A balloon catheter is described having a reinforced, co-axial, duel lumen design. In some embodiments, the balloon catheter includes a purging mechanism designed to purge air from the balloon.

A balloon catheter assembly is provided with an outer catheter, an inner catheter, an outer adapter and a balloon, and is configured such that the balloon resides entirely within a predetermined volume having an outer diameter substantially equal to or less than the outside diameter of the distal end of the outer catheter when the balloon is in a deflated configuration. Methods of using and steering the catheter assemblies are also provided.

A method may include accessing an artery in communication with an ophthalmic artery of a subject, and advancing a microcatheter along the accessed artery so as to align a distal end of the microcatheter with an ostium of the ophthalmic artery, wherein the microcatheter includes a lumen having a guidewire positioned therein. In addition, the method includes proximally withdrawing the guidewire relative to the microcatheter so as to enable a distal portion of the microcatheter to assume a curved relaxed configuration, and cannulating the ostium with the distal portion of the microcatheter when the distal portion is in the curved relaxed configuration.

In one aspect, a medical balloon assembly includes a tip sleeve secured to the distal end portion of a balloon catheter that includes the distal neck of a balloon. The tip sleeve has at least an inner layer and an outer layer. The inner layer is formed from a bondable material that is directly bondable to the exterior of the distal neck portion of the balloon. The tip sleeve is bonded directly to the distal neck of the balloon. The outer layer is formed from a lubricious polymer. Such a medical balloon assembly is made by receiving the distal neck inside the proximal end portion of the tip sleeve and directly bonding the distal neck of the balloon to the inner layer of the tip sleeve.

A method for thermal bonding of an inverted balloon neck on a catheter, including placing an inverted balloon neck (84) on a shaft (86) of a catheter, and characterized by applying heat at an internal hollow (85) of the shaft (86) where the inverted balloon neck (84) is placed, while applying internal pressure to attach an external surface of the shaft (86) to the inverted balloon neck (84).

A balloon catheter includes a one-piece extrusion having inner and outer tubular walls, where the inner tubular wall defines a wire guide lumen, and a clearance extending between the inner and outer tubular walls forms an inflation lumen. A balloon is attached to the outer tubular wall and to the inner tubular wall, such that the inflation lumen is in fluid communication with the balloon and the wire guide lumen extends through the balloon. A method of making the balloon catheter is also disclosed.

Embodiments of the invention include tools and methods for performing thrombectomy in patients' internal carotid arteries. A balloon guiding sheath in accordance with embodiments comprises an elongated 7-9 Fr sheath having a working section length of about ninety centimeters, an access port on a proximal end portion and a distal port on a distal end portion. A 6-8 Fr working lumen extends through the sheath between the access port and the distal port. An inflatable balloon is on the distal end portion of the sheath. An inflation lumen extends in the sheath between the balloon and an inflation port. The guiding sheath is configured with stiffness and other characteristics to enable direct insertion of the working length of the sheath into a patient's vasculature through an arteriotomy in the femoral artery, and to position the balloon in the internal carotid artery.

A balloon catheter comprises a balloon, an outer tube connected to a proximal end of the balloon, an inner tube disposed inside the outer tube and having a distal end attached to a distal end of the balloon, a protruded-depressed portion formed on an outer periphery of the inner tube, and a core wire disposed between the outer tube and the inner tube. The core wire has a bulged portion sandwiched between the outer tube and a depressed portion of the protruded-depressed portion. The balloon catheter can transmit a force from the core wire to both the outer tube and the inner tube regardless of whether the force is generated by pushing or pulling a proximal end portion of the balloon catheter. Additionally, the core wire can move appropriately to maintain the flexibility of the balloon catheter even when the balloon catheter bends.

Systems and methods can remove material of interest, including blood clots, from a body region, including but not limited to the circulatory system for the treatment of pulmonary embolism (PE), deep vein thrombosis (DVT), cerebrovascular embolism, and other vascular occlusions.

An everting catheter with an expandable inner lumen for the passage of instruments or other devices is described. The catheter can have an inflatable everting balloon. When inflated, the everting balloon can define a channel or passageway, via an inner balloon lumen, into a target site. Instruments can be delivered to the target site through the channel defined by the inflated everting balloon.