Devices for moving blood within a patient, and methods of doing so. The devices can include a pump portion that includes an impeller and a housing around the impeller, as well as a fluid lumen. The impeller can be activated to cause rotation of the impeller and thereby move fluid within the fluid lumen.

A horseshoe-shaped guide catheter for stent angioplasty of the ductus arteriosus in newborn and infants with ductal-dependent cardiopathies, characterized by a long, straight, hollow first section merged at the distal end thereof to a second section formed by a curved portion shaped as a circle section with radius (Ra) of 7.5 mm to 9 mm, arc (b) of 180° to 280° and distance (d) between the tip of the second section and the straight part of the first section without deformations of 7 mm and 15 mm. The angioplasty makes it possible to insert one or more stents that keep the ductus open in extrauterine life, improving survival of the newborn and young infants, allowing weight gain and undergo corrective surgery a few months later with safer and with better outcomes.

In an aspect, a device includes a body structure including a core and a sleeve disposed around at least a portion of the core, the core defining a channel through the core extending from a first end of the core to a second end of the core, the sleeve including a flange adjacent the second end of the core; and a deployable portion coupled to the body structure adjacent the first end of the core, the deployable portion having a wired structure transitionable between a retained configuration and a deployed configuration, wherein a top portion of the wired structure extends beyond the first end of the core in a longitudinal direction when the wired structure is in the retained configuration, and wherein first end of the core extends beyond the top portion of the wired structure when the wired structure is in the deployed configuration.

Balloon catheters and methods are provided for selectively occluding blood flow into a right atrium of a patient's heart communicating with an inferior vena cava (IVC) and superior vena cava (SVC). In one embodiment, a catheter includes first and second balloons adjacent one another on a distal end of the catheter shaft. During use, the distal end is introduced into the right atrium and positioned such that the first balloon is located within the right atrium. The first balloon is expanded within the right atrium and the catheter shaft directed such that the expanded first balloon engages at least a portion of the IVC to prevent substantial inflow into the right atrium from the IVC. The second balloon is then expanded to limit inflow into the right atrium from the SVC, and a medical procedure is performed within the patient's body.

The present technology relates to intracardiac pressure monitoring devices, and associated systems and methods. In some embodiments, the present technology includes a device for monitoring pressure within a patient's heart. The device can include a pressure sensor configured to reside within a first chamber of a heart of a patient, and a pressure transmission element configured to extend from the first chamber through a septal wall to a second chamber of the heart of the patient. When the device is implanted in the patient's heart, the pressure transmission element is configured to transmit pressure from the second chamber to the pressure sensor residing within the first chamber.

Catheters with weeping balloons can be used for various medical purposes. For example, in some embodiments provided herein weeping balloons are used for catheter visualization devices. In some embodiments, weeping balloons are used to deliver therapeutic agents. Weeping balloons can include openings of a selected size and shape through which a fluid gradually flows or “weeps.” The design of the openings can affect performance characteristics such as, but not limited to, fluid flow rate, tear resistance, and mitigation of counter-flow.

The present invention discloses a catheter system, comprising: a catheter head having a lumen, a proximal end and a distal end, and an opening positioned at a bottom of the distal end; and a rotatable inner tube having a lumen positioned in the lumen and at a proximal end of the catheter head, the inner tube including a front end having an arcuate opening; wherein the rotatable inner tube can be rotated so that the arcuate opening thereon can be made to engage or disengage with the opening at the bottom of the distal end of the catheter head. The invention also provides a catheter system and method for re-entry of a vascular false lumen into a true lumen in a quick, accurate and low-risk way. The catheter system for re-entry of a vascular false lumen into a true lumen in a quick, accurate and low-risk way effectively solve the problems of difficult operation, inaccurate positioning, long operation time and easiness to cause acute occlusion and internal hemorrhage of the branch vessel when the guidewire is re-entering the true lumen in the prior art.

The present invention relates to a catheter that minimizes or eliminates the recirculation of oxygenated blood. The catheter of the present invention can be used to drain blood from multiple points in the patient, namely the superior vena cava, right atrium, and the right ventricle, while returning blood to the patient's pulmonary artery. Further, the catheter of the present invention is less likely to be moved or dislodged than catheters currently available in the art, thus making the catheter particularly useful for portable lung assist devices. The present invention also relates to methods for inserting the catheter into the patient and using the catheter with a lung assist device.

Medical devices and methods for making and using medical devices are disclosed. An example medical device may include a guide extension catheter. The guide extension catheter may include a proximal shaft having a first outer diameter. A distal sheath may be attached to the proximal shaft and may have a second outer diameter greater than the first outer diameter. The distal sheath may be designed to extend past a coronary ostium and into a coronary artery so that another medical device can pass therethrough toward the coronary artery. An expandable balloon may be coupled to the distal sheath.

An aspiration system for aspirating blood clots from a human body has a power source, an aspiration pump, and an electrical motor coupled to the power source and the aspiration pump, wherein the aspiration pump is pulsed at a frequency below 10 Hz.