This patent document discloses perfusion catheters and related methods for treating complications related to CTO interventions or dilating a vessel occlusion while maintaining a passage through the treated vessel segment. A perfusion catheter can include an inflatable balloon coiled in a helical manner around a central axis into a series of windings. An inner surface of the series of windings, when inflated, can define a passage through the inflatable balloon. A catheter can also include an elongate shaft extending from a proximal portion to a distal portion, having an inner surface that defines a lumen for providing inflation fluid to, or withdrawing inflation fluid from, a distal end of the inflatable balloon. A catheter can further include a guidewire support tube including a lumen, separate from the lumen from the elongate shaft and the passage through the inflatable balloon, for receiving a guidewire.

An expandable dilation member may include a proximally-tapered portion to dilate a stricture. The dilation member may be distally advanced in an unexpanded state over a wire guide through the stricture. The dilation member may then be configured in an expanded state, where the dilation member has a longitudinal profile that includes the proximally-tapered portion. A handle assembly proximally pulls the dilation member in the expanded state. In response, the proximally-tapered portion engages with and biases the stricture. When biasing the stricture, the proximally-tapered portion exerts a plurality of different types of forces, including a shearing force, a radial force, and in some procedures, a torsional force. In some embodiments, the proximally-tapered portion has a continuous taper from a smallest diameter to a largest diameter. In other embodiments, the proximally-tapered portion has at least one constant-diameter portion longitudinally disposed in between the smallest diameter and the largest diameter.

Methods and devices for performing minimally invasive procedures useful for Fallopian tube diagnostics are disclosed. In at least one embodiment, the proximal os of the Fallopian tube is accessed via an intrauterine approach; an introducer catheter is advanced to cannulate and form a fluid tight seal with the proximal os of the Fallopian tube; a second catheter inside the introducer catheter is provided to track the length of the Fallopian tube and out into the abdominal cavity; a balloon at the end of the second catheter is inflated and the second catheter is retracted until the balloon seals the distal os of the Fallopian tube; irrigation is performed substantially over the length of the Fallopian tube; and the irrigation fluid is recovered for cytology or cell analysis.

An example system for creating a lumen according to the present disclosure includes, among other possible things a balloon wound in a generally helical shape having an inner surface and an outer surface, and a support attached to at least one of the inner surface and the outer surface of the generally helical shape and constraining the tubular balloon in the generally helical shape. The balloon has a first diameter in a low-profile operating mode and the generally helical shape has a second diameter in a high-profile operating mode, and the second diameter is larger than the first diameter. Other example systems for creating a lumen and methods for creating a lumen in an artery are also disclosed.

A system includes a catheter and a pressure management device. The catheter includes a cuff, a resilient device, an evacuation passage, and a first fitting. The cuff defines a chamber, and has a deflated state and an inflated state. The resilient device is positioned in the chamber, and has a compressed state and an expanded state. The resilient device is configured to expand from the compressed state to the expanded state to thereby cause the cuff to move from the deflated state to the inflated state. The evacuation passage extends from the cuff to an evacuation port. The first fitting is in fluid communication with the chamber. The pressure management device includes a second fitting engaged with the first fitting, and at least one check valve in fluid communication with the second fitting. In certain embodiments, the at least one check valve includes an inlet check valve in fluid communication with the second fitting, and an outlet check valve in fluid communication with the second fitting.

A balloon is provided for selectively moving an esophagus away from an ablation site. The balloon is received through an oral cavity and into the esophagus of a patient. A deflecting member is provided in the tube, the balloon, or both, to selectively distort to bend the balloon and/or the tube to move the esophagus away from the ablation site. The deflecting member may comprise at least one of a strip made of a shape memory material that is responsive to the receipt of a stimulus to deflect to a predetermined shape, a strip that is made of or contains a ferrous material and that deflects in response to the presence of a magnetic field, and a selectively tensionable cable, wire, or string. The deflecting member may be supplemented by a stiffening strip that is located in the balloon and that causes the balloon to expand circumferentially and asymmetrically when inflated.

A steerable catheter, such as a dilator, includes an elongated shaft including a proximal end portion and a distal end portion, an end effector disposed at the distal end portion of the shaft, and a handle disposed at the proximal end portion of the shaft. The end effector includes a dilation portion disposed proximate the distal end portion of the shaft, a transition portion disposed distally on the dilation portion, and a distal tip portion disposed distally on the transition portion. The tip portion is movable relative to the dilation portion. The handle includes a tip portion steering actuator enabling a user to steer the tip portion. The tip portion has a tip portion diameter. The dilation portion has a dilation portion diameter which is greater than the tip portion diameter. The transition portion tapers from the tip portion diameter to the dilation portion diameter.

Embodiments hereof relate to methods of delivering a valve prosthesis to an annulus of a native valve of a heart, the native valve having chordae tendineae. A chordae management catheter is positioned within a ventricle of the heart, the chordae management catheter having a displacement component at a distal end thereof. The displacement component has an annular shape and defines a central lumen therethrough. The displacement component is radially expanded to push chordae tendineae within the ventricle radially outward. A valve delivery system is introduced into the ventricle of the heart via a ventricular wall of the heart. The valve delivery system has the valve prosthesis at a distal portion thereof. The valve delivery system is advanced through the central lumen of the radially expanded displacement component towards the annulus of the native valve of the heart. The valve prosthesis is deployed into apposition with the annulus of the native valve.

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.

The present disclosure is directed toward a composite balloon comprising a layer of material having a porous microstructure (e.g., ePTFE or expanded polyethylene) and a thermoplastic polymeric layer useful for medical applications. The layers of the composite balloons become adhered through a stretch blow-molding process. Methods of making and using such composite balloons are also described amongst others.