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 catheter system includes an elongated tube structure configured for insertion into a luminal space, such as the vasculature, of a body. The catheter is conductive and configured to conduct electrical signals. The catheter includes one or more power and data coupling devices configured to send and receive power and/or data signals, such as from an underlying guidewire disposed within a lumen of the catheter. One or more sensors are coupled to a distal section of the catheter and are electrically connected to the one or more power and data coupling devices.

A balloon catheter and method for manufacturing are disclosed in which the fracturing of the vicinity of a proximal opening portion formed by an inner shaft can be prevented. A distal side of an inner shaft included by a balloon catheter is disposed in a lumen of an outer distal shaft, and a proximal side of the inner shaft is disposed on an outer surface of an outer proximal shaft, and the inner shaft forms a proximal opening portion which opens on an outer surface side of the outer proximal shaft. The inner shaft has a first region and a second region disposed on a proximal side of the first region. The first region is fixed to the outer surface of the outer proximal shaft. The second region is not fixed to the outer surface of the outer proximal shaft.

The subject guide catheter extension/pre-dilatation system includes an outer delivery sheath, an inner member extending within the sheath, and a mechanism for engagement/disengagement of the inner member to/from the sheath. The inner member is configured with a tapered distal tip having a delivery micro-catheter and a pre-dilatation balloon member attached to the tapered distal tip in proximity to the micro-catheter. The outer delivery sheath and the inner member are modified for different engagement/disengagement mechanisms operation. The delivery micro-catheter provides for an improved crossability for the balloon member to the treatment site in an atraumatic, expedited and convenient fashion. During the cardiac procedure, a guidewire and a guide catheter are advanced to the vicinity of the treatment site within a blood vessel. Subsequent thereto, the inner member and outer delivery sheath, in their engaged configuration, are advanced along the guidewire inside the guide catheter towards the site of treatment. Once at the treatment site, the balloon member is inflated for pre-dilatation treatment. Subsequently, the inner member is disengaged and retracted from the outer delivery sheath, and a stent is delivered to the treatment site inside the outer delivery sheath.

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.

Intravascular delivery system for deployment of a therapeutic device, such as a stent, in a controlled and robust manner is supported by a lockable balloon catheter equipped with a locking mechanism configured to lock in vivo to a delivery component, such as a guidewire. The lockable balloon catheter can be controllably transitioned between a locked and an unlocked modes of operation by inflation/deflation of the balloon of the lockable balloon catheter. Being in the locked mode of operation, the lockable balloon catheter facilitates delivery of the therapeutic element along the delivery component to a target site while enhancing the stability of the delivery component, especially near the target site.

A retrieval catheter operable by a single clinician that will neither displace a deployed stent nor cause undue trauma to the vascular lumen or lesion. The retrieval catheter may be sized to accommodate both a guidewire and a balloon wire. The retrieval catheter is easy to navigate through tortuous passageways and will cross a previously deployed stent or stent-graft easily with minimal risk of snagging on the deployed stent or stent graft. The sheath and dilator are adapted to allow a guidewire or balloon wire to pass through the walls of both and to allow the sheath and dilator to move axially with respect to each other.

Catheter and methods for designing, making, and using catheters are disclosed. An example catheter is a balloon catheter. The balloon catheter may include a proximal shaft. The proximal shaft may be a bare metal hypotube having a skew value of −1.0 to −2.5. A midshaft may be attached to the proximal shaft. A distal shaft may be attached to the midshaft. A balloon may be coupled to the distal shaft. An inflation lumen may be defined that extends from the proximal shaft, through the midshaft, and into the distal shaft. The inflation lumen may be in fluid communication with the balloon.

Devices for palliating gastrointestinal strictures using rapid exchange type enteral stent placement catheters. The catheter may include an inner member and an outer member, with the two members being slidable with respect to one another. In various device embodiments, a ramp for directing a guidewire out from within the catheter is provided using portions of the outer member or a shaped mandrel. The inner member may take a number of forms, including a tubular distal portion, a skived or integrally attached elongate midsection, and a proximal portion. A mandrel can be used in a portion proximal of the guidewire ramp, with the mandrel taking one of several disclosed forms.

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.