The subject guide catheter extension system with a micro-catheter delivery catheter includes an outer sheath, an inner member extending within the sheath, and a mechanism for engagement/disengagement of the inner member to/from the sheath. Several mechanisms of engagement/disengagement between the inner and outer members are provided including a friction mechanism, threaded mechanism, pull away sheath, and engagement/disengagement mechanism for pusher's handles. The sheath and the inner member are modified for different engagement/disengagement mechanisms operation. A micro-catheter delivery system provides for an improved atraumatic crossability to the treatment site in an expedited and simplified fashion. During a procedure, a guidewire along with a guide catheter are advanced to the vicinity of the treatment site within a blood vessel. Subsequent thereto, the subject guide catheter extension system is manipulated to advance the micro-catheter along the guidewire inside the guide catheter towards and beyond the site of interest. Once the micro-catheter is in place, the outer sheath slides along the micro-catheter until reaching the lesion, and then the inner member is removed from the sheath, and the sheath then is ready for passing the treatment catheter (stent/balloon) towards the lesion to be treated.

A modular medical device system comprises a parent module with a proximal end configured to remain outside the body of a patient and a distal end configured to go inside the body of a patient, the distal end comprising an inner lumen; and an adapter module comprising a proximal portion and a distal portion, an attachment mechanism positioned at the proximal portion and comprising an interfacing element and an elongated element, wherein at least a portion of the interfacing element compresses to engage the inner lumen of the parent module, and wherein the elongated element connects the attachment mechanism to the distal portion of the adapter module.

An intraluminal guide wire may include an elongated shaft extending between a distal and a proximal end. The guide wire may include a user actuation segment positioned proximal to the proximal end of the shaft and configured for movement relative to the shaft. The guide wire may include a core wire affixed to the user actuation segment and the distal end of the shaft. The guide wire may also include an inner member having a proximal end situated at least partially within and fixed relative to the user actuation segment and a distal end situated partially within the shaft, the core wire passing through the inner member. The guide wire may be configured with a distal segment of the inner member within the shaft exhibiting a friction-based restraint on movement within the shaft. The friction-based restraint on movement may be a frictional force between the inner member and the shaft.

Disclosed are a multi-guidewire balloon dilatation catheter structure, a dilatation catheter mechanism and a medical device. The multi-guidewire balloon dilatation catheter comprises a balloon, a first guidewire channel, a second guidewire channel and a third guidewire channel. The first guidewire channel is at least partially passed through the balloon. The second guidewire channel is at least partially located at the distal end of the balloon. The third guidewire channel is at least partially located at the proximal end of the balloon. In the multi-guidewire balloon dilatation catheter structure of this embodiment, each guidewire channel can be used for accommodating the guidewire by providing the first guidewire channel and the second/third guidewire channel to assemble various devices on the single catheter of the present invention, thereby realizing simultaneous execution of device guidance, plaque cutting, guidewire anchoring, etc. The structure is simple and good in use effect.

A urinary catheter is readily removed and replaced with a second urinary catheter without introducing foreign matter or contaminants into the bladder. The first urinary catheter includes an extra lumen that houses a sheath therein to seal an opening or third hole at or near the tip of the catheter so that fluids do not enter the extra lumen. After the sheath seal is broken and the sheath is extracted from the catheter, a guidewire is threaded through the extra lumen and into the patient's bladder. The first urinary catheter is withdrawn from the patient, leaving the guidewire in the patient. A second urinary catheter is inserted into the patient over the guidewire, with the guidewire present in the urine lumen of the second urinary catheter. The guidewire then is extracted from the patient.

A catheter includes a tubular body comprised of inner and outer layers, and an embedded reinforcement body. The tubular body includes a substantially linear main body portion and a shaped portion that is bent so the shaped portion lies in substantially the same plane. The shaped portion includes a first bent portion defining a first angle distal of the main body portion, a second bent portion defining a second angle distal of the first bent portion and bent to the same side as the first bent portion, a third bent portion defining a third angle distal of the second bent portion and bent to a side opposite the second bent portion, and a most distal portion distal of the third bent portion. A physical property changing point exists between a proximal portion of the first bent portion and a distal portion of the second bent portion.

An introducer assembly (10) includes a catheter (12) having a proximal end (14), a distal end (16) extending to a distal tip of the introducer assembly, and an outer catheter wall. The catheter (12) includes a medical device holding portion (34) proximate the distal end, a guide wire lumen (100) extending between the proximal and distal ends, and a side opening (50) extending through the outer wall to the guide wire lumen. The side opening (50) and the guide wire lumen (100) are simultaneously open and the guide wire lumen and side opening are able to receive a guide wire therethrough. The catheter (12) is flexible at least in the location of the side opening, such that a guide wire (28) fed from the distal end (16) can pass through to the proximal end (14) when the catheter is substantially straight and can pass from the distal end through the side opening (50) when the catheter is curved at the location of the side opening. The catheter (12) also includes a plurality of one stiffening mandrel lumens (104, 106) extending from the proximal end (14) and a plurality of stiffening mandrels sized to fit within the stiffening mandrel lumens and in some forms able to slide therewithin and in other forms enclosed within the stiffening mandrel lumens. The mandrels have different lengths disposed along the length of the catheter and can be of substantially uniform diameter.

Trapping catheter and kit and method for preparing a trapping catheter A trapping catheter (10) for insertion into a guide catheter assembly (3) comprises a balloon (22) and a trapping catheter body (23) bounding an inflation lumen (24) extending longitudinally within the trapping balloon catheter. The inflation lumen has a distal end opening (25) into an internal space bounded by the balloon. The trapping catheter body is provided with a stopper (26) for abutting against an abutment (27) at a proximal end (27) of the guide catheter assembly so as to determine a maximum insertion depth of the trapping catheter into the guide catheter. A kit and method for preparing a trapping catheter prior to insertion into a guide catheter is also described.

A percutaneous catheter system for use within the human body and an ablation catheter for ablating a selected tissue region within the body of a subject. The percutaneous catheter system can include two catheters that are operatively coupled to one another by magnetic coupling through a tissue structure. The ablation catheter can include electrodes positioned within a central portion. The ablation catheter is positioned such that the central portion of a flexible shaft at least partially surrounds the selected tissue region. Each electrode of the ablation catheter can be activated independently to apply ablative energy to the selected tissue region. The ablation catheter can employ high impedance structures to change the current density at specific points. Methods of puncturing through a tissue structure using the percutaneous catheter system are disclosed. Also disclosed are methods for ablating a selected tissue region using the ablation catheter.

A urinary catheter is readily removed and replaced with a second urinary catheter without introducing foreign matter or contaminants into the bladder. The first urinary catheter includes an extra lumen that houses a sheath, which sheath seals the extra lumen from introduction of fluids. The sheath seals an opening or third hole at or near the tip of the catheter. After the sheath seal is broken and the sheath is extracted from the catheter, a guidewire is threaded through the extra (third) lumen and into the patient's bladder. The first urinary catheter is withdrawn from the patient, leaving the guidewire in the patient. A second urinary catheter is inserted into the patient over the guidewire, with the guidewire present in the urine lumen of the second urinary catheter. The guidewire then is extracted from the patient. The second urinary catheter may also have an extra or third lumen and a sheath with a break-away seal so that the second urinary catheter may be removed and replaced in like manner.