A medical device includes a polymer scaffold crimped to a catheter having an expansion balloon. The scaffold, after being deployed by the balloon, provides a crush recovery of about 90% after the diameter of the scaffold has been pinched or crushed by 50%. The scaffold also has a reduced crimped profile and a modification of the scaffold's ring structure at the crowns that contributes to the reduced crimped profile.

A method of welding a sleeve (10) to a tube (20) includes putting onto end portions (11) of the sleeve (10) respective protective elements (40), of a material that cannot be fused with the materials of the sleeve (10) and of the outer coating (24) of the tube (20); applying on each end portion (11) of the sleeve (10) covered by a protective element (40) a respective heat-shrink element (30); supplying each heat-shrink element (30) with a quantity of heat (Q) which by heating it causes it to shrink and compress the respective end portion (11) of the sleeve (10) against the tube (20), where this quantity of heat (Q) is transmitted to the end portion (11) of the sleeve (10) to obtain a welding of the sleeve (10) to the tube (20) and produce a device (1) comprising the tube (20) with the sleeve (10).

An inflatable structure for use in biological lumens and methods of making and using the same are disclosed. The structure can have an inflatable balloon encircled by a shell. The shell can have proximal and distal tapered necks, longitudinally-oriented flutes, and apertures at the proximal and distal ends of the shell. The apertures can be recessed in the flutes in the necks. The shell can also have fiber reinforced walls.

Medical devices and methods for making and using medical devices are disclosed. An example medical device may include a catheter. The catheter may include a catheter shaft and a balloon. The balloon may comprise a cone portion, a waist portion, and a body portion. A fiber braid may be disposed along the balloon. An inner surface of the waist portion may be thermally bonded to an outer surface of the catheter shaft and an inner surface of the fiber braid may be adhesively bonded to an outer surface of the waist portion.

A catheter including a catheter shaft that has a proximal shaft and a distal shaft. The proximal shaft and the distal shaft are joined to one another in the axial direction. The proximal and distal shafts are integrally connected to one another by the distal end of the proximal shaft being inserted into a hollow interior of the proximal end of the distal shaft or by the proximal end of the distal shaft being inserted into a hollow interior of the distal end of the proximal shaft. The proximal shaft includes a penetrating portion which penetrates from the inner surface through to the outer surface at the distal end of the proximal shaft. The distal shaft includes a projecting portion that includes a tip portion which extends through the penetrating portion past the inner or outer surface of the proximal shaft so that the tip portion is exposed.

To provide a balloon catheter and an apparatus and method for manufacturing the balloon catheter, whereby the degree of welding can be appropriately adjusted and the balloon catheter can be formed so as to have a desired surface profile suitable for various uses including medical use. With a shaft 14 inserted through a catheter tube 30a inserted into an end portion 28b of a balloon and also with a pressure tube 32a fitted around a welding section where the end portion 28b of the balloon 28 is lapped over the catheter tube 30a, the shaft 14 is heated by emitting laser light from a laser radiation unit 8 to the welding section while the shaft 14 is rotated by a chuck, to weld the welding section.

Balloon catheter includes an outer shaft having a hypotube and a monolithic single-layer distal outer member, a balloon in fluid communication with an inflation lumen, and a monolithic inner tubular member having a guidewire lumen defined therethrough. The outer shaft has the inflation lumen defined therethrough. The monolithic single-layer distal outer member is necked to a reduced diameter along an entire length thereof. A proximal end of the monolithic single-layer distal outer member is coupled to the hypotube. A distal section of the hypotube comprises a skive defined by a first angled cut, an axial cut, and a second angled cut. The balloon has a proximal balloon shaft coupled to a distal end of the monolithic single-layer distal outer member. The monolithic inner tubular member extends distally from a proximal port in the monolithic single-layer distal outer member through the balloon to form a tip.

Medical devices and methods for making and using medical devices are disclosed. An example medical device may include a catheter. The catheter may include a catheter shaft and a balloon. The balloon may comprise a cone portion, a waist portion, and a body portion. A fiber braid may be disposed along the balloon. An inner surface of the waist portion may be thermally bonded to an outer surface of the catheter shaft and an inner surface of the fiber braid may be adhesively bonded to an outer surface of the waist portion.

A method for coating an inner lumen surface of a tube with a coating solution comprises the steps of moving a coating solution through a tube via a withdrawal system and depositing the coating solution onto an inner lumen surface of the tube. The thickness of the coating solution is deposited onto the inner lumen surface of the tube is between 1 μm and 25 μm. The method further comprises applying a pressure to the tube using a pressure source when the coating solution is within the tube to manipulate a surface tension between the coating solution and the inner lumen surface of the tube.

A dilator device including an elongated flexible material sleeve having a hollow interior extending along a distal portion and a proximal portion thereof. An expandable or inflatable bladder is connected to the distal portion and disposable radially outward from an exterior of the sleeve when in an expanded and/or inflated orientation. The elongated sleeve comprising a tip having a predetermined configuration that facilitates positioning the elongated sleeve within an intended body part. A fluid input is structured for removable connection to a fluid source and is disposed on the sleeve, in fluid communication with the bladder. An access opening is formed on the proximal portion and is cooperatively dimensioned with the hollow interior to removably receive any one of a plurality of different types of positioning instruments within the sleeve.