The invention relates to devices (1) for draining or closing a natural or artificial bladder outlet by means of a balloon body (3) made of preferably micro-scale thin-walled Polyurethane, which has a vesical anchor, is transurethrally sealing and is extended into the urethra or through the urethra. According to the invention, the balloon body is seated on a shaft body (2) supporting the balloon, and the filling of the balloon body is preferably done with air.

A balloon catheter for treating, preventing, or reducing the recurrence of a stricture and/or cancer, or for treating benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), in a non-vascular body lumen; the ballon catheter comprising: An elongated balloon; a coating layer overlying an exterior surface of the balloon wherein the coating layer includes one or more water-soluble additives and an initial drug load of a therapeutic agent; and a length-control mechanism (600) which stretches and elongates the balloon during deflation, giving the balloon a smaller cross-sectional deflated profile for tracking through the body lumen and for removal after treatment.

Methods and compositions for treatments associated with endovascular grafts, dissections, peripheral aneurysms, and neuro aneurysms are provided that deliver 1,2,3,4,6-pentagalloyl glucose (PGG) or analogues or derivatives thereof and/or LeGoo®. Also provided is a device to deliver 1,2,3,4,6-pentagalloyl glucose (PGG) or analogues or derivatives thereof or LeGoo® to the tissue to be treated.

The current document is directed to improved PTA methodologies that significantly decrease the risks of persistent blood-vessel-wall distention and subsequent restenosis and the risks of PTA-induced dissection, hematoma, and pseudoaneurysm when used to treat blood vessels. Similar improved percutaneous-transluminal-interventional methods are used to treat non-vascular vessels. The improved methods include initial selection of balloon length and inflation pressure for initial treatment of primary lesions to minimize the risks of over-inflation and generation of undesirable localized forces during balloon inflation. The improved methods further include higher-pressure treatment of remaining secondary lesions that also minimizes the risks of over-inflation and generation of undesirable localized forces. The improved methods can be practiced using differently sized balloons and conventional instrumentation, but may be facilitated by use of balloon-length-adjustable catheters.

Apparatus and methods for deactivating renal nerves extending along a renal artery of a mammalian subject to treat hypertension and related conditions. An ultrasonic transducer (30) is inserted into the renal artery (10) as, for example, by advancing the distal end of a catheter (18) bearing the transducer into the renal artery. The ultrasonic transducer emits unfocused ultrasound so as to heat tissues throughout a relatively large impact volume (11) as, for example, at least about 0.5 cm.sup.3 encompassing the renal artery to a temperature sufficient to inactivate nerve conduction but insufficient to cause rapid ablation or necrosis of the tissues. The treatment can be performed without locating or focusing on individual renal nerves.

Cardiac tissue ablation catheters including an inflatable and flexible toroidal or spherically shaped balloon disposed at a distal region of an elongate member, a flexible circuit carried by an outer surface of the balloon, the flexible circuit including, a plurality of flexible branches conforming to the radially outer surface of the balloon, each of the plurality of flexible branches including a substrate, a conductive trace carried by the substrate, and an ablation electrode carried by the substrate, the ablation electrode in electrical communication with the conductive trace, and an elongate shaft comprising a guidewire lumen extending in the elongate member and extending from a proximal region of the inflatable balloon to distal region of the inflatable balloon and being disposed within the inflatable balloon, wherein a distal region of the elongate shaft is secured directly or indirectly to the distal region of the inflatable balloon.

Various embodiments disclosed relate to drug-coated balloon catheters for treating, preventing, or reducing the recurrence of a stricture and/or cancer, or for treating benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), in a non-vascular body lumen and methods of using the same. A drug-coated balloon catheter for delivering a therapeutic agent to a target site of a body lumen stricture includes an elongated balloon having a main diameter. The balloon catheter includes a coating layer overlying an exterior surface of the balloon. The coating layer includes one or more water-soluble additives and an initial drug load of a therapeutic agent. In some embodiments, the balloon catheter includes a length-control mechanism which stretches and elongates the balloon when it is in a deflated state, giving the balloon a smaller cross-sectional deflated profile for tracking through the body lumen and for removal after treatment.

An everting balloon system is disclosed that can be used for the placement of an IUD within the uterine cavity of a female patient. The everting balloon system with IUD can be used to access a uterine cavity at specific locations in the fundus. A one-handed IUD delivery system for placement with an everting catheter is disclosed. An IUD loading system for placement within an everting catheter is disclosed. The everting catheter with an IUD can simplify the process of IUD placement within the uterine cavity.

A balloon catheter system for use by an operator for treating a targeted vein, the balloon catheter system comprising a balloon catheter, a fluid source and a control system. The balloon catheter includes a balloon having a balloon interior, the balloon configured to undergo one or more inflation cycles. The fluid source contains a cryogenic fluid that is selectively delivered to the balloon interior. The control system is configured to selectively control the delivery of the fluid to the balloon interior and to that selectively adjusts an inflation pressure to of the balloon interior based on a number of inflation cycles undergone by the balloon so as to selectively adjust an inflated balloon diameter of the balloon.

In some examples, a catheter includes one or more balloons positioned between an inner wall and an outer wall of an elongated body of the catheter. The one or more balloons are configured to expand through one or more inner wall openings defined by the inner wall and into an inner lumen of the catheter, as well as through one or more outer wall openings defined by the outer wall, e.g., to extend radially away from an outer surface of the outer wall of the catheter. In some examples, the one or more balloons are configured to expand radially inward through the one or more inner wall openings and into the inner lumen of the catheter to contact (e.g., directly contact) a guidewire positioned within the inner lumen.