A dilation catheter system includes a body, a guidewire, and a dilation catheter having an elongate shaft. The dilation catheter system may include a locking mechanism to prevent the guidewire from moving relative to the elongate shaft or to lock the guidewire to the dilation catheter to form a fixed wire unit. The dilation catheter system may include a stabilizing tube extending from an actuator, to provide rigidity to the guidewire. The dilation catheter may include a grip element having a plurality of grip features disposed thereon. The dilation catheter may include a cap biased toward a first longitudinal position and movable to a second longitudinal position. A guide catheter secured to the cap is prevented from changing angular orientation in the first longitudinal position and is free to change angular orientation in the second longitudinal position.

This invention is a transvascularly placed steerable guidewire, further including internal steerability and the ability to articulate in a direction at right angles to its longitudinal axis at or near its distal end. The steerable guidewire is generally fabricated from stainless steel and includes an outer tube, an inner tube, hub structures, and a distal articulating region. The steerable guidewire can be advanced through a body lumen in its straight configuration and then be selectively articulated or curved to permit negotiation of tortuous curvature. The steerable guidewire hub can be removed to permit advancement of catheters over its proximal end followed by re-attachment of the hub to permit deflection of the distal end of the steerable guidewire. Removal of the hub can result in a limp guidewire or maintenance of a forced curvature of the distal end of the guidewire.

A housing has a spiral passageway which contains a catheter which may be manually extracted from the housing by means of a wheel having a polygonal or otherwise textured circumferential surface and mounted on a shaft which extends through a non-circular bearing defined in an outer portion of the housing. An inner portion of the wheel extends into the spiral passageway adjacent the wire catheter and an outer portion of the wheel outwardly from the housing whereby the upper surface of the knob can be manipulated by a member of the surgical team in one direction and the wire catheter below the knob will be advanced in the opposite direction. The non-circular bearing has a generally circular outer portion in which the textured surface of the knob is only intermittently in contact with the catheter whereby the wire catheter may be advanced, and a generally linear inner portion sloping inwardly towards the catheter. When the knob's shaft is held loosely in the outer portion of the bearing, the wire catheter is free to travel. However when the knob's shaft is moved into the sloping portion of the bearing, the operator can push the knob in one direction to force the knob against the wire catheter and lock the catheter into intimate contact with the lower surface of the passageway, and in the opposite direction to retract the knob slightly away from the catheter thereby permitting limited movement of the catheter relative to the housing.

The present disclosure is related to a device for gripping catheters that are used in interventional cardiac procedures without causing internal catheter damage. The present disclosure will allow the operator to maintain improved stability and maneuverability compared with current approaches, including, primarily, digital manipulation, which can lead to fatigue, instability and inappropriate catheter movement. Specifically in the pediatric population where small movements can lead to severe and permanent complications, the present disclosure has the potential to increase the safety profile of already high-risk interventional catheterization and electrophysiology procedures.

A guidewire control assembly may hold a guidewire stationary while allowing for rotation of a catheter shaft disposed over the guidewire. The guidewire control assembly may include a housing with a passage for receiving the guidewire, a clutch mechanism connected to the housing and actuatable to selectively grip and release the guidewire disposed in the passage, and an interface rotatably connected to the housing. The interface may receive the catheter hub attached to the catheter shaft and may allow for torquing the catheter hub.

Embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to apparatuses, systems, and methods for merging an endoscopic basket delivery catheter onto a fixed guidewire. In one implementation, a catheter may include a sheath having a saddle secured to a distal portion thereof. The sheath may constrain an endoscopic tool such as a basket therein, while the saddle may receive a portion of a guidewire. The saddle may include a slit extending along its longitudinal length. The slit may be widened by a working member of an adapter to allow passage of a locked guidewire into the guidewire lumen of the saddle. The catheter may be merged onto the guidewire via the slit and delivered to the desired treatment device without unlocking of the guidewire. Advantageously, access to at least one desired treatment site may be maintained with the guidewire during merging of the catheter.

Smart torquers are provided. Aspects of the smart torquers include: an engager for releasably engaging an elongated intravascular device; a communications module; a contact associated with the engager and configured to communicatively contact an elongated intravascular device engaged by the engager with the communications module; and a manipulator configured to allow a user to torque an elongated intravascular device engaged by the engager. Aspects of the invention further include methods of using the smart torquers, as well as systems and kits employed in such methods.

A torque device for gripping and manipulating a guidewire for advancing the guidewire into a patient's vascular system. The torque device is configured for single-handed use and can be opened for repositioning the torque device relative to the guidewire and closed for gripping the guidewire to prevent axial and rotational movement relative to the guidewire. The torque device grips the guidewire at multiple spaced apart locations on the guidewire.

Methods and devices described for improved catheters including those having a deflectable section to allow for expansion while maintaining flow through a vessel.

A wire member that exhibits an excellent sliding property is provided. A wire member 1 includes: a core member 2 that has an elongated shape; and a surface-disposed member 3 that is spirally disposed on a surface of the core member 2 so as to leave predetermined spaces along a longitudinal direction of the core member 2. In a cross-sectional view taken along the axis of the core member 2, the front end and the rear end of each of projections 3A formed by the surface-disposed member 3 respectively form contact angles 1, 2 each being 5 or greater relative to the surface of the core member 2.