A tissue treatment catheter includes a catheter shaft having a fluid lumen in fluid communication with an interior of a balloon, and a guidewire lumen. The balloon is mounted on the catheter shaft and contains an ultrasound transducer. An isolation tube extends through the ultrasound transducer and into the guidewire lumen. A proximal tube end of the isolation tube is between a distal shaft end of the catheter shaft and a guidewire port of the catheter shaft. Other embodiments are also described and claimed.

Medical devices for accessing the central nervous system, as well as making and using medical devices, are disclosed. An example medical device may include an expandable access sheath having a proximal end region and a distal end region. The expandable access sheath may be designed to shift between a first configuration and an expanded configuration. The expandable access sheath may include a tubular body having one or more axial support members disposed along the tubular body. The medical device may include an expansion member designed to shift the expandable access sheath between the first configuration and the expanded configuration.

Medical devices and methods for making and using medical devices are disclosed. An example medical device may include an elongate shaft having a proximal end region and a distal end region. A first lumen may be defined in the shaft. A second lumen may be defined in the shaft. The distal end region may include a common lumen region in fluid communication with the first lumen and the second lumen. A deflectable member may be disposed within the shaft. The deflectable member may be designed to shift between a first configuration where the deflectable member directs a first medical device disposed within the common lumen region into the first lumen and a second configuration where the deflectable member allows a second medical device to move between the common lumen region and the second lumen.

Devices, systems, and methods are disclosed that help deliver catheters or other medical devices to locations within a patient's body. The system includes a transporter catheter having a proximal end and a distal end, at least a first balloon located at the distal end, substantially at a tip of the transporter catheter, and at least a second balloon located between the distal end and the proximal end of the transporter catheter. The first balloon is an orienting balloon and the second balloon is an anchor balloon. The transporter catheter may include a shaft with a single lumen or more than one lumen. The shaft may have a plurality of segments of varying degrees of hardness.

Methods and devices for introducing a colonoscope. An head of an endoscopic guide includes a balloon configured to accommodate a magnetic or ferromagnetic agent. A magnetic field source is configured to generate a magnetic field to exert a retaining force on the magnetic or ferromagnetic agent contained in the endoscopic balloon. The magnetic field is applied using the magnetic field source externally at an area of an abdomen of the patient in which the expanded endoscopic balloon with the magnetic or ferromagnetic agent is present to attract the endoscopic balloon against an anchoring point on a wall of the colon with a retaining force on the magnetic or ferromagnetic agent. The endoscopic guide is put in traction by applying a pulling force on the proximal end of the endoscopic guide to keep the endoscopic guide tensioned and to reduce curvature of loops of the colon.

A method may include accessing a terminal branch of an ophthalmic artery through a face of a subject via first device. Additionally, the method may include positioning the first device or a second device within the ophthalmic artery of the subject and treating a blockage, a stenosis, a lesion, plaque or other physiology in the ophthalmic artery or a junction between an internal carotid artery and the ophthalmic artery.

Medical devices and methods for making and using a medical device are disclosed. An example medical device may include a guidewire for accessing and treating a region of the neural vasculature. The guidewire may include an elongate shaft having a distal end region. The elongate shaft may include an inner tubular member and an outer tubular member. The inner tubular member may have a plurality of openings formed therein. The outer tubular member may have a plurality of slots formed therein. An occlusive balloon may be coupled to the distal end region of the elongate shaft and disposed about at least some of the plurality of openings. The inner tubular member may define a lumen in fluid communication with the occlusive balloon through the plurality of openings. The tip member may be coupled to the distal end region of the elongate shaft.

An apparatus comprises a shaft, an expandable dilator, and at least one ventilation pathway. The shaft defines a longitudinal axis and comprises a distal and proximal ends with at least one shaft lumen. The expandable dilator comprises body with its own proximal and distal ends. The body is configured to transition between a contracted state and an expanded state. The body is configured to dilate a Eustachian tube of a patient in the expanded state. The at least one ventilation pathway is configured to provide ventilation from the distal end of the body to the proximal end of the body when the body is in the expanded state. In some examples, the ventilation pathway comprises a set of transversely oriented vent openings formed through the shaft. In some other examples, the ventilation pathway comprises a space defined between one or more radially outwardly protruding features of the expandable dilator.

A vascular access system includes a catheter having an inner lumen in communication with an open distal end; a guidewire at least partially positioned in the catheter lumen and extending out the open distal end thereof, respective proximal and distal stops secured to the guidewire; and a centering device slidably mounted on the guidewire such that the centering device may freely within the catheter lumen relative to the guidewire between the proximal and distal stops, wherein the centering device substantially aligns a longitudinal axis of the catheter with a longitudinal axis of the guidewire proximate the centering device.

A cardiovascular prosthetic valve, the valve comprising an inflatable cuff comprising at least one inflatable channel that forms, at least in part, an inflatable structure, and a valve coupled to the inflatable cuff, the valve configured to permit flow in a first axial direction and to inhibit flow in a second axial direction opposite to the first axial direction, the valve comprising a plurality of tissue supports that extend generally in the axial direction and that are flexible and/or movable throughout a range in a radial direction.