An anchoring device that can be positioned within a native valve, such as the native mitral valve, to secure a replacement prosthetic valve in place. The anchoring device can comprise a docking station formed of an elastic tube-like member defining a generally coiled shape. The docking station can have an atrial or stabilization turn, a leading or encircling turn, and a central region. In many embodiments, the docking device possess a plurality of cuts on opposing sides of the tube-like member to allow biasing of the member.

A system that includes a cannula and a flexible hypotube attached to the cannula configured to slidably receive an optical fiber. The system may be configured to have a ratio R1 of a diameter of the outer surface of the hypotube to a diameter of the inner surface of the cannula is 1:5>R1>1:25, and/or where the flexible hypotube comprises a tubular portion containing at least one cut extending from the outer surface at least partially through the sidewall of the flexible hypotube, each cut having a maximum width of between 0.01 and 0.1 mm.

The disclosure relates to cannulae, delivery systems, methods of making cannulae, and methods of making delivery systems. A delivery system comprises an elongate outer tubular member defining an outer tubular member lumen, a cannula having a circumferential wall extending between a proximal end and a distal end and defining an interior lumen, and an intraluminal medical device disposed within the outer tubular member lumen distal to the cannula and not about the cannula. A pattern of openings arranged in an interrupted spiral extends circumferentially along the cannula.

A system and method for delivering a medicament to a target tissue site in a patient over a period of time. A catheter is configured for implantation in different target tissue sites and extends from a proximal end to a distal end and has a sidewall which defines an internal lumen. The distal end has one or more apertures either in the sidewall or at a distal end for the release of the medicament into the target tissue site; the system also comprises a medicament reservoir fluidly communicable with the internal lumen of each catheter, an adhesive member configured to adhere to the skin of the patient around the exit wound and having an opening therein to allow the catheters to pass through the adhesive member and a retaining member configured to be overlaid on the adhesive member and comprising a guide surface configured to receive a length of the two or more catheters and a plurality of retaining portions to retain the catheters against the guide surface.

A balloon catheter has an outer shaft which surrounds a shaft lumen. The outer shaft has a proximal outer shaft portion connected to a distal outer shaft portion. An inner shaft is in a distal portion of the shaft lumen. A guide wire lumen is in the inner shaft. An opening at a proximal end portion of the inner shaft permits the guide wire to be guided out from the outer shaft. A metallic tube is in the shaft lumen. The proximal end portion of the inner shaft is engaged with the metallic tube. A separate, elongate and metallic stiffening element is in the shaft lumen, and is connected to the metallic tube and protrudes from the metallic tube into the distal portion of the shaft lumen and into the proximal portion of the shaft lumen to stiffen portions of the outer shaft.

A method and system for creating a tract in retrograde fashion for nephrostomy tube creation comprising the steps of providing a puncture wire having a tissue penetrating tip shielded in a sheath, inserting the puncture wire and sheath through a channel in an ureteroscope, advancing the puncture wire from the sheath while visualizing under direct vision a position of the puncture wire, advancing the puncture wire through the flank, and inserting a catheter over the puncture wire. In some methods and systems, two catheters are utilized.

Balloon catheters that includes inner and outer elongate shafts, each of which is secured relative to an end of an inflatable member. The inner and outer elongate shafts are secured relative to one another at one more discrete connection locations. The balloon bonding locations are disposed radially inward relative to an outer dimension of the outer elongate shaft.

Provided is an endoscope allowing two operating methods, that is, a surgeon's own manual operation and an operating method using a hand other than the surgeon regarding a hardness adjusting operation. An endoscope includes an insertion part having a flexible part; an operating part continuously provided on a proximal end side of the insertion part; a hardness adjusting mechanism serving as a first driving force input member that is provided from the operating part to the flexible part and adjusts the hardness of the flexible part; an operating ring that is provided in the operating part and is manually operated and inputs a driving force to the hardness adjusting mechanism; and a shaft serving as a second driving force input member that is provided separately from the operating ring and inputs a driving force to the hardness adjusting mechanism.

The present invention discloses a microcatheter, with tubular structure, comprising a catheter body, a sharp portion disposed at a distal end of the catheter body, the catheter body comprises: a inner layer with a hollow lumen; a tubular intermediate layer wrapped outside the inner layer, comprising a spring layer and a braid above the spring layer, the braid extending longitudinally along a part of the spring layer; and a tubular outer layer, wrapped outside the intermediate layer; the part of the spring layer which is not wrapped by the braid is bent at a certain angle along a longitudinal axis of the catheter body. The catheter body of the microcatheter of the invention is configured to have a multilayered structure, and the braid is only wrapped on spring layer near to the proximal end; the part of the spring layer not wrapped by the braid can be bent at a corresponding angle to adapt to an angle between the main branch and the branch of the coronary artery, to make sure that the microcatheter can reach the bifurcation lesions of the coronary artery.

A medical overtube to be inserted into a body cavity, the medical overtube including a flexible elongated part having a channel through which an elongated medical device is inserted, and a tubular distal end portion connected to a distal end of the elongated part. The distal end portion includes a first section having an end opening which forms an opening of the channel, and a second section located next to a base-end side of the first section, and the medical overtube satisfies the Conditional Expressions K1>K2 and K3>K2, where K1 is rigidity of the first section, K2 is rigidity of the second section, and K3 is rigidity of the elongated part.