A catheter having a shaft including a first lumen that communicates from the proximal end to the distal end of the shaft, and a second lumen that is positioned on the outer periphery side of the first lumen, communicates from the proximal end side to the distal end side of the shaft, and has a smaller opening area than the opening area of the first lumen in a transverse section of the shaft. The dimension in the first direction in the distal end portion of the shaft where the first lumen and the second lumen are aligned is less than or equal to the dimension in the first direction in the proximal end portion that is closer to the proximal end side than the distal end portion of the shaft.

A hollow stranded wire (2) has a first layers (4) and second layers (6). The second layer is located outside the first layer. The first layer is formed by twisting eight first element wires (8) which are flat wires. The second layer is formed by twisting eight second element wires (10) which are flat wires. A ratio (Ww/Tw) of a width Ww to a thickness Tw of each flat wire is from 2 to 11. A twisting direction of the second element wires is opposite that of the first element wires. A twisting angle of each first element wire is not greater than 85°. A twisting angle of each second element wire is not greater than 85°. A ratio (D/T) of an average diameter D to a thickness T of the hollow stranded wire is not less than 5 and not greater than 20.

A catheter assembly includes a catheter shaft having shaft proximal and distal portions. A hub is coupled with the catheter shaft proximate the shaft proximal portion. A graduated strain relief fitting is coupled between the catheter shaft and the hub. The graduated strain relief fitting includes at least a first flexural modulus proximate the hub and a fitting proximal portion. The graduated strain relief fitting includes a second flexural modulus proximate the catheter shaft and a fitting distal portion. The second flexural modulus is less than the first flexural modulus and less than or equal to a catheter shaft flexural modulus. The first and second flexural moduli are modulated with one or more of a taper, flexure joints, fitting frame of the fitting or material of the fitting body.

A method of making a flexible medical article or tube, for example, a sheath for a vascular access device, is provided. The method can include extruding a polymer, for example, a polycarbonate-urethane copolymer, to form a tube and annealing the extruded polymer. The method can further include cutting the extruded tube to a desired length before or after annealing, flaring one end of the annealed tube and over-molding the flared portion onto a hub, and forming the other end of the tube into a tip. A sheath formed by such a method is also provided.

A closed-system urinary catheter with a low viscosity gel lubrication is disclosed. The system has an uncoated catheter, but a hydrophilic coated catheter could be used. The low viscosity lubricating gel within the sachet uniformly coats the catheter when the sachet is ruptured just prior to use. A low viscosity lubrication gel could alternatively be place in the area inside the sheath and external to the catheter. Therefore, the variability that occurs with a hydrophilic catheter or the areas of a non-lubricated catheter with the higher viscosity gel catheters is avoided.

A percutaneous catheter for blood removal includes a catheter tube extending in an axial direction with a plurality of distal side holes provided on a distal end part of the catheter tube and communicating a lumen of the catheter with an outside of the catheter tube. The plurality of distal side holes is spirally arranged in the axial direction of the catheter tube, and at least one distal side hole at the proximal end side of the spirally arranged side holes is formed to have a diameter smaller than a diameter of a distal side hole at the distal end side of the spirally arranged side holes.

A cannula includes a tubular body having an axial dimension through which a flow channel extends. The tubular body has a first end for insertion into a subject, and a second end configured to be held within a base of a medical device. The tubular body has a first length portion extending along the axial dimension from the first end toward the second end. A second length portion extends along the axial dimension from the first length portion toward the second end, and has an outer dimension that flares outward to be larger than the outer dimension of the first length portion. The second length portion also has a tubing wall thickness that is greater than the tubing wall thickness of the first length portion.

An expandable introducer sheath provided with a steering mechanism is disclosed. The introducer sheath is configured for providing a prosthesis delivery system percutaneous access to a patient's vasculature. The introducer sheath includes a sheath component defining a central lumen and having a longitudinally-extending, radially-expandable portion. The sheath component also includes a steering wire slidably disposed within a wall thereof that longitudinally extends along the radially-expandable portion. When the steering wire is in a slackened configuration, the steering wire permits a width of the radially-expandable portion to increase. When the steering wire is in a taut configuration, the steering wire permits a distal portion of the sheath component to be manipulated or bent in order to align a distal port of the introducer sheath, for instance, with an ostium of a branch vessel.

A delivery apparatus includes a steerable shaft having a pull-wire conduit. A pull wire extends through the pull-wire conduit. The steerable shaft includes one or more layers. A compression-resistance portion is incorporated into at least one of the one or more layers. A cross-section of the compression-resistance portion has an arcuate shape that extends along a portion of a cross-section of the steerable shaft. The compression-resistance portion has a hardness that is greater than a hardness of the one or more layers that the compression-resistance portion is incorporated into.

A medical elongated body that is capable of improving convenience during use by a surgeon, and capable of preventing peeling, from a catheter main body, of a drug portion (a hydrophilic coating) containing metal ions and a drug when disposed on a wound site of a patient. An introducer sheath includes a tubular sheath configured to be percutaneously inserted into a blood vessel, and a hub connected to a proximal portion of the tubular sheath, in which the tubular sheath includes a first region and a second region located on a proximal side relative to the first region, the first region has a first hydrophilic coating having lubricity, the second region includes a groove portion extending from a distal side of the tubular sheath toward a proximal side of the tubular sheath, the groove portion having a second hydrophilic coating containing at least one of metal ions and a drug.