The invention relates to a rod-shaped body (1) comprised of one or more filaments (2) and of a non-ferromagnetic matrix material (3). The matrix material (3) surrounds the filament(s) (1) and/or adheres them to one another. The rod-shaped body is also comprised of a dopant consisting of particles that generate magnetic resonance tomographic artifacts that is introduced into the matrix material (3). Rod-shaped bodies of this type can be used to construct guide wires, catheters and other instruments to be used in minimally invasive surgical interventions.

A guide wire comprises a longitudinal body having a proximal end portion and an opposing distal end portion. The proximal and distal end portions have rigid shafts with a flexible portion disposed therebetween. The flexible portion is fixedly attached to the proximal end portion and distal end portion. An outer surface of the flexible portion has a diameter equal to an outer surface of the proximal end portion and an outer surface of the distal end portion. The distal end portion further comprises at least one marker disposed therein configured to locate a distal tip of the guide wire during imaging.

For surgical and/or medical instruments, a smart handle for easily and more accurately manipulating an elongated functional system inside the body of a subject, including a handle body extending along a longitudinal axis having a first electrical interface including at least two electrical connectors, a second electrical interface with at least two circular conductive elements and a chamber for receiving a power supply; the power supply being connected to one of the electrical interfaces, at least one first external command being arranged on the outer surface of the handle body, and when activated, the first external command allows to flow an electrical current through the electrical connectors; the electrical connectors being maintained in contact with the other electrical interface by a spring force, the electrical connectors including at their distal end a round tip for ensuring a permanent contact between the electrical connectors and the circular conductive elements during rotation.

Provided herein as a steerable surgical robotic system for positioning a catheter comprising a sheath and a guidewire within a patient body, including a sheath driver configured to advance and retract a sheath having a hollow interior along a sheath advance and retract path extending therein, a guidewire driver configured to advance and retract a guidewire along a guidewire advance and retract path extending therein, wherein each of the sheath advance and retract path and the guidewire advance and retract path extend between pairs of rollers in the respective sheath and roller drivers, and the paths are parallel to each another.

Devices, systems, and methods are disclosed that help deliver catheters or other medical devices to locations within a patient's body. The device comprises 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 single lumen or more than one lumen. The transporter catheter may include a shaft comprising an inner layer and an outer layer, the inner layer may be made of a material more flexible than the material of the outer layer. The outer layer may also comprise a braided wire assembly, said braided wire assembly being formed by braiding a plurality of flat wires or circular wires. The braided wire assembly may wrap around the inner layer. The transporter catheter may comprise a shaft that may include a plurality of segments of varying degrees of hardness. The degree of hardness of the segment of the shaft of the transporter catheter located between the first balloon and the second balloon may be less than the degree of hardness of the segment of the shaft between the second balloon and the proximal end of the catheter.

Disclosed is an intraluminal catheter that includes a flexible elongate shaft configured to be positioned within a body lumen of a patient, and an intraluminal sensor disposed at the distal portion of the shaft that is configured to sense a characteristic within the body lumen. The shaft further comprises a plurality of wires disposed around a lumen, wherein the wires are helically twisted. The wires can be helically twisted in a single direction to form a cylindrical shape. This helical structure is configured to stiffen the flexible elongate shaft for movement into an obstruction within the body lumen without kinking.

Polymeric tubing, for use with catheters or other medical devices, where the polymeric tubing can have regions of customized properties including, but not limited to, durometer, torque control, flexibility, axial strength, stiffness, etc. One variation of the device allows for transitions between regions to be configured such that there can be gradual or customized transitions between various regions such that the structural characteristics differential between the regions selectively designed. Additional variations include outer layers having a plurality of material sections extending in a spiral direction along the axial length to form a continuous wall of the outer layer. In certain variations, the structural characteristic differential is minimized or eliminated as compared to conventional catheters.

A method of making a medical guidewire including providing a wire having a length that includes a proximal length and a distal length. The method further includes applying cold work to the distal length and not applying cold work to the proximal length, thereby imparting to the distal length a diameter that is smaller than the proximal length diameter; and applying a reducing process to the wire whereby the proximal length is reduced to have an outer diameter that is the same as the outer diameter of the distal length. The proximal length has an inner diameter and the distal length has an inner diameter that is less than the inner diameter of the proximal length.

A steerable endovascular catheter which can be used and for diagnosis and endovascular treatment of vascular diseases. Methods of diagnosis and endovascular treatment comprising steering the catheter through vasculature of a patient.

A guide wire has a core shaft. The core shaft includes a body portion and a layered portion. The body portion contains a nickel-titanium-based alloy as a main component, the nickel-titanium-based alloy having a superelastic property. The layered portion includes an inner layer formed on a part of an outer peripheral face of the body portion and containing a nickel alloy as a main component, and an outer layer formed on the inner layer and containing a titanium oxide as a main component.