An apparatus includes a catheter having a balloon including at least one first radiopaque marking. A guidewire guides the balloon to the treatment area, and includes at least one second radiopaque marking adapted for corresponding to the at least one first radiopaque marking of the balloon when positioned at the treatment area. Related aspects and methods are disclosed.

The present disclosure relates to guidewire devices having shapeable tips and effective torquability. A guidewire device includes a core having a proximal section and a tapered distal section. A tube structure is coupled to the core such that the tapered distal section of the core extends into and distally beyond the tube structure. The portion of the core extending distally beyond the tube forms a shapeable tip. A polymer covering encompasses the tip. The tip is configured to reduce the tendency of resilient forces from the tube structure to disrupt a customized shape of the tip.

A method may include accessing an artery in communication with an ophthalmic artery of a subject, and advancing a microcatheter along the accessed artery so as to align a distal end of the microcatheter with an ostium of the ophthalmic artery, wherein the microcatheter includes a lumen having a guidewire positioned therein. In addition, the method includes proximally withdrawing the guidewire relative to the microcatheter so as to enable a distal portion of the microcatheter to assume a curved relaxed configuration, and cannulating the ostium with the distal portion of the microcatheter when the distal portion is in the curved relaxed configuration.

A medical device includes: a wire having a proximal end, a distal end, and a body extending between the proximal end and the distal end; and a coil disposed around a segment of the wire, wherein the coil comprises a proximal coil end, a distal coil end, and a coil body extending between the proximal coil end and the distal coil end; wherein the coil body comprises loops made from an elongated member having a cross-section, wherein the cross-section of the elongated member comprises a first side facing the wire, and a second side being opposite the first side and facing away from the wire; and wherein the second side of the cross-section of the elongated member has a higher curvature than the first side of the cross-section of the elongated member.

A guidewire for use in intravascular procedures has a solder or weld joint at a distal end thereof. A plurality of dimples are formed on the solder/weld joint to increase the engagement and penetration of fibrous material including chronic total occlusions (CTO).

A guidewire for use in intravascular procedures has an inner coil that is radiopaque and an outer coil that is non-radiopaque at the distal end of the guidewire. The radiopaque inner coil is visible under fluoroscopy so that the physician can monitor the location of the distal end of the guidewire during a procedure. The inner coil and the outer coil can be formed from a single wire or a multi-filar wire. The inner coil and the outer coil can have any of the following cross-sections for enhanced torquability: I-beam; vertical rectangular; vertical ellipse; square; peanut shape; vertical hexagonal; horizontal hexagonal; and horizontal ellipse.

A shaping tool is used to form a bend in the distal end of a guidewire. The guidewire distal end is inserted through a channel and into a cavity of the shaping tool. Using hand pressure, a first member is moved axially relative to a second member of the shaping tool, thereby moving the cavity relative to the channel and imparting a bend in the distal end of the guidewire.

The present invention relates to a method of delivering drugs having e.g., anti-proliferative activity in the vascular, preferably, the cardiovascular, system locally or systematically using an at least partially drug-coated guidewire. The drug-coated guidewire, particularly an expansion member or portion thereof, is brought into contact with the target tissue or in circulation and the drugs are quickly released into the area surrounding the device in a short time after the contact step. Once the therapeutic drugs are released, they are quickly and effectively absorbed by the surrounding cells or circulation.

A method of delivering a catheter to a location of interest in the vasculature, the method including positioning a self-expanding sheath within a lumen of the catheter; advancing the catheter and the self-expanding sheath in tandem over a guidewire; and distally moving a distal end of the self-expanding sheath out from the lumen of the catheter thereby causing the self-expanding sheath to move from a collapsed state within the catheter to an expanded state outside the catheter, wherein when the self-expanding sheath is in the expanded state both the self-expanding sheath and the catheter are distally advanceable in tandem.

The current document is directed to usable-length-selectable catheters that employ usable-length-selectable catheters to treat malformations, constrictions, obstructions, lesions, and blockages within patients' blood vessels. The usable length of the shaft of a usable-length-selectable catheter, to which the current application is directed, can be adjusted over a set of lengths prior to and during medical procedures.