A catheter 30 includes a tube 31 provided with a tubular reinforcing member 311 having a plurality of wires W braided to intersect one another and a plastic layer 312 that covers the reinforcing member. The catheter 30 includes a pair of rings 32 and 33 configured to sandwich a distal end 311A of the reinforcing member from the inner periphery and the outer periphery.

Apparatus and methods for an endovascular catheter that can be inserted within tortuous body anatomies and then selectively stiffened and fixed in place. In a particular embodiment, this stiffness is reversible. The stiffness or a comparable mechanical characteristic of the catheter assembly may be adjusted to a relatively low value during insertion (so that it easily navigates a guide wire or the like), and then subsequently adjusted to a relatively high value in situ to keep the catheter assembly substantially fixed in place (i.e., during delivery of an interventional device).

Aspects of articulating devices and methods are disclosed. An exemplary articulating device may comprise an interior core with a reinforcing extending along a central axis, an exterior layer bonded to the interior core by an interface, and a lumen extending through the exterior layer, exterior of the reinforcing element, and parallel to the central axis. A steering wire may be moveable in the lumen to articulate a distal end of the device relative to the central axis in response to a force applied to the steering wire. Related methods of manufacturing an articulating device are also described.

A catheter package and method of use which serve to straighten a curved catheter shaft. The straightening of the catheter shaft may be accomplished by passing the shaft through a pathway that bends the catheter in the opposite direction of the curvature imparted to the catheter shaft. The catheter shaft pathway may incorporate various shaped bumps, ridges, pins or rollers or other features which assist in straightening the shaft.

An invasive tool with controlled rigidity has a distal portion which supports a controlled rigidity profiled structure to provide a desired profile of rigidity. In one embodiment, the profiled structure is formed by helical winding of a strip of side by side disposed microwires into a sequence of same distally extending sections having the same rigidity. For control of rigidity, selected microwires from chosen sections are terminated. Thereby, the degree of relative rigidity each one of the chosen sections may be reduced to provide a profile of desired rigidity. Construction of the profiled structure uses a wire winding machine, and a laser machine to terminate microwires. Thereafter, the profiled structure is integrated in the distal portion of an invasive tool, as well known in the art, whereby an invasive tool with controlled rigidity is provided.

A delivery system for delivering and deploying an implantable medical device is presented that includes a delivery member having a flexible distal portion. The deliver member can include a proximal hypotube, a flexible coil extending distally from the proximal hypotube, a compressible distal hypotube extending distally from the flexible coil, a sleeve extending along the flexible coil, and a loop wire. The loop wire can be effective to inhibit longitudinal elongation of the flexible coil. The sleeve can be effective to inhibit radial expansion of the flexible coil.

An aspiration system for aspirating blood clots from a human body has a power source, an aspiration pump, and an electrical motor coupled to the power source and the aspiration pump, wherein the aspiration pump is pulsed at a frequency below 10 Hz.

Apparatus and methods are provided for making catheters having relatively larger distal and proximal regions and/or including intermediate layers that minimize or eliminate gaps during manufacturing, and to catheters or other tubular devices made using such apparatus and methods.

A catheter assembly includes an inner liner made of flexible material and an outer layer having a steering mechanism. A catheter assembly is provided that includes an inner liner made of flexible material, and an outer layer having a steering mechanism that includes at least one wire and a corresponding lumen for each of the at least one wire through which the respective wire may travel. The outer layer includes a braided wire assembly that includes at least two wires braided into a wire mesh, and further includes a see-through portion positioned proximate a pull wire extraction location to facilitate extraction.

An extension catheter is introduced through the guide catheter and inserted into the treatment area, The extension catheter may have an expandable tip. A suction pump is coupled to the proximal end of the guide catheter to aspirate blood clots or other issue from the treatment location outside the body.