A large bore catheter has a guiding rail extending therethrough and an advance segment of the rail extends at least about 10 cm beyond the distal end of the catheter. The advance segment is advanced from the vena cava through the tricuspid and pulmonary valves of the heart into the central pulmonary artery while the distal end of the large bore catheter remains in the vena cava. The large bore catheter is thereafter distally advanced over the rail until the large bore catheter distal end is at least as far as the central pulmonary artery. The rail is thereafter proximally removed from the large bore catheter, and at least a portion of a clot is drawn from a pulmonary artery into the large bore catheter.

A system for infusing fluid into a body of a subject includes an expandable medical device and a balloon catheter. The expandable medical device includes an expandable section that may be expanded and contracted and, when expanded, score a wall of a vessel or another open space within the body of the subject. The balloon catheter includes a balloon that expands when pressurized and can expand the expandable section. When pressure within the balloon is reduced, the expandable section can resiliently contract the balloon. The balloon may be shorter than the expandable section, enabling the balloon to be positioned at a plurality of locations along the length of the expandable section and to expand the expandable section to a plurality of different configurations. The system may be used to limit the flow of infused fluid beyond a target location within the body and/or to force fluid into the target location.

A dilation catheter includes a shaft and an expandable element. The shaft includes a proximal portion and a distal portion. The distal portion includes a tip and a bend. The tip is sized and configured to pass through an isthmus of a Eustachian tube (ET). The bend is proximal to the tip. The bend is formed at an angle configured to provide insertion of the tip into the isthmus of the ET via an ear canal associated with the ET. The expandable element is disposed at the distal portion of the shaft. The expandable element is configured to transition between a non-expanded state and an expanded state. The expandable element in the non-expanded state is configured for insertion into the ET via the isthmus. The expandable element in the expanded state is configured to dilate the ET.

A catheter-based system is provided having two occlusion elements and a perfusion lumen having a distal opening distal to the occlusion elements and a proximal opening proximal to the occlusion elements. The occlusion elements can be expanded to block blood flow both distal to an intravascular treatment site and to block blood flow proximal to the treatment site, thereby isolating the treatment site. The perfusion lumen can allow blood to flow between the distal and proximal openings, through the treatment site, while remaining isolated from fluids in the treatment site. The system can further include a treatment lumen having a proximal opening accessible by a user to provide aspiration, drug delivery, mechanical device delivery, or other treatment into the vasculature and a distal opening positioned between the two occlusion elements and in communication with fluids at the isolated treatment site.

A shock wave treatment device to treat skin and adjacent tissue with a combination of mechanical stimulation and acoustic pressure shock waves, such as methods for cosmetic applications, enhancing blood circulation, and wound treatment, includes a pressure shock wave applicator having a reflector and a mechanical stimulator of one or both of a vacuum device and roller device.

Some embodiments provide a system for external manipulation of magnetic nanoparticles in vasculature using a remotely placed magnetic field-generating stator. In one embodiment, the systems and methods relate to the control of magnetic nanoparticles in a fluid medium using permanent magnet-based or electromagnetic field-generating stator sources. Such a system can be useful for increasing the diffusion of therapeutic agents in a fluid medium, such as a human circulatory system, which can result in substantial clearance of fluid obstructions, such as vascular occlusions, in a circulatory system resulting in increased blood flow. Magnetic nanoparticles are provided having a non-specialized chemical coating facilitating association with a chemical composition by a user before infusion. Systems are provided for delivering a consistent infusion mass of magnetic nanoparticles to a patient.

A medical device is disclosed for cutting substances inside a body lumen. The medical device includes: a rotatable tubular drive shaft; a treatment member arranged on a distal side of the drive shaft; a device handle configured to locate the drive shaft; a guide cover located in the device handle and disposed to cover the drive shaft; an outer sheath disposed to cover the guide cover and located in a housing of the device handle; a first sealing member located proximal to a proximal end of the outer sheath and proximal to a fluid connection, the fluid connection configured to supply a saline solution into the outer sheath on the guide cover; and a drainage tube located proximal to the outer sheath and the first sealing member, the drainage tube being located in the housing of the device handle, and the drainage tube is fixed with respect to the housing.

This disclosure concerns systems and methods for removal of material from the body of a patient, and particularly for percutaneous nephrolithotomy. Systems according to the various embodiments of the disclosure include one or more of nested first and second components, for instance a scope nested within a suction or irrigation catheter, guidewires with self-expanding distal tips, and wash-out elements to facilitate rapid removal of stones through an access sheath.

Disclosed herein are systems, devices, and methods for the removal of objects from the body. The device may be a urethral catheter configured to aspirate kidney stones from the urinary tract through one or more aspiration ports at the distal face or along a lateral side of the catheter. The catheter may include one or more irrigation ports at the distal face or along the lateral side of the catheter for dislodging kidney stones. The device may be steerable. The spatial arrangement of the one or more irrigation ports with respect to the one or more aspiration ports may vary. The device may include an irrigation tube and/or a shield member configured to spatially confine the kidney stones adjacent the catheter. Various temporal patterns of aspiration and irrigation are disclosed for optimizing removal of kidney stones.

A treatment method and medical device are disclosed for cutting a substance inside a body lumen. The medical device for cutting substances inside a body lumen, the medical device including a rotatable tubular drive shaft; a treatment member connected to a distal side of the drive shaft; an elongated tube extending through the drive shaft; and a bearing member connecting a distal side of the treatment member and the elongated tube.