[Object]

Provided is a catheter that can enhance the smoothness of a lumen.

Solution

A balloon catheter includes: an outer shaft to be inserted into a body, the outer shaft including a main lumen that extends in an axial direction from a proximal end side toward a distal end side; and a second member exposed in a portion of an inner circumferential surface of the outer shaft to the main lumen and having frictional properties lower than those of a first member (an inner shaft) that forms the inner circumferential surface of the outer shaft. The balloon catheter further includes sub-shafts that include sub-lumens extending in the axial direction and that are formed of the second member, and a portion of outer circumferential surfaces of the sub-shafts is exposed in a portion of the inner circumferential surface of the outer shaft to the main lumen.

Disclosed herein are medical instrument and medical method for localized drug delivery. The medical instrument can comprise a catheter shaft assembly, a hub coupled to the proximal end of the catheter shaft assembly, an inflatable component at the distal end of the catheter shaft assembly, a tissue penetrating member coupled to the inflatable component in an orientation transverse to the longitudinal axis of the catheter shaft assembly, and at least one protective element coupled to the inflatable component in proximity to the tissue penetrating member. The protective element can be configured to prevent any damage of the inflatable body during a placement of the medical instrument and an actuation of the inflatable component.

Systems and methods can involve wedge dissectors attached to strips in turn attached to medical balloons, for forming serrations within vascular wall tissue for angioplasty as well as drug delivery.

The present embodiments relate generally to devices, systems, and methods for dilating implants utilizing dilation devices. An example includes a dilation device for an implant. The dilation device includes an inflatable body having a proximal end and a distal end, and a central body positioned between the proximal end and the distal end and having a length. The central body is configured to press an inner surface of the implant to dilate the implant. The inflatable body includes at least one outer inflatable body fold radius of curvature greater than or equal to one half a thickness of the inflatable body.

A catheter-mounted balloon includes an inflatable chamber defining a volume expandable from a deflated state to an inflated state, the inflatable chamber having a distal transition portion, a proximal transition portion, and a cylindrical body portion disposed between the distal transition portion and the proximal transition portion. The cylindrical body portion of the inflatable chamber includes a pleat zone having a pleat when the inflatable chamber is in the deflated state. The catheter-mounted balloon further includes an electrode disposed along a wall of the inflatable chamber. The pleat traverses the electrode such that is electrode is pleated as well.

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.

Systems, devices, and methods for transvascular ablation of target tissue. The devices and methods may, in some examples, be used for splanchnic nerve ablation to increase splanchnic venous blood capacitance to treat at least one of heart failure and hypertension. For example, the devices disclosed herein may be advanced endovascularly to a target vessel in the region of a thoracic splanchnic nerve (TSN), such as a greater splanchnic nerve (GSN) or a TSN nerve root. Also disclosed are method of treating heart failure, such as HFpEF, by endovascularly ablating a thoracic splanchnic nerve to increase venous capacitance and reduce pulmonary blood pressure.

Described herein are methods and devices for delivering a drug to the frontal sinus system. An inflatable implant is positioned within the frontal sinus system using an anchoring means secured within the frontal sinus cavity. A drug-containing fluid is released directly into the frontal sinus drainage system.

A balloon catheter by which a drug can be effectively delivered to living body tissue and a method of manufacturing the balloon catheter, and a treatment method. The balloon catheter is provided on an outer surface of a balloon with a plurality of elongate bodies which are independent crystals of a water-insoluble drug that extend in an elongate form. The elongate bodies have long axes extending in directions along the outer surface of the balloon when the balloon is in a deflated state. Deformation, when the balloon is inflated from the deflated state, of portions on an outer surface side of the balloon to which end portions of the elongate bodies are fixed causes a force to act on the elongate bodies such that the long axes of the elongate bodies approach perpendicularity to the outer surface of the balloon.

The invention is directed to a device for the sealing occlusion and/or for the space-filling tamponade of hollow organs or other cavities in the human body, comprising a preferably fully and residually formed balloon (2) which applies a sealing pressure that is as constant as possible to the wall of the organ to be occluded or tamponaded. The device comprises an isobarically acting regulator (3) for the filling pressure within the interior of the balloon, the regulator having a volume reservoir (3) situated extracorporeally outside of the body, and a feed line (6) for communicatively connecting the extracorporeal volume reservoir of the regulator to the interior of the balloon. The connecting feed line between the balloon and the regulator has a flow-directing one-way valve (26) that prevents backflow from the balloon to the volume reservoir of the regulator, while a nonflow-directing throttle element (27) is provided which allows a slow volume compensation between the balloon and the volume reservoir.