A catheter includes a hollow shaft, a multi-thread coil body covering the hollow shaft, and a cover member covering the multi-thread coil body. The multi-thread coil body includes a ring-shaped or substantially hollow cylindrical joint part in which distal ends of a plurality of element wires are joined in a circumferential direction, a coil main body located at a proximal side of the joint part in an axial direction, in which an outer shape of a cross section of each of the plurality of element wires is circular, and a transition part located between the joint part and the coil main body, in which a width of at least one of the plurality of element wires widens toward a distal end of the element wire.

An introducer sheath for the insertion of a medical device into a blood vessel having an expandable sheath. The sheath has a length, a thickness, and proximal and distal ends. The expandable sheath has a frame extending longitudinally between the proximal and the distal ends, and having an exterior surface and an interior surface that forms an interior lumen along the length of the frame. The frame is configured to achieve an expanded state and a contracted state, the expanded state forming an expanded cross-section in the lumen for passing a medical device therethrough. The frame has a smooth coating about the exterior surface and protrusions extending into the lumen along the interior surface. The introducer sheath can be introduced into a patient in the contracted state, with the distal end of the introducer sheath prevented from moving in the proximal direction by an abutment against a dilator end surface.

To reinforce a layer that is configured to contain fluororesin while suppressing the thickness of the entire medical tube. A medical tube includes a first resin layer that is configured to contain fluororesin, and a second resin layer that is configured to coat an outer peripheral surface of the first resin layer and containing polyimide resin. The thickness of the second resin layer is larger than 0 μm but not exceeding 15 μm.

Catheter tubing comprises: an elongate body comprising a base thermoplastic polyurethane; and a compounded thermoplastic polyurethane co-extruded with the base thermoplastic polyurethane to provide a section of catheter tubing discrete from the elongate body, the compounded thermoplastic polyurethane comprising a thermoplastic polyurethane and a radiopaque material, wherein the catheter tubing comprises a first elastic modulus under first conditions prior to entry into a patient; and wherein when exposed to second conditions comprising two or more in vivo stimuli for a duration of time the catheter tubing comprises a second elastic modulus that is not more than fifty percent of the first modulus.

A polymeric device including: an elongated hollow tube having an outer surface; and a spiral fin wound around the outer surface of the hollow tube; wherein the hollow tube and the spiral fin are formed of a single unitary piece through a molding process. The polymeric device can further include a longitudinal projection projecting from the outer surface of the hollow tube, the longitudinal projection having a greater thickness than other portions of the hollow tube and the longitudinal projection extending at least a portion of a longitudinal length of the hollow tube.

A guiding sheath has a braided layer for improved deflection characteristics and ring electrodes for electrical sensing, mapping and visualization, wherein lead wires for the ring electrodes are passed through lumened tubing position under the braided layer in a proximal portion of the guiding sheath shaft and above the braided layer in a distal portion of the guiding sheath shaft. Moreover, the hemostatic valve includes an improved friction ring with air vents to reduce the risk of air being introduced into the valve.

A method of manufacturing a catheter shaft includes extruding an inner polymeric layer having a main lumen and two or more side lumens spaced about the main lumen; forming an outer polymeric layer about the inner polymeric layer; and inserting at least one elongate member, such as a wire, through each side lumen of the inner polymeric layer. The side lumens are less than about ⅕ the size of the main lumen. The method may further include the step of forming a braided layer between the inner polymeric layer and the outer polymeric layer. In an alternate embodiment, the method includes co-extruding an inner polymeric layer and a multi-lumen layer, the multi-lumen layer having two or more side lumens; forming an outer polymeric layer about the multi-lumen layer; and inserting at least one elongate member through each side lumen. Catheter assemblies made according to the described methods are also disclosed.

A microcatheter comprising an inner layer, a strike layer and an outer layer and a braided skeleton located between the inner layer and the outer layer, wherein the inner layer is made of Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) and has a thickness of 0.0015 inch or less, wherein the strike layer includes a polyether block amide and has a thickness of 0.001 inch or less, and wherein a distal portion of said outer layer is made of polycarbonate-based thermoplastic polyurethane having a shore of 90A or below.

An elastic percutaneous elastic introducer sheath is disclosed which can locally expand and reduce to accommodate a transcatheter medical device. The elastic introducer sheath includes a non-circumferentially continuous elastic frame, a liner, and a jacket.

In some examples, a catheter includes an elongated body comprising proximal and distal portions. The distal portion of the elongated body comprises an inner liner that includes a proximal liner section and a distal liner section that include different materials, and an outer jacket positioned over the inner liner. The distal liner section has a first hardness and the proximal liner section has a second hardness, where the first hardness is less than the second hardness.