A method and a kit for the prevention of venous stenosis associated with the use of hemodialysis AV shunts. The kit may use a bifurcated needle for providing access to the shunt or blood vessel. One of the arms is used for returning the blood to the subject after dialysis treatment, while the other arm is used for inserting a device for cleaning the vein, the device being either an autonomous crawling device, or a passive tethered device moved down the vein by the blood flow. The autonomous crawling device may be a series of sequentially inflatable chambers, the stenosis being cleared by pressure from the outer walls of the chambers when inflated and moved. The passive device may be an element having a flexible disc-like structure, whose flexible peripheral edge slides along the inner walls of the blood vessel, compressing or clearing the material attached thereto.

Inflatable medical devices and methods for making and using the same are disclosed. The inflatable medical devices can be medical balloons. The balloons can be configured to have a through-lumen or no through-lumen and a wide variety of geometries. The device can have a high-strength, non-compliant, fiber-reinforced, multi-layered wall. The inflatable medical device can be used for angioplasty, kyphoplasty, percutaneous aortic valve replacement, or other procedures described herein.

Apparatus, systems, and methods are provided for repairing heart valves through percutaneous transcatheter delivery and fixation of annuloplasty rings to heart valves via a trans-apical approach to accessing the heart. A guiding sheath may be introduced into a ventricle of the heart through an access site at an apex of the heart. A distal end of the guiding sheath can be positioned retrograde through the target valve. An annuloplasty ring arranged in a compressed delivery geometry is advanced through the guiding sheath and into a distal portion of the guiding sheath positioned within the atrium of the heart. The distal end of the guiding sheath is retracted, thereby exposing the annuloplasty ring. The annuloplasty ring may be expanded from the delivery geometry to an operable geometry. Anchors on the annuloplasty ring may be deployed to press into and engage tissue of the annulus of the target valve.

A method is disclosed, including joining a balloon to a resilient inner body of a balloon assist device, the balloon comprising an axial length shorter than an axial length of the inner body; expanding a slit in the resilient inner body of the balloon assist device; inserting a catheter through the slit; and releasing the slit to contract the balloon assist device around the catheter.

Various embodiments disclosed relate to drug-coated balloon catheters for treating strictures in body lumens 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.

Systems and methods for de-airing a cardiac chamber during cardiac surgery are provided. A catheter-based inflatable device is inserted adjacent a target area of the heart, and the frequency of inflation and deflation of the inflatable device is controlled via a remote controller to change the shape of the cardiac chamber to dislodge air bubbles from their deposition site in the cardiac chamber.

A method for maintaining a balloon of a balloon catheter at a prescribed pressure of between about 0.2 psi and 1 psi comprises the step of: generating a vacuum within a reservoir defined in a burette that is part of a fluid management system that is configured to controllably inflating and deflating the balloon by circulating balloon fill media along a fluid circuit, wherein generating the vacuum results in formation of a pressure differential along the fluid circuit, thereby allowing the balloon to be maintained at the prescribed pressure between about 0.2 psi and about 1 psi.

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 formed into a plurality of cells encircled by a shell. A strap can extend between the cells. The shell can have proximal and distal tapered necks, longitudinally-oriented flutes, and apertures at the proximal and distal ends of the shell. The shell can include a reinforcement having tapered sections over the necks and strips extending between the tapered sections. A semi-compliant or compliant balloon can be placed around the outside of the inflatable structure.

A catheter apparatus (10) includes a tubular member (11); multiple fluid-flow pipe members (13), each having a proximal end (19) and a distal end (18), and being disposed along a first axial direction of the tubular member; multiple node members (15) disposed along a first axial direction of the tubular member, wherein two adjacent node members (15) form a segment (1a); and a periphery member (14), wherein the periphery member (14) wraps the multiple node members (15) to form a space (1b) with the segment (1a) formed between the two adjacent node members (15). The catheter apparatus (10) can irradiate the entire diffuse tumor during one brachytherapy process without repeated placement of the catheter. Meanwhile, it can be smoothly inserted into the patient's narrow body cavity because there are no external balloons. A brachytherapy system adopts the catheter apparatus (10).

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.