A method of manufacturing a cannula (4) for an intravascular blood pump comprises the steps of forming a first axial section (13) and a second axial section (15) of an elongate tubular body of the cannula (4) by dispensing a first liquid material and a second liquid material, respectively, onto a mandrel (7) by means of at least one dispenser (8). The mandrel (7) is rotated and the dispenser (8) moves relative to the mandrel (7) in an axial direction during dispensing of the liquid materials. The first and second axial sections (13, 15) are formed so as to have different bending stiffnesses. The first and second liquid materials are dispensed onto the mandrel (7) such that the first and second liquid materials blend into each other to form a smooth transition area (14).

A deflectable guiding catheter that includes a proximal handle assembly, an elongated catheter shaft extending distally from the proximal handle assembly and including a deflectable distal end portion, a drive mechanism within the proximal handle assembly for steering the deflectable distal end portion of the catheter shaft, an anchor ring positioned adjacent a distal end of the catheter shaft, an elongated pull wire extending from the drive mechanism and connected to the anchor ring, a braided sleeve extending from a proximal end of the catheter shaft to a proximal end of the anchor ring, and a containment ring positioned over a distal end portion of the braided sleeve at the proximal end of the anchor ring.

A delivery member is provided for delivering and deploying an intravascular medical device. The delivery member includes a flexible distal portion including a wound wire coil surrounded by a flexible sleeve and inhibited from extending lengthwise by a stretch resistant member positioned through the lumen of the coil. The delivery member can include hypotubes positioned on either side (distally and proximally) from the wound wire coil to which the stretch resistant member and the wound wire coil can be attached.

Shapeable guide catheters and methods for manufacturing and using such shapeable guide catheters. In one embodiment, the shapeable guide catheter comprises a tubular member having a shapeable region, a malleable shaping member attached to the shapeable region such that, when the shape of the shapeable region is changed from a first shape to a second shape, the shaping member will plastically deform to thereafter substantially hold the shapeable region in the second shape, a tubular outer jacket disposed about the outer surface of the tubular member and a tubular inner jacket disposed within the lumen of the tubular member. The shapeable region of the guide catheter may be manually formed into a desired shape before insertion of the guide catheter into the body. In some embodiments, the guide catheter is sized to be inserted through a nostril of a human patient and used to guide the transnasal insertion of another device (e.g., a guidewire, catheter, etc.) to a desired location within the nose, throat, ear or cranium of the subject.

This invention relates methods of using a non-fucosylated anti-CD40 antibody for treatment of cancer and chronic infectious diseases.

A drainage catheter may include a polymeric tubular member and a braided reinforcement that is disposed about the polymeric tubular member. The braided reinforcement may include a repeating braid pattern that extends over a first portion of a length of the drainage catheter and a modified braid pattern that extends over a second portion of the length of the drainage catheter, the modified braid pattern providing a region without any braid filaments. The drainage catheter may include a drainage hole that extends through the polymeric tubular member within the region without any braid filaments.

A barbed microcatheter includes a hollow tube having an elongated lumen, outwardly projecting barbs, fluid egress openings, a tissue anchor secured to a proximal end of the hollow tube, and a needle secured to the distal end of the hollow tube. The needle is used to form a first tissue opening at the first end of the wound. The hollow tube is pulled through the first tissue opening until the tissue anchor abuts against tissue at the first end of the wound. The needle is used to form a second tissue opening at the second end of the wound. The hollow tube is pulled through the second tissue opening so that barbs engage wound tissue. After cutting away the needle, a therapeutic fluid is introduced into the elongated lumen and passes through the fluid egress openings for infusing the wound with the therapeutic fluid.

Sensor electrodes are fabricated in situ within or on a surface of a medical device. For example, a catheter can have a lumen extending between first and second longitudinal ends of the catheter. A patterning mold can be inserted into the lumen via the first longitudinal end of the catheter such that first and second surface portions of the lumen are exposed from the patterning mold and remaining surface portions of the lumen are covered by and in contact with the patterning mold. A first electrode layer can be formed on the first and second surface portions exposed from the patterning mold using electroless deposition. After the forming, the patterning mold can be removed from the lumen. Additional electrode layers can be formed on the first electrode layer, for example, via electroplating. In some embodiments, the electrode layers can be used for detection of bacterial biofilm growth.

A catheter has a jacket (10, 11, 5) defining a lumen and a helical support (6). The catheter has a proximal portion (1) and a distal portion (3), the distal portion having for at least some of its length a corrugated outer surface. A transition portion has a flexural stiffness which is less than that of the distal portion and more than that of the proximal portion. The transition portion provides an optimum transition in flexural stiffness by way of features of the jacket including geometry of jacket corrugations (15), or overlapping tubular layers (1073, 1074). The distal end of the distal portion may have an extension of liner material folded over (1072, 1082) to provide a particularly soft tip. In other examples the liner is terminated (763) before the distal tip. The catheter is particularly suited to an aspiration device (1350) with a flow restrictor (1353) and the distal portion distal of the flow restrictor. An aspiration system (3500) may employ the catheter with a pump which dynamically applies negative or positive pressure to optimally aspirate a clot.

A neurovascular catheter having an elongate flexible tubular body. The body can have a catheter distal face residing on a first plane being at a first nonorthogonal angle relative to the longitudinal axis. The body can have a radiopaque marker being positioned in a distal zone of the tubular body and being proximal to the catheter distal face. The marker can have a marker distal face at least partially residing on a second plane being at a second nonorthogonal angle relative to the longitudinal axis. The first plane can be approximately parallel to the second plane.