The present disclosure relates generally to the field of medical devices and methods to assist in the introduction of an instrument into a patient, and more particularly to medical devices for measuring and/or monitoring forces applied during introduction of an access sheath through a body lumen.

Medical devices and methods for making and using medical devices are disclosed. An example medical device may include an elongate shaft having a proximal end region and a distal end region. A first lumen may be defined in the shaft. A second lumen may be defined in the shaft. The distal end region may include a common lumen region in fluid communication with the first lumen and the second lumen. A deflectable member may be disposed within the shaft. The deflectable member may be designed to shift between a first configuration where the deflectable member directs a first medical device disposed within the common lumen region into the first lumen and a second configuration where the deflectable member allows a second medical device to move between the common lumen region and the second lumen.

A catheter may include an elongated tube enclosing at least one catheter lumen, and a centering device coupled to a distal end of the elongated tube, wherein the centering device includes a plurality of legs. Each leg of the plurality of legs may include a first end fixed to an outer surface of the elongated tube. Each leg of the plurality of legs may include an outward bias such that a central portion of each leg of the plurality of legs is spaced radially outward from the elongated tube when the centering device is in an expanded state.

A medical assembly includes an expandable-mouth catheter and an introducer tool configured to facilitate advancement of the catheter into a delivery sheath. In some examples, a distal-most portion of the introducer tool includes a plurality of axial extensions separated by triangular-shaped slits. When the catheter is received within the introducer tool and when the introducer tool is received within a tapered portion of the delivery sheath, the axial extensions are configured to collapse radially inward to radially compress the expandable member and to enable the introducer to extend farther into the delivery sheath.

The disclosure includes a vein ablation system, comprising a catheter having an elongated body. In some embodiments, the vein ablation system comprises an ablation device at a distal portion of the elongated body. According to some embodiments, the vein ablation system comprises a control device at a proximal portion of the elongated body. The control device may comprise an input mechanism configured to simultaneously control at least two of a longitudinal translation of the ablation device through a target vessel, a rotation of the ablation device about a central longitudinal axis, and an infusion of a chemical agent into the target vessel.

A compact catheter assembly and methods of making such a catheter are disclosed. The catheter assembly incudes a receiver and a catheter sub-assembly. The catheter sub-assembly includes a gripping member and a catheter tube carried by the gripping member.

An infusion filter design combines a fluid infusion device and a blood filtration device that filter blood during a thrombolysis procedure while allowing for complete filter removal on procedure completion. In one embodiment, a wire comprises a proximal, non-infusible length that extends partially outside of the patient and within the vein. The wire further comprises an infusible length distally from the non-infusible length that is extends within the vein so as to be placed at the section of the vein requiring medication. The wire also comprises a distal filter component at a distal end of the wire that is employed to filter the blood in the event that during the period that clot is dissolved it migrates toward the central circulation.

A delivery system includes a handle, an inner shaft having a distal portion configured to receive the heart valve prosthesis thereon, a push wire slidingly disposed through a lumen of the inner shaft, and an outer sheath configured to cover the heart valve prosthesis during delivery. A split distal tip or nosecone is attached to a distal end of the inner shaft and includes at least one cutout portion formed through a sidewall thereof. A proximal end of the push wire is operatively coupled to an actuator of the handle and a distal end of the push wire is attached to the cutout portion of the nosecone. When the nosecone is in a delivery configuration the cutout portion is substantially flush with the sidewall of the nosecone. When the nosecone is in a deployed configuration the cutout portion is spaced apart from the sidewall of the nosecone.

A balloon catheter includes a balloon coupled to a shaft. The shaft includes a proximal perfusion portion disposed proximal of the balloon and a distal perfusion portion disposed distal of the balloon. The proximal and distal perfusion portions each are formed by a respective plurality of wire members woven together to form a respective proximal and distal braided shafts. The plurality of wire members are woven together such that a plurality of perfusion openings are formed between the wire members. The plurality of perfusion openings extend from an outer surface of the respective proximal or distal braided shaft to a lumen of the respective proximal or distal braided shaft. A perfusion lumen extends between the proximal perfusion portion and the distal perfusion portion.

In one exemplary mode, a catheter apparatus includes an elongated deflectable element including a distal end, a flexible puller including a distal portion, and configured to be retracted through the deflectable element, and an expandable assembly including a plurality of resilient splines, each resilient spline including at least one electrode disposed thereon, the resilient splines being disposed circumferentially around the distal portion of the puller, with first ends of the splines being coupled with the distal end of the deflectable element and second ends of the splines coupled with the distal portion of the puller, the splines being configured to bow radially outward in a relaxed form of the expandable assembly and bow further radially outward when the puller is retracted expanding the expandable assembly from the relaxed form to an expanded form.