A balloon catheter has a catheter shaft, an expandable balloon and a working tube. The working tube is inflatable, has a proximally open end and distally closed end and is disposed on a periphery of the balloon.

A treatment method is disclosed capable of reducing the burden on a patient and enhancing the effect of killing tumor cells. A treatment method for killing a tumor cell, the method including inserting a catheter into a main artery of an organ having the tumor cell, administering an antibody-photosensitive substance into a vein before the inserting of the catheter, inserting an optical fiber into the catheter, reducing an influence of blood in the artery on a near-infrared ray, irradiating at least one of a tumor, the vicinity of the tumor, or a regional lymph node with a first near-infrared ray by the optical fiber, and irradiating an antibody-photosensitive substance bound to a tumor cell membrane in the tumor cell with a second near-infrared ray having a shorter wavelength than that of the first near-infrared ray.

A medical probe includes a shaft, an expandable membrane and a probe maneuvering assembly (PMA). The shaft is configured for insertion into a cavity of an organ of a patient. The PMA is located inside the expandable membrane and includes a first elastic element, which is fitted along a longitudinal axis of the PMA and is configured to expand the membrane by shortening the PMA, and to collapse the membrane by elongating the PMA. The PMA further includes a second elastic element, which surrounds at least a portion of the first elastic element and is configured to deflect the membrane relative to the longitudinal axis.

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.

Sinusitis and other disorders of the ear, nose and throat are diagnosed and/or treated using minimally invasive approaches with flexible or rigid instruments. Various methods and devices are used for remodeling or changing the shape, size or configuration of a sinus ostium or duct or other anatomical structure in the ear, nose or throat; implanting a device, cells or tissues; removing matter from the ear, nose or throat; delivering diagnostic or therapeutic substances or performing other diagnostic or therapeutic procedures. Introducing devices (e.g., guide catheters, tubes, guidewires, elongate probes, other elongate members) may be used to facilitate insertion of working devices (e.g. catheters e.g. balloon catheters, guidewires, tissue cutting or remodeling devices, devices for implanting elements like stents, electrosurgical devices, energy emitting devices, devices for delivering diagnostic or therapeutic agents, substance delivery implants, scopes etc.) into the paranasal sinuses or other structures in the ear, nose or throat.

Disclosed herein is a catheter comprising an outer shaft; and an inner shaft that is disposed inside the outer shaft, wherein the inner shaft includes: a first shaft part that is made of a first resin, a second shaft part that is made of a second resin, harder than the first resin, and provided on a proximal end of the first shaft part, and a large diameter portion that is provided between the first shaft part and the second shaft part so that a proximal end portion of the first shaft part and a distal end portion of the second shaft part overlap and has an outer diameter larger than an outer diameter of the first shaft part and an outer diameter of the second shaft part, and the large diameter portion includes a joint part joining the outer shaft and the inner shaft to each other.

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.

A balloon catheter includes a balloon, an inner shaft, an outer shaft, and a reinforcing member that includes a protruded part that contacts with an inner surface of the outer shaft and an outer surface of the inner shaft. A pushing force of an operator can be evenly transmitted to the outer shaft and the inner shaft from the distal end of the reinforcing member, reducing a relative displacement of the outer shaft and the inner shaft.

A balloon catheter including an elongated catheter main body portion and a balloon provided on the distal portion of the catheter main body portion. The balloon is inflatable to expand radially outward into an inflated state and deflatable to contract radially inward into a deflated state. The catheter main body portion includes a hollow outer tube and a hollow inner tube disposed within the outer tube. The balloon includes a contact portion that contacts the outer surface of the inner tube and a vane portion protruding from the contact portion radially outward when the balloon is in the deflated state. The contact portion of the balloon includes a connecting portion that connects the balloon to the catheter main body portion.

A balloon catheter includes a flexible outer cylinder shaft, a holding member connected to a proximal end portion of the outer cylinder shaft, a sealing member that maintains liquid tightness incorporated in the holding member, a flexible inner cylinder shaft, a tube having a Rockwell hardness of R 115 or more, a flexural modulus of 3.0 to 4.5 GPa, and a thickness of 0.06 to 0.12 mm, a push-in member connected to a proximal end portion of the inner cylinder shaft, a pull-out prevention member connected to the push-in member, and a balloon composed of an elastic material and connected to each of the distal end portion of the outer cylinder shaft and the proximal end portion of the inner cylinder shaft, wherein the tube is inserted over the inner cylinder shaft over an area thereof except for a connecting portion between the balloon and the inner cylinder shaft.