearance between the transition surface 1102 and the shoulders 616 provide the distance the electrode can be retracted upward by pulling up the stem 606 to place the catheter through the electrode 520 at the cutting chamber 800.

[0068] Other features here include an alternative tapered wall 1104 for the drain 818 and tapering inward as the tapered wall 1104 extends downward toward the drain opening 306.

[0069] Also a dividing wall 1106 may extend between the lower and upper electrode portions 602 and 604 on one side of the dividing wall 1106 and the electrode support 628 on another side of the dividing wall 1106, while the connector portion 618 extends underneath the dividing wall 1106.

[0070] Referring to FIG. 12, the catheter 100 is shown after the conductive layer 108 was cut at a target cutting edge or location 114 to form a new clean edge or end 1202 of the conductive layer 108 at an end or edge of the protective layer 112. As shown, the core 104 of the catheter 100 is exposed where the conductive layer 108 was cut away and removed, and no splayed filaments of the conductive layer 108 are present at the cut end 1202. The braids 110 to remain on the conductive layer 108 are shown on the part of the catheter 100 that is to be kept and used. Hereafter, the exposed core 104 may be cut aw ay as well.

[0071] Referring to FIGS. 13A-13B, an example process 1300 for operating a catheter conductive layer cutting device is describe according to one or more of the implementations herein. The process 1300 is described in operations 1302 to 1340, generally numbered evenly. The devices, components, and systems described in any of FIGS. 1-12 and 14 may be referred to while describing process 1300, and where relevant.

[0072] Process 1300 may include “prepare conductive fluid“ 1302. The conductive fluid may be made in a number of different w ays. As one example, a desired amount of salt may¬ be obtained and may depend on the quantity of electrolyte required. As mentioned, one solution has 10% salt (NaCl) and 90% distilled water (by weight). Thus as one example, a desired amount of salt is placed in a vessel and then nine times the w eight of the salt and in distilled w ater or the solution is placed in the vessel before shaking the vessel until the salt is dissolved into the liquid.

[0073] As to the placement of the catheter 100 into the cutting device 200, two different options are possible. A first option has the catheter 100 placed onto the lower portion 206 of the body 202 before the cutting device 200 is closed by placing the upper portion 204 over the catheter 100 and lower portion 206. In a second option, the cutting deice 200 is closed first and the catheter 100 is inserted through the catheter holes 212 and / or 308 while the electrode 520 is retracted to place the catheter 100 in the cutting device 200. Both options are explained with the operations below.

[0074] Process 1300 may include "mark target cut location” 1304, and by one form mentioned above, this may include melting the protective layer 112 at the location of the cut so that an edge 1204 (FIG. 12) of the protective layer 112 is the target cut edge or location 114 as in FIGS. 1 and 12. Otherwise, any suitable way to mark the location may be used. As an alternative in the second option, and when the cutting device 200 is to be closed before the catheter 100 is placed in the cutting device 200, a distance along the catheter 100 and from the target cut location 114 to the front side 220 or rear side 222 of the cutting device 200 is marked on the catheter 100 to seat the catheter 100 while the cutting device 200 is closed and when the target cutting location 114 will not be visible.

[0075] Continuing with the first option where the catheter 100 is placed on the cutting device 200 before the cutting device 200 is closed, process 1300 may include “place catheter on seat while aligning target cut location in cutting chamber” 1306. Thus, the catheter 100 is placed on the seat 510 so that the target cutting edge 114 is placed at or proximal to the forward or rear surface of the inner ring 708, and specifically the lower ring portion 626 (FIG. 6) of the lower electrode portion 604. In this arrangement, the exposed metal or braids 110 of an outer surface of the conductive layer 108 are in a position 902 to be cut, and, once the cutting device 200 is closed, the exposed metal or braids will extend into a space within the inner ring 708 to form the annular space 702 and face the annular surface 710 of the electrode 520 as shown on FIG. 9.

[0076] As discussed above with conceptual setup 1000 (FIG. 10), operation 1306 also may include “place catheter in horizontal position in seat“ 1308, where the seat 510 is horizontal to direct more of the conductive fluid by gravity and reduce diversion of the fluid where it can pool by the catheter or seep into cracks or crevices on the body 202.

[0077] Process 1300 may include “close device“ 1310, where the upper portion 204 is placed over and onto the lower portion 206 and the catheter 100 already in seat 510. The upper portion 204 is restricted in horizontal movement due to the rails 504 and 506, and stops 524 (FIG. 5) as described above, and so that the two portions cannot move relative to each other. Any suitable additional or alternative securing mechanisms may be used.

[0078] Switching now the second option, the cutting device 200 is closed before the catheter 100 is placed into the cutting device 200. Thus, process 1300 may include “close device” 1312, where the device is closed as with operation 1310 except without the catheter 100.

[0079] After the cutting device is closed in this second option, process 1300 may include “retract electrode portion to receive catheter“ 1314. The upper electrode portion 602 including the stem 606 and widened portion 608 are retracted upward against the bias of the spring 804 and away from the lower electrode portion 604 of the electrode 520 so that the inner ring 708 separates into two inner ring parts 624 and 626 with the upper part 624 being part of the upper electrode portion 602. This heightens the space between the inner ring parts 624 and 626, and opening 614, and within the inner ring 708 compared to the space and opening before the inner ring 708 was separated, resulting in more clearance to place the catheter 100 through the inner ring 708.

[0080] The second option then may include “place catheter on seat while aligning target cut location in cutting chamber “ 1316. Once the electrode 520 is retracted, the catheter 100 may be inserted into one of the catheter holes 212 or 308, and driven axially along the seat 510 until the front end or rear end mark respectively reaches the front end 220 or rear end 222 of the cutting device 200. Many other variations may be used including using a cutting device that has a cutting chamber 800 that is visible from the outside of the cutting device, whether by making the cutting device of a transparent material or by using optical tunnels to the cutting chamber (or image projection be camera within the cutting device 200).

[0081] Operation 1316 may include “place catheter in horizontal position in seat” 1318, which is already described above with operation 1308.

[0082] Process 1300 may include “test setup for adequate bridge space“ 1320, and this may involve using a volt-meter test for conductivity7between the catheter and the electrode 520. The reading should be zero if the distance D separating the catheter 100 from theelectrode 520 is adequate. The catheter 100 is then adjusted to widen the space 702 , or improve the centering of the catheter 100 within the space 702, if physical conductive contact is detected or the catheter 100 and electrode 520 are too close to each other such that an electrical current can be established, such as with electrical arcing or discharge, through space 702 even though no conductive physical material is present within the space 702. Another testing operation may be performed to evaluate the salinity of the electrolyte solution when desired, which should be about at least 5%, and may be about 10% as mentioned above.

[0083] Process 1300 may include “attach electrical circuit to catheter and electrode “ 1322, where temporary connection members such as a leads may be used, and may include connecting a positive lead that is conductive member 848 from a positive terminal of the power source to the end of the catheter 100 as the cathode as explained above, where the connection is at the end of the catheter that is to be saved and used (rather than the end of the catheter 100 that is to be cut away and discarded). The negative lead may be the conductive member 858 from the negative terminal at the power source to the electrode 520 as the anode of the electrical circuit 850.

[0084] Process 1300 may include “set voltage and current “ 1324, and as mentioned above. Another alternative may be to set the voltage at the power source to 12- 15V and at a maximum of 5A for the current. Other voltage and current settings may be used instead.

[0085] Process 1300 may include “flow conductive fluid into inlet of cutting device “ 1326, and includes flowing or pouring the conductive fluid, from a pump if being used, and into the fluid inlet 210 to fill the cutting chamber 800 (FIG. 8). The flow should be monitored to maintain a steady flow and attempt to avoid pulses that could increase fluid pressure or introduce air into the system.

[0086] Process 1300 may include “turn power on“ 1328, where the power at the power source is turned on thereby running the current through the electrical circuit.

[0087] Process 1300 may include “flow the conductive fluid through the cutting chamber" 1330, and this includes “flow the conductive fluid between an electrode on the body and a position of a conductive layer of the catheter within the cutting chamber to form a conductive fluid bridge “ 1332. This operation 1330 also may include “flow the conductive fluid through an electrode with a nearest portion facing the catheter having a thickness set to control the width of the cutting” 1334. As explained in detail above, this results in the conductive fluidbridge 712 (or bridge ring 713) that performs a reaction that removes ions from the catheter 100. The ions formed at the catheter 100 then dissolve into the conductive fluid (or electrolyte) and are carried away as wastewater (or effluent or detritus).

[0088] Process 1300 may include “turn off power when current is below a threshold“ 1336. By one example form, the power may be turned off when the amperage in the power supply drops below O A. The pump may be turned off at this time point as well.

[0089] Process 1300 may include “flow conductive fluid out of drains” 1338. As the fluid is being provided to the cutting device 200, the conductive fluid filling the cutting chamber 800 then may flow through the cutting device 200 and out of the drains 818, 512, and 514 described above with FIGS. 8-9. Insignificant amounts of hydrogen gas may be generated as well but should be in such negligible amounts that no extra operations should be needed to manage the hydrogen gas. By observing (if possible) when the wastewater turns from clear to cloudy, this confirms that ECM is being performed and the conductive layer is being cut.

[0090] Process 1300 may include “remove and clean catheter“ 1340. For the first option the cutting device 200 is opened by the lifting the upper portion 204 off of the lower portion 206, and then simply removing the catheter. By the second option, the upper electrode portion 602 of the electrode 520 may be retracted away from the lower electrode portion 604 of the electrode 520, and the catheter 100 then may be pulled axially and out of the closed cutting device 200 through one of the catheter holes 212 or 308. Then, detritus and salt remaining on the catheter 100 and the cutting device 200 after the etching process can be rinsed away with deionized water (DI). The catheter 100 then can be cleaned by known methods, and then dried.

[0091] Referring to FIGS. 14 and 14A, a catheter cutting device 1400 has similar features to catheter cutting device 200, except now a catheter 101 is the same or similar to catheter 100. The catheter 101 is to be seated vertically within the device 1400. Specifically, the device 1400 has a non-conductive body 1402 with a right portion 1404 and a left portion 1406. A catheter vertical seat 1408 has an upper seat portion 1409 that extends through a cutting chamber 1416 defined within the body 1402 and continues with (or is aligned with) a lower seat portion 1410 below the cutting chamber 1416. In this case, when the left and right portions 1404 and 1406 are assembled together, the left and right portions 1404 and 1406 cooperatively form the vertical seat 1408 and cutting chamber 1416.

[0092] The body 1402 also holds an example electrode 1430 (FIG. 14A). The electrode 1430 may have a plate-shaped body 1432 with a right electrode portion 1434 received in a right slot 1412 of the right portion 1404 of the cutting device body 1402. while the left portion 1406 of the body 1402 has a left slot 1414 to hold a left electrode portion 1436 of the electrode 1430. The electrode 1430 has an opening 1440 to encircle the catheter 101 when the electrode is placed on the cutting device body 1402 and within the cutting chamber 1416.

[0093] Both the left and right electrode portions 1436 and 1434 both have an edge 1438 and 1444 respectively and that engage each other when the electrode 1430 is assembled on the cutting device body 1402. It will be understood that the edges 1438 and 1444 may have different corresponding shapes to engage each other. Both of the edges 1438 and 1444 also each respectively have a concave section 1442 and 1446 that may be arcuate, and that cooperatively form the opening 1440 when the electrode 1430 is assembled. The opening 1440 may have an inner surface 1448, that is annular here, and that is to face the catheter 101 when assembled on the body 1402 and to form the conductive fluid bridge with the highest cutting rate (or ion removal rate) while providing a precise cutting width. By one form, the opening 1440 is circular and may have an inner ring similar to inner ring 708, but may have other shapes.

[0094] In operation, the catheter 101 is placed vertically in seat 1408 with the location on the catheter 101 to be cut located in the cutting chamber 1416 at a height of the electrode 1430. The electrode 1430 is then assembled onto the body 1402 by separately placing each left and right electrode portion 1436 and 1434 into their respective slots 1414 and 1412, and from left and right ends 1450 and 1452 of the catheter 101. Moving the electrode portions 1436 and 1434 towards each other within the slots 1414 and 1412 engages the edges 1438 and 1444 to each other thereby forming the opening 1440 around the catheter 101 and with the interior surface 1448 facing the catheter 101.

[0095] With this arrangement, an electrolyte or other conductive fluid is poured, pumped, or injected into an inlet passage 1418 on the body 1402. The passage 1418 connects with a vertical passage 1420 to direct the fluid down to the electrode 1430 and the cutting chamber 1416. The cutting chamber 1416 is filled with the fluid and runs to a drain passage 1424 and out of the body 1402. While the fluid is flowing through the body 1402, the conductive fluid passes through the space between the conductive layer of the catheter 101 and the inner surface 1448 of the opening 1440 on the electrode 1430. The conductive fluid in the cuttingchamber 1416 then falls by gravity7into a drain expansion 1422 that leads to a drain passage 1424. With the electrical circuit activated, a conductive fluid bridge is established between the conductive layer of the catheter and the metal near the opening 1440 of the electrode 1430 and specifically, the interior surface 1448. This effectively creates an ECM operation where the metal or braid of the catheter 101 in the form of ions is etched away in the cutting chamber 1416. The resulting detritus from the reaction is removed by the continued fluid flow from the cutting passage and down to the drain expansion 1422 and out of the body 1402 through the drain passage 1424.

[0096] In this document, relational terms such as first and second, and the like may be used solely to distinguish one entity or action from another entity or action without necessarily requiring or implying any actual such relationship or order between such entities or actions. Numerical ordinals such as “first,” “second,” “third,” etc. simply denote different singles of a plurality7and do not imply any order or sequence unless specifically defined by the claim language. The sequence of the text in any of the claims does not imply that process steps must be performed in a temporal or logical order according to such sequence unless it is specifically defined by the language of the claim. The process steps may be interchanged in any order without departing from the scope of the invention as long as such an interchange does not contradict the claim language and is not logically nonsensical.

[0097] Furthermore, depending on the context, words such as “connect” or “coupled to” used in describing a relationship between different elements or parts of the nozzle do not imply that a direct physical connection must be made between these elements, unless mentioned otherwise. For example, two elements may be connected to each other physically, electronically, logically, or in any other manner, through one or more additional elements.

[0098] While at least one example implementation has been presented in the foregoing detailed description, it should be appreciated that a vast number of variations exist. It should also be appreciated that the example implementation or example implementations are only examples, and are not intended to limit the scope, applicability, or configuration of the disclosure in any way. Rather, the foregoing detailed description will provide those skilled in the art with a convenient road map for implementing the example implementations. It should be understood that various changes can be made in the function and arrangement of elements without departing from the scope of the disclosure as set forth in the appended claims and the legal equivalents thereof.

Claims

SGOOOl-WO-PCTPROVISIONAL CLAIMSWhat is claimed is:

1. A device, comprising:a body having a cutting chamber and an elongated catheter seat extending in a direction intersecting the cutting chamber;an electrode within the body and in proximity to a cutting position within the cutting chamber, wherein the electrode is maintained a distance from the cutting position to avoid causing electrical conductivity due to direct physical contact with the electrode at the cutting position;a fluid channel within the body to receive a conductive fluid and flow the conductive fluid into the cutting chamber, in contact with the electrode, and to the cutting position so that the conductive fluid bridges the distance between the electrode and the cutting position; andan electrical circuit connected to the electrode to drive a cunent through the conductive fluid as the conductive fluid bridges the distance between the electrode and the cutting position.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the seat defines an elongated direction through the cutting chamber, wherein the electrode has a surface within the cutting chamber and closest to the cutting position relative to any other outer conductive surface of the electrode, and wherein the surface has a thickness in a direction parallel to the elongated direction set to control a cutting width to cut the exposed conductive layer.

3. The device of claim 3, wherein the thickness of the surface is about 1-2 mm in the elongated direction.SGOOOl-WO-PCT4. The device of claim 1, wherein the distance is about 0.2 to 04 mm.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the electrode comprises an inner ring facing the cutting position and having a first thickness in an elongated direction of the seat, a second thickness between a first outer surface and a second outer surface of the electrode and spaced from each other along the elongated direction, and at least one indent extending inward from at least one of the first and second outer surfaces to form the inner ring within the indent.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the seat generally extends transverse to vertical relative to the ground, and wherein the body comprises a fluid drain fluidly connected to the cutting chamber, below the cutting chamber, and arranged to collect conductive fluid from the cutting chamber and falling into the fluid drain due to gravity.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the cutting position is ring shaped, and wherein the electrode encircles the cutting position, and where the conductive fluid is arranged to flow to form a fluid bridge ring between the electrode and the cutting position.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the cutting position is arranged to be occupied by a conductive layer of a catheter that is to be placed on the elongated catheter seat, wherein the electrode encircles the catheter without contacting the exposed conductive layer at the cutting position within the cutting chamber.

9. A method of cutting a conductive layer of an article, comprising: placing an electrode in proximity to a cutting position within a cutting chamber defined by a body of a cutting device;SGOOOl-WO-PCTmaintaining the electrode a distance from the cutting position to avoid causing electrical conductivity due to direct physical contact with the electrode at the cutting position;forming a conductive fluid bridge between the electrode and the cutting position comprising flowing the conductive fluid into the body, into the cutting chamber, and between the electrode and the cutting position; anddriving an electrical current through the conductive fluid while the conductive fluid forms the conductive fluid bridge.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the body comprises a catheter seat defining an elongated direction through the cutting chamber, and wherein the flowing comprises forming the conductive fluid bridge at least at a portion of the electrode that is closest to the cutting position relative to any other conductive portions of the electrode and that has a thickness in the elongated direction that is set to control a cutting width at the cutting position.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the body comprises a catheter seat extending in a generally horizontal orientation relative to the ground, and wherein the flowing comprises flowing the conductive fluid through the cutting chamber by gravity and into a fluid drain, wherein the fluid drain is within the body below the cutting chamber.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the electrode has a first side and a second side spaced from each other along an elongated direction of the catheter seat, and wherein the flowing comprises flowing the conductive fluid into a portion of the fluid drain that is larger on the first side than the second side.SGOOOl-WO-PCT13. The method of claim 11, wherein the catheter seat has a gap fluidly connecting the cutting chamber to the fluid drain, and wherein the flowing comprises flowing the conductive fluid through the gap to the fluid drain.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the seat has a first seat section on a first side of the cutting chamber and a second seat section on a second side of the cutting chamber opposite the first side, wherein the body comprises a groove open to the cutting chamber and the fluid drain, and wherein the groove is disposed at the first seat section and has a distal end that is an end of the first seat section facing the electrode, wherein the body comprises a projection at the second seat section that extends into the cutting chamber to a tip of the projection facing the electrode opposite the first side so that the gap extends from the distal end of the groove to the tip of the projection, and wherein the flowing comprises flowing the conductive fluid from the cutting chamber, through the gap, into the groove, and into the fluid drain.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the cutting position is above the gap where no catheter seat exists.

16. A system, comprising:a body having a cutting chamber and an elongated catheter seat extending in a direction intersecting the cutting chamber;an electrode within the body and in proximity to a cutting position within the cutting chamber, wherein the electrode is maintained a distance from the cutting position to avoid causing electrical conductivity due to direct physical contact with the electrode at the cutting position;SGOOOl-WO-PCTa fluid channel within the body to receive a conductive fluid and flow the conductive fluid into the cutting chamber, in contact with the electrode, and to the cutting position so that the conductive fluid bridges the distance between the electrode and the cutting position; andan electrical circuit connected to the electrode to drive a current through the conductive fluid as the conductive fluid bridges the distance betw een the electrode and the cutting position.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the electrode has an upper portion and a lower portion that engages the upper portion, wherein the upper and lower portions cooperatively encircle the cutting position, and wherein at least one of the upper and lower portions is a movable portion that is movable in a direction away from the cutting position and elongated catheter seat.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein one of the upper and lower portions has a projection and another portion of the upper and lower portions has a groove disposed to engage the projection so that the movable portion is self-centering as the projection engages the groove and as the movable portion is moved toward the another portion.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein both the upper and lower portions have a V-shaped outer edge of both the projection and the groove disposed to engage each other, and wherein each outer edge has a concave recess that cooperatively form an opening, and wherein the cutting position is within the opening.SGOOOl-WO-PCT20. The system of claim 17, comprising a biasing mechanism coupling the body to the movable portion to bias the movable portion toward the another portion of the electrode.

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