An introducer sheath includes a body having a lumen extending between a leading end and a trailing end and having a collapsed condition with a first lateral cross-section, the first lateral cross-section being flower-shaped, the body being configured to transition from the collapsed condition to an expanded condition with a second lateral cross-section when an apparatus is passed through the lumen, the second lateral cross-section having a maximum dimension larger than a maximum dimension of the first lateral cross-section.

A right ventricle-pulmonary artery conduit provides a first end having a first disc extending radially therefrom and a second disc, proximate to the first disc. The second disc extends radially from the first end. An expandable lumen section extends between the first disc and the second disc. The conduit also has a second end, distal from the first end.

An expandable medical sheath can include a sheath body having a lumen that extends between proximal and distal ends of the sheath. The sheath can have first and second members where the first member has a different elastic modulus than the second member such that one provides elasticity to the sheath and the other provides column strength. The first and second members can be coupled together in alternating sections to form the tubular sheath or the stiffer members can be embedded in the elastic member along all or a portion of the longitudinal length of the sheath. The sheath can automatically move to an expanded state to allow a larger diameter medical device to pass through the lumen, and once through the sheath can automatically return to its initial diameter.

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.

A guide device for inserting a surgical instrument inside a body cavity comprises a guide body, a stabilisation opening and a stabilizing element which can be slidingly engaged inside of the guide body to come out from the latter through the stabilisation opening. In particular, the guide body comprises a deformable portion suitable to pass from a concave configuration, bending towards the inside to house at least partially therein the stabilizing element, to a convex configuration, bending towards the outside of the guide body restoring the cross-section of the inner lumen, and vice versa. The guide body is therefore able to shrink in diameter during the passage inside an introducer catheter and to reacquire the nominal diameter at the operative level.

A catheter that includes an inner layer forming the inner surface of a tubular catheter main body having a lumen, an outer layer forming the outer surface of the catheter main body, and multiple reinforcements embedded between the inner surface and the outer surface. The inner diameter of the catheter main body is D1, the outer diameter is D2, the wall thickness is T1, a thickness of each reinforcement is T2, an effective width of each reinforcement is W, and a total number of the multiple reinforcements is N. The catheter satisfies Expressions (1), (2), and (3):
0.050 mmT10.100 mmExpression (1)
T2/T10.25Expression (2)
60,000(D1D2WN)/(T1.sup.2T2)<1,000,000Expression (3).

A method and apparatus are disclosed for a catheter having a side-port through which a wire may be advanced. The catheter comprises a catheter body, the catheter body defining at least a primary catheter lumen and at least one side-port in communication with the primary catheter lumen, and a distal portion of the catheter extending distal to the at least one side-port, the side-port being configured to allow travel of a wire or other component therethrough, wherein the distal portion of the catheter is radially collapsible.

An introducer sheath (300) includes a body (305) extending between a leading end (304) and a trailing end (302) and including a plurality of rectangular segments (310) extending from the leading end to the trailing end. The segments are joined to one another along longitudinal edges to form a tubular structure with a lumen (308) therethrough, the segments being joined at vertices (314). The body has a collapsed condition with a first cross-section and is configured to transition from the collapsed condition to an expanded condition with a second cross-section when an apparatus is passed through the lumen, the second cross-section having a maximum dimension larger than a maximum dimension of the first cross-section.

A sheath assembly includes a first sheath, a second sheath, and an attachment mechanism. The attachment mechanism secures the second sheath to the first sheath such that a first portion of a second sheath outer surface interfaces with a portion of a first sheath outer surface. The second sheath is configured to transition between an expanded state and a collapsed state such that the profile of the sheath assembly can be reduced when the second sheath is in the collapsed state. This can allow the sheath assembly to become more compact, for instance, during insertion, but yet expandable, for instance, once in place within a patient to suitably accommodate an instrument within the second sheath.

A catheter having a selectively inflatable external balloon and an internal balloon, where the internal balloon is operable as a valve to control fluid flow through a channel.