A balloon catheter is provided that may be used to dilate hardened regions of a stenosis. The balloon catheter is provided with one or more dilation elements that extend along a surface of a balloon. Each dilation element is connected to an outer surface of the balloon by a connector. The connector is sufficiently sized and designed to undergo stress-induced plastic deformation incurred during blow molding so that a significant portion of each of the dilation elements does not become absorbed into the wall of the final blow molded balloon, thereby maintaining the structural integrity of each of the dilation elements.

The invention relates to a balloon catheter comprising a catheter tube, an inflatable balloon, the ends of which are attached to the catheter tube, and a stent attached around the balloon. The stent extends at least partly along the length of the balloon. In an uninflated state, at least the outside surface of the balloon not covered by the stent is provided with a relief structure which is substantially disappeared in an inflated state of the balloon. The invention also relates to a method for manufacturing such a balloon catheter.

A treatment instrument for an endoscope is equipped with a sheath; and a balloon which is provided at the sheath, the balloon being configured to be expandable to an unfolded inflated shape from a folded initial shape by supplying a fluid, the balloon having a first region and a second region provided at both end portions in a longitudinal direction, and an intermediate section provided between the first region and the second region. In the initial shape of the balloon, an amount of residual strain of the intermediate section is larger than the amount of residual strain of the first region and the amount of residual strain of the second region. When an internal pressure of the balloon has a first internal pressure value, the first region and the second region are unfolded to be faster than the intermediate section, thereby having a greater diameter than the intermediate section.

A balloon catheter includes a balloon/shaft assembly and a linear member. The balloon/shaft assembly includes a catheter shaft extending from a proximal end to a distal end and a balloon connected to the catheter shaft. The linear member straddles an inflatable region of the balloon and is mounted on the balloon/shaft assembly. The linear member includes a hard portion and a flexible portion. The hard portion includes at least an outer portion disposed on an opposite side to an inner portion facing the inflatable region, of a portion disposed along an outer peripheral surface of the inflatable region in an inflated state. The flexible portion is a portion other than the hard portion. The flexible portion is extendable and has a lower hardness than the hard portion.

The present disclosure describes implantable medical devices comprising covers, such as a balloon cover. Such devices can comprise a first layer of a porous polymeric material, such as ePTFE, surrounded by layers of a porous polymeric material having an imbibed elastomer, such as polyurethane. The cover can be used to assist in deployment of an expandable implant, such as a stent-graft, within the body of the patient.

The present disclosure describes implantable medical devices comprising covers, such as a balloon cover. Such devices can comprise a first layer of a porous polymeric material, such as ePTFE, surrounded by layers of a porous polymeric material having an imbibed elastomer, such as polyurethane. The cover can be used to assist in deployment of an expandable implant, such as a stent-graft, within the body of the patient.

For selective treatment of diseased tissue sections or organ parts, the surface of medical devices entering into contact with areas thereof under pressure is coated with lipophilic substantially water-insoluble medicaments binding to various tissue components with good adherence thereto, said medicaments having an effect thereupon a short time after entering into contact therewith without exerting a harmful influence upon adjacent healthy tissue.

The present disclosure describes implantable medical devices comprising covers, such as a balloon cover. Such devices can comprise a first layer of a porous polymeric material, such as ePTFE, surrounded by layers of a porous polymeric material having an imbibed elastomer, such as polyurethane. The cover can be used to assist in deployment of an expandable implant, such as a stent-graft, within the body of the patient.

The present invention is intended to provide a carrying support that grasps work tubes different in length and type such that the lower ends are at the same height, is easy for the worker to carry by hand and realize automatic carrying, and is further capable of fixing the tube end portions to be processed in many cases at a constant height, thereby to assure the degree of freedom of designing manufacturing devices when the carrying support is also used as a jig for the devices. The carrying support is provided with a first grasping part (11) and a second grasping part (12) that grasp both end sides of work tubes (W) bent in middle parts at an upper position and extending downward.

A stent delivery system for dynamic deployment of a stent loaded thereon and a method of manufacturing the system. The stent delivery system includes a balloon catheter with a balloon in a spirally twisted delivery configuration on which a stent is crimped or otherwise loaded. The stent is made from a single, continuous strand of wire formed into a sinusoidal waveform that is wrapped into a helical pattern and joined at selected crowns. Upon inflation of the spirally twisted balloon of the stent delivery system, the stent undergoes dynamic deployment such that the stent in a deployed or expanded configuration has crowns with obtuse deployment angles and crowns with acute deployment angles.