The present invention is an inflatable balloon which is enclosed by an expandable cover which becomes increasingly porous/permeable during expansion. The balloon is coated or enclosed with a matrix which contains a pharmaceutically active agent. During expansion of the balloon, the pharmaceutically active agent is released or extruded through the expandable cover into a body cavity such as an artery or vein. The present invention also provides for a method of treating a disease or condition by delivering the inflatable balloon to a particular body cavity.

Disclosed is a balloon catheter (1000) with a drug coating. The balloon catheter comprises a pushing catheter (310), at least one expandable first balloon (100) located at a distal end of the pushing catheter (310), and a pre-expansion mechanism. The first balloon (100) is fixedly arranged on the pushing catheter (310). The pre-expansion mechanism (200) comprises an expansion sleeve (220) and a connector (240). The expansion sleeve (220) is used for housing the first balloon (100) before the first balloon (100) is not expanded and when same is pre-expanded. The connector (240) is connected to the expansion sleeve (220) and axially moves with respect to the pushing catheter (310) after the first balloon (100) is pre-expanded, so that the first balloon (100) is exposed outside the expansion sleeve (220). The balloon catheter (1000) with a drug coating can effectively pre-expand a lesion location and can also effectively prevent the loss of a balloon with a drug coating during a delivery process, and is simple in terms of a surgical operation process.

Inflatable medical devices and methods for making and using the same are disclosed. The devices can be medical invasive balloons, such as those used for transcutaneous heart valve implantation, such as balloons used for transcatheter aortic-valve implantation. The balloons can have high strength, fiber-reinforced walls.

A balloon catheter includes a shaft inserted into a body; a balloon attached to the shaft on a distal end side and is expandable by an expansion fluid supplied from a side of a proximal end of the shaft; an elastic band wound around an outer periphery of an intermediate portion between a distal end portion and a proximal end portion of the balloon , and is configured to limit expansion of the balloon at the intermediate portion; and a covering member covering an outer periphery of the elastic band. The balloon is expandable to a maximum expansion diameter from a folded state, in accordance with pressure of the expansion fluid, the elastic band is expandable beyond the secured diameter, by being elastically deformed by the balloon expanding, and the covering member is expandable by being elastically deformed by the balloon or the elastic band expanding.

Everting balloon systems and methods for using the same are disclosed herein. The systems can be configured to access and dilate body lumen and cavities. For example, the systems can be used to dilate the cervix and access the uterine cavity. The systems can also be used to occlude the cervix. The systems can also be used to occlude the urethra.

In some examples, a medical device includes a balloon inflatable to an inflated configuration. The balloon includes an outer layer coextruded on an inner layer. The outer layer has a maximum radial ratio that is lower than that of the inner layer.

Apparatus and methods are provided for accessing body lumens and/or for delivering instruments into body lumens, e.g., vessels within a patient's vasculature. A flexible sheath is provided that is expandable from a contracted condition to an enlarged condition wherein the sheath at least partially defines a lumen therein. The sheath is lubricious and has a relatively thin wall, thereby providing a collapsible/expandable guide for delivering fluids and/or instruments through tortuous anatomy and/or into relatively narrow passages. The sheath is advanced from an entry site to a body lumen in the contracted condition. Once the sheath reaches a target body lumen, the sheath is expanded to the enlarged condition, thereby defining a lumen within the sheath, and fluids and/or instruments are introduced into the body lumen via the sheath lumen. Upon completing the procedure, the sheath is removed from the body lumen.

A balloon catheter includes a balloon that is formed of film and includes an inflation/deflation portion. The inflation/deflation portion includes a plurality of linear projections that projects in a thickness direction of the film and extends along a surface of the film. One of the linear projections is an inner projection that projects inside the balloon.

A multi-layered balloon is provided where each layer is formed such that each layer is made from tubing that optimizes the inner wall stretch thus providing maximum balloon strength. The high pressure, multi-layer balloon is provided with layers that allow for slipping, such that the balloon has a very high pressure rating and toughness, yet excellent folding characteristics. Methods for producing such multi-layer balloons using existing balloon forming equipment are also provided. The multi-layer balloons can have alternating structural and lubricating layers, or layers with low-friction surfaces. The multi-layer balloons are preferably manufactured using a variety of methods including nesting, co-extrusion, or a combination of nesting and co-extrusion. The multi-layer balloons have balloon layers having substantially similar, or the same, high degree of biaxial orientation of their polymer molecules such that each balloon layer of the multi-layer balloon will fail at approximately the same applied pressure.

A medical assembly includes a balloon expandable endoprosthesis comprising a plurality of ringed stent elements flexibly connected to each other via at least one flexible connector, the endoprosthesis being deployable from an undeployed state with an undeployed diameter to a deployed state with a deployed diameter. The medical assembly further includes a catheter assembly comprising a balloon, and a cover along the balloon. The endoprosthesis is coaxially located about the balloon and the cover. One or more portions of the balloon and the cover reach an intermediate diameter between the undeployed diameter and the deployed diameter in which the portions of the balloon and the cover are inflated by increasing an inflation pressure within the balloon and approximately maintained at about the intermediate diameter until the inflation pressure increases by at least 1 atmosphere to overcome a yield strength of the cover.