Rapidly insertable central catheters (“RICCs”) including catheter assemblies and methods thereof are disclosed. For example, a RICC assembly includes a RICC and an introducer. The RICC includes a catheter tube, a catheter hub, and one or more extension legs coupled in the foregoing order. The catheter tube includes a side aperture that opens into an introducing lumen that extends from at least the side aperture to a distal end of the RICC. The introducer includes a retractable-needle device, a syringe, and a coupling hub that couples the retractable-needle device and the syringe together proximal of the side aperture in a ready-to-deploy state of the RICC assembly. The retractable-needle device includes an introducer needle. A needle tip in a distal-end portion of a shaft of the introducer needle extends beyond the distal end of the RICC when the RICC assembly is in the ready-to-deploy state of the RICC assembly.

Described embodiments include a catheter tip that includes an outer layer of a thermally-conducting metal; an inner layer of a thermally-conducting metal; a polymer layer between the inner and outer layer; and a plurality of thermal bridges selectively positioned between the inner and outer layers and through the polymer layer thereby significantly increasing the heat transfer of the catheter tip through the polymer layer. Other embodiments are also described.

Ablation systems of the present disclosure facilitate the safe formation of wide and deep lesions. For example, ablation systems of the present disclosure can allow for the flow of irrigation fluid and blood through an expandable ablation electrode, resulting in efficient and effective cooling of the ablation electrode as the ablation electrode delivers energy at a treatment site of the patient. Additionally, or alternatively, ablation systems of the present disclosure can include a deformable ablation electrode and a plurality of sensors that, in cooperation, sense the deformation of the ablation electrode, to provide a robust indication of the extent and direction of contact between the ablation electrode and tissue at a treatment site.

A one-piece catheter (30) and manufacturing method therefor are disclosed. The catheter (30) includes a catheter tube (33) and an adapter (31). The catheter catheter tube (33) includes a tip (331) at one end and an end portion (332) at another other end. The adapter (31) can be configured for receiving a septum (402). The adapter (31) includes a narrow opening. The end portion (332) of the catheter tube (33) is connected to the adapter (31) at the narrow opening for fluid communication between the catheter tube (33) and the adapter (31). The catheter tube (33) and adapter (31) are formed as a one-piece element that is preferably injection molded in a single-shot process. Additional elements, such as one or more retention tabs (313) for attaching to a base can be formed on the catheter (30). The one-piece catheter (30) can be made by a single-shot injection molding process. Additional structures, such as a base can be attached to the catheter (30) by a second-shot injection molding process.

A method of producing a catheter includes a step of arranging a lead wire in the lumen of a thermoplastic outer-layer tube such that the lead wire extends in the longitudinal direction of the outer-layer tube; a step of exposing one end of the lead wire out of an opening of the outer-layer tube; a step of joining the one end of the lead wire exposed out of the opening with the inner wall of a ring electrode; a step of covering the opening of the outer-layer tube with the ring electrode; an step of inserting a thermoplastic inner-layer tube in the lumen of the outer-layer tube; and an integrating step of heating the outer-layer tube and the inner-layer tube to integrate the outer-layer and the inner-layer tubes to form an electrode tip such that the lead wire is interlaminarly embedded and fixed between the outer-layer and the inner-layer tubes.

An aspiration catheter can include an elongate shaft and an instrument base coupled to the shaft and configured to control actuation of at least a distal portion of the shaft. The shaft can include a lumen configured to couple to an aspiration system to provide aspiration to a target site, such as to remove an object from a patient. At least a portion of the distal end portion of the shaft can include an inner diameter that is smaller than an inner diameter of the rest of shaft to prevent objects that are larger than a particular size from entering.

Devices, systems, and methods of the present disclosure can overcome physical constraints associated with catheter introduction to facilitate the use of a catheter with a large distal portion as part of a medical procedure benefiting from such a large distal portion, such as, for example, cardiac ablation. More specifically, devices, systems, and methods of the present disclosure can compress an expandable tip of a catheter from an expanded state to a compressed state along a tapered surface of an insertion sleeve for advancement of the expandable tip into vasculature of a patient. The tapered surface of the insertion sleeve can, for example, apply compressive forces at an angle against the advancing expandable tip. As compared to other approaches to the application of compressive force to an expandable tip, compressing the expandable tip using an angled force can reduce the likelihood of unintended deformation of the expandable tip.

An instrument (203; 204) for endoscopic applications. The instrument is able to be guided through a curved shaped tube (201; 202) and has an intermediate cylindrical element (3) with a handling end portion with a flexible portion and actuating means located at an actuating end portion. The intermediate cylindrical element (3) has a first cylindrical part (31; 151) at the handling end portion, a second cylindrical part (35; 155) at the actuating end portion and a number of longitudinal elements (38; 60; 70; 80; 90; 100; 110; 130; 153) for transferring the movement of the actuating means to the handling end portion. The longitudinal elements are separated by longitudinal slits in the intermediate cylindrical element.

An instrument (203; 204) for endoscopic applications. The instrument is able to be guided through a curved shaped tube (201; 202) and has an intermediate cylindrical element (3) with a handling end portion with a flexible portion and actuating means located at an actuating end portion. The intermediate cylindrical element (3) has a first cylindrical part (31; 151) at the handling end portion, a second cylindrical part (35; 155) at the actuating end portion and a number of longitudinal elements (38; 60; 70; 80; 90; 100; 110; 130; 153) for transferring the movement of the actuating means to the handling end portion. The longitudinal elements are separated by longitudinal slits in the intermediate cylindrical element.

An instrument (203; 204) for endoscopic applications. The instrument is able to be guided through a curved shaped tube (201; 202) and has an intermediate cylindrical element (3) with a handling end portion with a flexible portion and actuating means located at an actuating end portion. The intermediate cylindrical element (3) has a first cylindrical part (31; 151) at the handling end portion, a second cylindrical part (35; 155) at the actuating end portion and a number of longitudinal elements (38; 60; 70; 80; 90; 100; 110; 130; 153) for transferring the movement of the actuating means to the handling end portion. The longitudinal elements are separated by longitudinal slits in the intermediate cylindrical element.