A package or container for a catheter having a catheter tube with a proximal end provided with a catheter outlet and a distal opening at a distal end thereof. A gel receptacle is provided with a cavity for holding an amount of a lubricating agent, and the catheter tube extends therethrough. The gel receptacle is configured such that as the catheter is withdrawn from a stored position therein, a leading tip of the catheter is immersed in the lubricating agent, thus automatically coating the leading tip. The gel receptacle may be held within a rigid body or may be a standalone item packaged in a sterile bag solely with the catheter. A side wall of the gel receptacle is deformable so that as the catheter is withdrawn proximally the side wall is collapsed inward to displace the lubricating agent gel and coat an exterior surface of the catheter tube.

The disclosure includes a catheter system comprising an inner catheter and an outer catheter configured to at least partially receive the inner catheter. Each of the inner catheter and the outer catheter may comprise an outer surface and an inner surface, wherein each of the outer and inner surfaces may be coated in a hydrophilic coating. In some embodiments, the hydrophilic coating is configured to reduce surface tension and increase lubricity of the inner catheter and the outer catheter.

A method of making a ready-to-use catheter assembly is provided, which can be immediately used by a patient. The ready-to-use catheter assembly ensures that the catheter does not suffer from a loss of quality during its shelf life and a wetting medium are provided. The method comprises: placing a catheter with an inactivated hydrophilic outer surface at least along its insertable length and a wetting medium in a catheter package; treating the catheter package with the catheter and the wetting medium with electro-magnetic and/or particle radiation while at least initially the hydrophilic outer surface at least along the insertable length of the catheter remains inactivated; and activating the hydrophilic outer surface at least along the insertable length of the catheter with the wetting medium during and/or after the radiation treatment and wherein the wetting medium decreases in viscosity when submitted to electro-magnetic and/or particle radiation.

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.

An elongate medical device comprising a first lumen, wherein a cross-sectional shape of the first lumen comprises a peanut shape, and a plurality of second lumens, wherein the plurality of second lumens are proximate the first lumen, wherein the first lumen comprises a lumen liner that conforms to the cross-sectional shape of the first lumen, wherein the lumen liner comprises a first material and the elongate medical device comprises a second material, where the first material is different from the second material.

The disclosed technology includes a catheter or sheath assembly and a method for manufacturing same. The manufacturing process includes obtaining a catheter or sheath having a distal end and a proximal end, and obtaining a hub pre-formed separately from the catheter or sheath. The hub can include a pre-formed receptacle portion configured to receive a portion of the catheter or sheath. A portion of the catheter or sheath can be inserted into the pre-formed receptacle portion of the hub. The receptacle portion can be melted to a semi-fluid state and can be compressed against the portion of the catheter or sheath in the hub.

Disclosed is an expandable transluminal sheath, for introduction into the body while in a first, low cross-sectional area configuration, and subsequent expansion of at least a part of the distal end of the sheath to a second, enlarged cross-sectional configuration. The sheath is configured for use in the vascular system and has utility in the performance of procedures in the left atrium. The access route is through the inferior vena cava to the right atrium, where a trans-septal puncture, followed by advancement of the catheter is completed. The distal end of the sheath is maintained in the first, low cross-sectional configuration during advancement to the right atrium and through the atrial septum into the left atrium. The distal end of the sheath is subsequently expanded using a radial dilatation device.

The invention comprises an indwelling medical device which is capable of delivering a therapeutic agent evenly along the length of the indwelling portion, including the outer wall, of the device.

Drug delivery systems and methods are disclosed herein. In some embodiments, a drug delivery system can be configured to deliver a drug to a patient in coordination with a physiological parameter of the patient (e.g., the patient’s natural cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) pulsation or the patient’s heart or respiration rate). In some embodiments, a drug delivery system can be configured to use a combination of infusion and aspiration to control delivery of a drug to a patient. Catheters, controllers, and other components for use in the above systems are also disclosed, as are various methods of using such systems.

A system for providing a continuous passage through a delivery catheter comprising a handle that defines an internal chamber. A first tube having a proximal end and a distal end and a first bore, the first tube being fixedly mounted within the handle, wherein the first bore at the distal end of the first tube is shaped to define a first inverse conical surface. A second tube having a proximal end and a distal end and a second bore, the second tube being slidably mounted within the handle, wherein the second bore is in axial alignment with the first bore. A third tube having a proximal end and a distal end and a third bore.