A delivery sheath includes an outer tubular layer and an initially folded inner tubular layer. When an implant passes therethrough, the outer tubular layer expands and the inner tubular layer unfolds into an expanded lumen diameter. The sheath may also include selectively placed longitudinal support rods that mediate friction between the inner and outer tubular layers to facilitate easy expansion, thereby reducing the push force needed to advance the implant through the sheath's lumen.

A method of manufacturing a catheter shaft includes the steps of forming an inner layer of a first polymeric material, forming a plait matrix layer including a second polymeric material about the inner layer, and forming an outer layer of a third polymeric material about the plait matrix layer. The plait matrix layer includes a braided wire mesh partially or fully embedded within the second polymeric material, which is different from at least one of the first polymeric material forming the inner layer and the third polymeric material forming the outer layer. The second polymeric material has a higher yield strain and/or a lower hardness than at least the first polymeric material, and preferably both the first and the third polymeric materials. The first polymeric material and the third polymeric material may be different or the same. The catheter shaft may be formed by stepwise extrusion, co-extrusion, and/or reflow processes.

A wiggle catheter (a dilator) is disclosed to facilitate advancing catheters after puncturing a blood pathway, including without limitation navigation of noncompliant hardware through a diseased lumen. The wiggle catheter includes a proximal section, a distal section, and an intermediate section disposed between the proximal section and the distal section, the intermediate section may include a plurality of angulated kinks along the long axis of the catheter, the angulated kinks having substantially the same diameter at the outer edge of the kinks, said diameter of the outer edge of the kinks being substantially same as the inner diameter of an introducer sheath whereby the wiggle catheter may be positioned inside the introducer sheath with the outer edges of the kinks in close proximity to the inner surface of the introducer sheath. The wiggle catheter may also include a sinusoidal waveform like structure or a helical or spiral structure.

A catheter for treatment of a defect internal of a human or animal body. The catheter may comprise a tube adapted for insertion into the body; an applicator disposed within and moveable relative to the tube; and a porous medium attached to the applicator; wherein the porous medium is capable of fitting inside the tube, whereby the applicator can be controlled at a proximal end of the tube to deploy the porous medium from a distal end of the tube so as to treat the defect.

Expandable sheaths are disclosed herein. In some aspects, the sheath comprises at least one plurality of struts arranged to form an expandable cylindrical frame such that the formed frame is kink resistant. The disclosed frames are configured to expand from a first diameter d.sub.1 in an unexpanded position to a second diameter d.sub.2 an expanded position upon passage of a medical device, while maintaining the kink resistance. Also disclosed are methods of making the same.

A catheter includes a catheter shaft, an operating portion coupled to a proximal end portion of the catheter shaft, and at least one operating wire. A distal end portion of each operating wire is fixed to a distal end portion of the catheter shaft, and a proximal end portion of each operating wire is fixed to the operating portion or the proximal end portion of the catheter shaft. The operating portion includes a first rotary member. The first rotary member makes relative rotation with respect to the catheter shaft around an axis parallel to an extending direction of the proximal end portion of the catheter shaft to change a tensile force of the operating wire and thus change a degree of bending of the distal end portion of the catheter shaft.

Airway devices, systems, and methods are provided that can achieve ventilation of lungs through a mask that seals around the glottis and connects to a flexible airway channel, while also providing evacuation of gastric and/or pharyngeal body fluid and/or blood during upper airway surgeries or procedures.

A controllable stiffness endoscope overtube includes an overtube shaft including an inner sheath defining an access lumen and an outer sheath surrounding the inner sheath from proximal to distal end of inner sheath to define an annulus therebetween having a proximal portion with a vacuum connection. The sheath distal ends are longitudinally fixed to one another and sized to receive an endoscope. The outer sheath has a constant outer diameter over at least a distal portion of the annulus proximate to the distal ends of the sheaths. A vacuum device is fluidically connected to the vacuum connection and applies vacuum to the annulus. Responsive thereto, annulus pressure is lowered, the sheaths are drawn together, and the overtube shaft is stiffened over at least the distal portion to stiffen and maintain a current shape of the overtube shaft over at least the distal portion of the annulus.

The present invention relates to a catheter that minimizes or eliminates the recirculation of oxygenated blood. The catheter of the present invention can be used to drain blood from multiple points in the patient, namely the superior vena cava, right atrium, and the right ventricle, while returning blood to the patient's pulmonary artery. Further, the catheter of the present invention is less likely to be moved or dislodged than catheters currently available in the art, thus making the catheter particularly useful for portable lung assist devices. The present invention also relates to methods for inserting the catheter into the patient and using the catheter with a lung assist device.

A catheter assembly is constructed by reflow bonding an inner liner and an outer layer. The inner liner defines at least one lumen. The inner liner is made of a gamma-irradiated polymeric material that includes a polyether block amide and a gamma radiation activated cross-linking agent.