Apparatus and methods are described herein for use in the delivery and deployment of a prosthetic mitral valve into a heart. In some embodiments, an apparatus includes a catheter assembly, a valve holding tube and a handle assembly. The valve holding tube is releasably couplable to a proximal end portion of the catheter assembly and to a distal end portion of the handle assembly. The handle assembly includes a housing and a delivery rod. The delivery rod is configured to be actuated to move distally relative to the housing to move a prosthetic heart valve disposed within the valve holding tube out of the valve holding tube and distally within a lumen of the elongate sheath of the catheter assembly. The catheter assembly is configured to be actuated to move proximally relative to the housing such that the prosthetic valve is disposed outside of the lumen of the elongate sheath.

Guide extension catheters and related methods are disclosed. A guide extension catheter can comprise an elongate tube member, a push member, and an external manipulation member. The push member can be eccentrically coupled relative to the tube member and extend proximally therefrom for slidably positioning the tube member within and partially beyond a distal end of a guide catheter. The manipulation member can be coupled to a proximal end of the push member, where the manipulation member can be configured to secure the guide extension catheter in place during use by attaching to an external object such that the tube member and push member remain stationary without user engagement.

A catheter for percutaneous cardiopulmonary support has a lumen through which blood flows to a living body. The catheter comprises a catheter tube including a tubular reinforcing body including a plurality of wires braided into a mesh shape and a resin layer provided so as to cover the reinforcing body. A plurality of side holes are formed at a distal end of the catheter tube to communicate the lumen with the outside of the catheter tube. The side holes allow the blood flowing through the lumen to flow out in a direction intersecting an axial direction of the catheter tube when the catheter tube is indwelled. The plurality of side holes preferably may be spirally arranged in a circumferential direction of the tube.

A torque coil 10 includes an inner wire layer 14 helically wound in a constricted state. An outer wire layer 18 is helically wound over the inner wire layer in a constricted state. An outer polymer cover 20 surrounds the inner and outer layers thereby securing the inner and outer layers within the outer polymer cover.

Devices, systems, and methods for inserting a medical device, such as a gastrostomy tube, are described. For example, a device includes a housing defining an outer surface, a first end, and a second end, the housing comprising an inner passage that extends from the first end of the housing to the second end of the housing, wherein the outer surface defines an aperture in fluid communication with a portion of the inner passage, and a sensing device configured to cover the aperture, the sensing device configured to detect a property of fluid within the inner passage.

A catheter is provided including a first lumen and a second lumen. A first member is disposed for relative movement within the first lumen and defines a cavity, A second member is disposed for relative movement within the second lumen. The cavity of the first member is configured for disposal of the second member. The catheter may include an elongated tubular body that includes the first lumen and the second lumen. The first member may have a distal portion that extends beyond the distal end of the body. The distal portion may include the cavity. The cavity may be defined by a member lumen. The first and second members may include tubular stylettes. The second member may include a guidewire.

Apparatus is described that includes a kit. The kit includes a flexible catheter (22) and a support (40). The catheter is transfemorally advanceable to a heart of a subject and the support is dimensioned for percutaneous access to the heart. The support has a proximal end, an elongate portion, and a distal portion (41) having a catheter-engaging element (38). The catheter-engaging element is configured to reversibly engage the catheter in a manner that does not inhibit longitudinal advancement of the catheter. Other embodiments are also described.

A urethral catheter. A cavity is formed at the head end of the urethral catheter, and an internal span of the cavity is greater than that of an opening. A check device (2) located at the front end of a guide core (5) is received in the cavity, and the check device (2) is a guide core (5) that can be retracted into a guide core catheter (4) and can move within the guide core catheter (4). The guide core (5) can expand outward after moving out of the guide core catheter (4). The span of the top of the expanded guide core (5) is greater than the outer diameter of the opening of the cavity at the head end of the urethral catheter. The urethral catheter eliminates a guide extension inserted inside the urethral catheter, and avoids any structural parts provided in the front end of the urethral catheter, and no accessory device is provided at the inner side of the catheter wall of the conventional urethral catheter, so that the internal urination cross-sectional area of the urethral catheter is the same as the area of the inner holes of the urethral catheter, thereby greatly increasing the urine output of the urethral catheter and greatly reducing the injection resistance of a lubricant.

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.

Methods and devices related to fluid delivery catheters and more particularly relates to catheters used to deliver fluid to medical devices and/or position medical devices.