93results about How to "Improve trackability" patented technology

A catheter assembly and method of use comprises advancing a catheter having a rotatably mounted balloon relative to the primary guide wire to a vessel bifurcation along first and second guide wires.

A medical device (10) including a tube (11) having a highly uniform and repeatable inner and outer diameter, the tube (11) possessing good trackability, pushability and torquability, and the tube (11) being highly resistant to collapse, necking or kinking during use. The tube (11) first includes a metal coil (14) in a stressed, radially expanded condition, the metal coil (14) preferably being formed as a flat wire. The tube (11) also includes a metal braid (16) extending over at least part of the coil (14). The tube (11) further includes a polymeric bonding layer (18) positioned over and contacting at least the coil (14). The polymeric layer (18) is preferably heat-shrinkable shrinkable tubing made of one or more of nylon or polyurethane. The tube (11) optionally includes an inner liner (20) beneath and in contact with at least part of the coil (14), the liner (20) preferably being composed of PTFE. The polymeric layer (18) maintains the coil (14) in its stressed, radially expanded condition, for example, by adhesion to the coil (14) (such as by thermal bonding to it).

A transluminal sheath is disclosed that permits instrumentation to be passed therethrough. The transluminal sheath comprises a composite structure with an inner layer, an outer layer, and a reinforcing layer. The materials comprising the inner and outer layer are plastically deformable and maintain their shape, once bent into a specific configuration. The reinforcing layer further has radiopacity enhancing coatings to improve visibility under fluoroscopy and a system of flutes running longitudinally, to enhance fluid transport and reduce friction.

A catheter 1 suitable for advancement through a body passageway of a patient. The catheter 1 comprises a catheter body 4 which is flexible to provide the necessary trackability for the catheter 1 to advance through a body passageway, and two stainless steel reinforcement wires 5 extending along the catheter body 4 which provide the necessary pushability to advance the catheter 1 through the passageway. The reinforcements 5 are positioned diametrically opposed to one another by approximately 180 degrees on opposite sides of the longitudinal axis of the catheter 1, and the catheter body 4 is relatively soft and twistable. This configuration enables the entire catheter 1 to spontaneously twist during advancement so that the reinforcements 5 orientate themselves along a plane of neutral bending during advancement of the catheter 1. In this way, any resistance to the trackability of the catheter 1 due to the stiff reinforcements 5 is minimized.

A pusher-occlusive coil delivery assembly 10 that is advanced through a microcatheter 40 to the desired vascular site within a patient. The delivery assembly 10 includes a pushwire 12 which interlocks with the occlusive coil 11 which can be manipulated to detach the occlusive coil 11. When the assembly 10 is positioned at the site, the pushwire 12 is advanced to allow the interlock joint 14, 15 to move out of the delivery sleeve 13 to uncouple the pushwire 12 and the occlusive coil 11.

A medical device and method of manufacturing same comprises laser sintering a pattern of powdered metal and / or a dispersion of polymer material to an tubular member such as a catheter and / or catheter balloon.

A method of sterilizing a medical device component, such as a catheter balloon, in which an electron beam (i.e., e-beam) is applied to the component in an evacuated or inert gas-filled container. The method of the invention allows for electron beam sterilization without significant degradation of the component polymeric material. In one embodiment, the device component is configured to be pressurized or expanded during use. The method of the invention provides a component with a rupture pressure that is not significantly decreased due to electron beam sterilization. Another aspect of the invention is a medical device component, e-beam sterilized according to a method of the invention. A variety of medical device components can be sterilized by the method of the invention, and particularly intracorporeal devices for therapeutic or diagnostic purposes, such as balloon catheters, catheter shafts and balloons, stent covers, and vascular grafts.

A balloon catheter, and preferably to a rapid exchange type balloon catheter, having a proximal shaft section, and a distal shaft section with an inner tubular member and an outer tubular member, the outer tubular member having a section which is bonded as by fusing or otherwise bonding. The bonded section extends along a thickened wall portion of the outer tubular member at the rapid exchange junction. A reinforcing member or tube extends within at least a section of the bonded section of the outer tubular member. In one embodiment, the reinforcing tube extends within at least a section of the thickened wall portion of the outer tubular member. The configuration provides a rapid exchange junction with improved kink resistance and flexibility for excellent trackability, and with a minimal decrease in the size of the inflation lumen at the rapid exchange junction for an improved shortened balloon inflation / deflation time.

The present invention relates to a delivery apparatus for delivering a self-expanding neurovascular stent that allows for smooth movement of the apparatus along a typically tortuous vascular path, ease of stent deployment, and ease of stent retractability being pushed and pulled through the delivery apparatus. The apparatus includes an outer catheter, and an inner shaft located coaxially within the outer catheter. The stent is mounted on the distal section of the inner shaft and preloaded within the outer catheter distal region. The inner shaft includes at least one stent blocking member disposed in the distal section. The self-expanding stent has proximal, middle and distal ends and is comprised of a plurality of closed cells. The self-expanding stent includes locking members which interlock with the blocking member(s) disposed on the inner shaft so as to lock the stent onto the inner shaft within the outer catheter, and to enable the stent retractable together with the inner shaft being out of and retrieved back to the outer catheter. More specially, the invention may be used in the treatment of blood vessel blockage and aneurysms which occur in the brain.

A stent for a vessel implanted in the vessel of the living body including a main body portion of the stent formed into a tube by a yarn formed of a biodegradable polymer exhibiting a shape memory function. The main body portion of the stent is shape-memorized to a size that can be inplanted in the vessel. The main body portion of the stent is implanted in the vessel of the living body as it is contracted in diameter by an external force, and is enlarged in diameter by being heated with the temperature of the living body. The main body portion of the stent is formed by winding a yarn formed of a biodegradable polymer in a tube form as the yarn is bent in a zigzag design. The main body portion of the stent is enlarged or contracted in diameter with the bends of the yarn as the displacing portions.

A rapid exchange balloon catheter has a short rapid exchange length for faster catheter exchanges the balloon catheter includes a balloon structure having a balloon leg connected to a catheter shaft. Marker bands may be provided in the balloon leg for facilitating measurement of a dimension of physiological features. A stiffening wire extending longitudinally at least partially into the balloon leg may be provided to supplement and control the flexibility characteristics of the balloon leg.

A catheter having an elongated shaft and a balloon on a distal shaft section, the elongated shaft comprising an outer tubular member, and an inner tubular member which has a bonded portion along which an outer surface of the inner tubular member is bonded to an inner surface of the outer tubular member. The inner tubular member has a proximal portion proximal to the bonded portion, and a distal portion distal to the bonded portion with higher axial compression stiffness and column strength than the proximal portion thereof. The catheter has improved traceability, axial collapse resistance, pushability, and crossability, for improved ability to position the balloon at a desired location in a patient's body lumen.

A catheter for delivering a stent includes an outer tube having a proximal end, a distal end and a wall defining a lumen; an inner tube disposed within the outer tube and defining a lumen for a guidewire, wherein a portion of a length of the inner tube is wrapped around with a spiral-shaped wire; a balloon sealingly connected to the inner tube and the outer tube adjacent the distal ends thereof, the balloon defining an interior volume and having an exterior surface; and a marker made from a wire of a highly radiopaque and ductile material, wherein the wire is wrapped in a plurality of at least partially overlapping layers such that the marker is flexible along the length of the catheter.

A balloon catheter device of the present invention includes an elongate catheter shaft comprising multifilar cable tubing having a proximal portion and a distal portion. The proximal portion includes a coating that allows the shaft to provide a patent fluid passage, and a part of the distal portion inside a balloon may be uncoated or otherwise open to the balloon lumen, allowing for passage of fluid through the shaft into the balloon lumen.

A balloon catheter stent deployment system is disclosed wherein a balloon catheter is provided and a tubular stent is crimped onto a distal portion of the balloon with a distal end of the stent in close proximity to a point where the distal end of the balloon is attached to the inner tube of the catheter. A proximal section of the balloon extending from a proximal end of the stent to a point where the proximal end of the balloon is attached to the outer shaft of the catheter remains uncovered by the stent and, has a larger uninflated outer diameter than the crimped stent. Thus, in some embodiments, the proximal section of the balloon provides a protective cone for the proximal end of the stent to help resist frictional forces from disengaging the stent from the balloon in the event the balloon catheter and stent are withdrawn back into a guide catheter during a procedure. A stepped enclosure is also disclosed which is used in a disclosed fabrication method to allow the proximal section of the balloon to be inflated after the stent is crimped onto the distal section of the balloon.

A vaso-occlusive device includes inner, intermediate, and outer elements arranged coaxially. The inner element is a filamentous element, preferably a microcoil. The intermediate element is made of a non-metallic material, preferably an expansile polymer. The outer element is substantially non-expansile and defines at least one gap or opening through which the intermediate element is exposed. In a preferred embodiment, when the intermediate element is expanded, it protrudes through the at least one gap or opening in the outer element and assumes a configuration with an undulating, convexly-curved outer surface defining a chain of arcuate segments, each having a diameter significantly greater than the diameter of the outer element. The expanded configuration of the intermediate element minimizes friction when the device is deployed through a microcatheter, thereby reducing the likelihood of buckling while maintaining excellent flexibility. The result is a device with enhanced pushability and trackability when deployed through a microcatheter.

A balloon catheter having a pre-mounted recovery sheath for recovering an expanded device, such as an embolic protection device, in a patient's body lumen, and a method of using a balloon catheter system of the invention to recover the expanded device

A catheter having an elongated shaft and a balloon on a distal shaft section, the elongated shaft comprising an outer tubular member, and an inner tubular member which has a bonded portion along which an outer surface of the inner tubular member is bonded to an inner surface of the outer tubular member. The inner tubular member has a proximal portion proximal to the bonded portion, and a distal portion distal to the bonded portion with higher axial compression stiffness and column strength than the proximal portion thereof. The catheter has improved trackability, axial collapse resistance, pushability, and crossability, for improved ability to position the balloon at a desired location in a patient's body lumen.

A catheter system comprises a catheter having an elongate catheter shaft such that a portion of the catheter shaft proximal a stent retaining region defines at least one bend that is bent around the longitudinal axis of a vessel. The catheter also has a side branch guidewire housing, defining a side branch guidewire lumen, and a side branch guidewire that extends through the side branch guidewire lumen.

Digital data obtained by converting, by an A / D converter, an angular velocity measured by a sensor is transmitted from a remote control to a game machine. A CPU of the game machine corrects the digital data. That is, the CPU sequentially stores sequential digital data in a buffer. A stable range (d1-d2) in which each digital data can be defined to be stable is calculated for the latest digital data. An average value of those of the digital data stored in the buffer that are consecutively present in the stable range retrogressively from the latest digital data is calculated. Using the average value, the latest digital data is corrected.

To provide a lumen-friendly, flexible stent which is excellent in trackability to lumens (thus, it is able to pass through the three-dimensionally meandering lumens), substantially free from shortening (shortening of the length), uniformly expandable.A stent according to the present invention comprises radially expandable annular members (1) which are aligned in a longitudinal direction of the stent, and one or more coupling elements (2) that couple adjoining two annular members (1) in the longitudinal direction of the stent, wherein said annular member comprises first annular member elements (11) and second annular member elements (12), which have a plane symmetrical pattern and are alternately connected in the circumferential direction of the annular member, and wherein under the condition that the stent is unfolded onto a plane, the first annular member element (11) includes one wave mountain, while the second annular member element (12) includes one wave trough, the adjoining two annular members being connected between the junctions which connect the first annular member elements (11) and second annular member elements (12) of the respective annular members.

A catheter assembly and method of use comprises advancing a catheter having a rotatably mounted balloon relative to the primary guide wire to a vessel bifurcation along first and second guide wires.

A balloon catheter having a pre-mounted recovery sheath for recovering an expanded device, such as an embolic protection device, in a patient's body lumen, and a method of using a balloon catheter system of the invention to recover the expanded device

This invention relates to medical devices containing melt-processible polytetrafluoro-ethylene (PTFE) and methods of making same.

A catheter shaft for a catheter includes a centrally-located guidewire lumen. A body portion of the catheter shaft includes arc-shaped nodes that define a guidewire track within the guidewire lumen. The nodes include a crown region that includes a single contact point for the guidewire and may be formed of a material having a lower coefficient of friction. At least one node has an inflation lumen extending therethrough. The catheter shaft has a cut in it extending radially from the guidewire lumen to an exterior surface of the catheter shaft. The balloon catheter has a guide member that opens the cut and tracks the guidewire in and out of the catheter shaft along a length of the catheter shaft which is cut.

A catheter includes a proximal shaft having a relatively high rigidity, a distal shaft provided on a front portion of the proximal shaft so as to be in fluid communication with proximal shaft and having a rigidity lower than that of the proximal shaft, a hub mounted to the vicinity of a rear end of the proximal shaft and configured to allow a pressure applying apparatus to be mounted to the hub, and a balloon provided on a front portion of the distal shaft so as to be in fluid communication with the distal shaft and configured to receive pressure applied from the hub. The catheter also includes a guide wire lumen. In this catheter, at least a front portion of the distal shaft is configured as a grooved portion having a groove or grooves.

A method of making a guide wire involves butting a connection end face at a proximal end of a first wire against a connection end face at a distal end of a second wire while applying voltage and a pressing force to weld together the first and second wires at a welded portion. The welded portion forms a projection that projects outwardly in an outer peripheral direction relative to portions of the first and second wire adjacent the projection. The outer dimension of the projection at the welded portion is adjusted so that upon completing adjusting the outer dimension of the projection the projection still projects outwardly in the outer peripheral direction relative to the portions of the first and second wire adjacent the projection.

A catheter assembly and method of use comprises advancing a catheter having a rotatably mounted balloon relative to the primary guide wire to a vessel bifurcation along first and second guide wires.

A rapid exchange balloon catheter has a short rapid exchange length for faster catheter exchanges the balloon catheter includes a balloon structure having a balloon leg connected to a catheter shaft. Marker bands may be provided in the balloon leg for facilitating measurement of a dimension of physiological features. A stiffening wire extending longitudinally at least partially into the balloon leg may be provided to supplement and control the flexibility characteristics of the balloon leg.