A balloon guide catheter system including a balloon guide catheter having a catheter shaft that includes: (i) a main lumen; (ii) an inflation lumen; and (iii) an exhaust lumen. The terminating distal end of the inflation lumen and the terminating distal end of the exhaust lumen being in localized fluid communication with one another underneath the balloon while in a non-inflated state. A balloon is disposed about a distal region of an outer surface of the catheter shaft. The exhaust lumen is configured to purge the residual air in a proximal direction and out from a proximal region of the balloon guide catheter.

Balloon catheters, sleeves, cages, and endoluminal prostheses are provided with stress-applying and spacing features coupled to expandable surfaces thereof. The stress-applying features may have blunt and/or rounded contact regions which contact tissue or calcified regions in the vasculature. The contact regions dent or fracture occlusive material on the wall of a vascular lumen and/or patient valve leaflets when expanded. The spacing features permit blood, drug, and contrast perfusion past structures expanded in the vasculature, particularly balloon catheters.

A method may include positioning a first device within an internal carotid artery of a subject and impeding antegrade blood flow in the internal carotid artery. Additionally, the method may include delivering a pharmaceutical agent through an external carotid artery for passage into an ophthalmic artery of the subject.

A balloon catheter which is inflated after insertion into a tubular tissue includes: a balloon catheter body made of a polymer material, which is inflatable by fluid injection; and a plurality of microneedles formed on the surface of the balloon catheter body, wherein the microneedles are formed by transferring a biocompatible polymer resin or photocurable resin, filled in intaglio patterns formed on a mold, which have a shape corresponding to a shape of the microneedles, to the surface of the balloon catheter body which is in close contact with the mold, by a thermal molding, thermal crosslinking or photocuring process.

The invention relates to an infusion catheter device. This catheter device 10 has an elongate, substantially tubular shape defining a longitudinal axis, a distal end (D) and a proximal end (P), configured to be introduced into a conduit (50) having an inner wall (54) and an outer wall (56) and comprising at least one partial or total obstruction (60) or occlusion to be treated, said device comprising, at its distal end (D), one or more infusion orifices (16, 18, 20, 22) for an infusion liquid (LI), and, upstream from the one or more infusion orifices, at the proximal side (P) of the infusion catheter (10), at least one obturating element (70) for temporary obturating, configured to treat said obstruction (60) or occlusion and to perform the infusion of the infusion liquid (LI) downstream from the obturating element (70) and in the obturating position. This device is suitable in particular for cardiac surgery and interventional cardiology.

Described herein is a shock wave device for the treatment of vascular occlusions. The shock wave device includes an outer covering and an inner member inner connected at a distal end of the device. First and second conductive wires extend along the length of the device within the volume between the outer covering and the inner member. A conductive emitter band circumscribes the ends of the first and second wires to form a first spark gap between the end of the first wire and the emitter band and a second spark gap between the end of the second wire and the emitter band. When the volume is filled with conductive fluid and a high voltage pulse is applied across the first and second wires, first and second shock waves can be initiated from the first and second spark gaps.

The present invention is an inflatable balloon which is enclosed by an expandable cover which becomes increasingly porous/permeable during expansion. The balloon is coated or enclosed with a matrix which contains a pharmaceutically active agent. During expansion of the balloon, the pharmaceutically active agent is released or extruded through the expandable cover into a body cavity such as an artery or vein. The present invention also provides for a method of treating a disease or condition by delivering the inflatable balloon to a particular body cavity.

An inflatable balloon includes a base balloon having a cylindrical section and a conical section and at least one circumferential fiber extending circumferentially around the conical section. The inflatable balloon includes a plurality of reinforcing strips in the conical section over the at least one circumferential fiber. Each reinforcing strip includes a plurality of fibers extending at an angle relative to the at least one fiber. Each reinforcing strip is positioned a set circumferential distance away from a neighboring reinforcing strip.

Described is a method and device for dilating a tubular anatomical structure. The device and method can be useful for extracting a blood clot in an artery of a mammal by concentrically irradiating an inner wall of the occluded artery using an ultraviolet (UV) laser beam delivered by an optical fiber having an external or inverted conical tip. Dilation results from photophysical production and release of nitric oxide from the cells lining the arterial wall when UV laser light is projected as a ring beam onto the inner arterial wall. This “minimal contact persistent dilation system” prepares the artery for safer mechanical extraction by thrombectomy, owing to decrease in friction and dissolution of chemical bonding.

An introducer assembly includes a catheter having a proximal end, a distal end extending to a distal tip of the introducer assembly, and an outer catheter wall. The catheter includes a medical device holding portion proximate the distal end, a guide wire lumen extending between the proximal and distal ends, and a side opening extending through the outer wall to the guide wire lumen. The side opening and the guide wire lumen are simultaneously open and the guide wire lumen and side opening are able to receive a guide wire therethrough. The catheter is flexible at least in the location of the side opening. The catheter also includes a plurality of one stiffening mandrel lumens extending from the proximal end and a plurality of stiffening mandrels.