A system and apparatus comprising a multi-sensor catheter for right heart and pulmonary artery catheterization is disclosed. The multi-sensor catheter comprises multi-lumen catheter tubing into which at least three optical pressure sensors, and their respective optical fibers, are inserted. The three optical pressure sensors are arranged within a distal end portion of the catheter, spaced apart lengthwise within the distal end portion for measuring pressure concurrently at each sensor location. The sensor locations are configured for placement of at least one sensor in each of the right atrium, the right ventricle and the pulmonary artery, for concurrent measurement of pressure at each sensor location. The sensor arrangement may further comprise an optical thermo-dilution sensor, and another lumen is provided for fluid injection for thermo-dilution measurements. The catheter may comprise an inflatable balloon tip and a guidewire lumen, and preferably has an outside diameter of 6 French or less.

The present invention provides an optical irradiation apparatus including: a dual laser light source unit which simultaneously or selectively outputs multiple light sources created with different outputs; an optical fiber which is connected to the dual laser light source unit, receives the light outputted from the dual laser light source unit, and emits the received light through an embossed end surface; and an inflatable balloon catheter which is formed to surround the embossed end surface of the optical fiber and expands constricted tissue. With the present invention, it is possible to effectively treat constricted tissue during a procedure of performing an anticancer therapy on entire human bodies with various types of cancers, and it is possible to mitigate patient's pain by reducing a relapse rate of stenosis after the photothermal therapy.

A medical device having an echogenic region facilitate guiding the medical device to a selected location within a patient using ultrasound. The medical device includes a first layer having a first polymer. The first layer defines an elongate body extending along a longitudinal axis from a proximal end to a distal end and defines a lumen extending longitudinally within the elongate body. The medical device further includes a second layer having a second polymer. The second layer is disposed on and radially adjacent to the first layer and defines the echogenic region. The echogenic region includes the second polymer and an echogenic metallic or ceramic material dispersed in the second polymer. The echogenic region is detectable using ultrasound imaging.

A parison for being blow molded into a medical balloon for a catheter includes a first tubular layer having a functional modification and a second tubular layer adapted for bonding with the first tubular layer to form the blow molded balloon. Related methods are also disclosed.

This disclosure provides apparatus and methods for detecting pressure changes within a cavity of a patient. A pressure-sensing catheter comprises an elongate member and a monitor lumen. The pressure-sensing catheter may have a hollow pressure-compliant member in fluid communication with the monitor lumen and thereby define a fluid column. A connector apparatus can be in fluid communication with the monitor lumen, and can comprise a first complementary connector and a second complementary connector. One of the first complementary connector and the second complementary connector can have a pressurizing device that can displace a volume of fluid located within a bore of the other complementary connector into the fluid column, wherein the ratio of the volume of displaced fluid to the volume of the fluid column ranges from about 1:2 to about 1:4. The pressure catheter can comprise a radio-opaque band circumscribing the exterior of the elongate member.

An angioplasty balloon (1) comprises an elongate tube (16) having a relaxed delivery configuration and an expanded deployed configuration. The elongate tube (16) comprises a proximal neck portion (10), a distal neck portion (8), a main body region, a tapered proximal portion (11) extending between the main body region and the proximal neck portion (10); and a tapered distal portion (9) extending between the main body region (3) and the distal neck portion (8), the elongate tube has only three fins (4, 5, 6) which are integrally formed with the tube and which are spaced equidistant from one another about the exterior of the tube. The fins (4, 5, 6) project radially outwardly from the exterior surface of the tube and the fins (4, 5, 6) extending longitudinally only along part of the main body region (3), resulting in the end-sections of the balloon main body being fin-free.

Endolumenal devices and methods can be used for the treatment of health conditions including obesity and diabetes. In some embodiments, the methods and systems provided herein can cause weight loss or control diabetes by reducing the caloric absorption of an individual. For example, this document provides several devices and methods for treating obesity and diabetes by using electroporation to modulate the duodenal mucosa. In addition, this document provides devices and methods for bypassing portions of the gastrointestinal tract to reduce nutritional uptake.

A balloon catheter is described having a reinforced, co-axial, duel lumen design. In some embodiments, the balloon catheter includes a purging mechanism designed to purge air from the balloon.

A medical device for kyphoplasty procedures is disclosed. The medical device includes a trocar configured for insertion in a vertebral cavity, the trocar having a longitudinal axis that is perpendicular to a second axis, an orifice at a first end of the trocar in, the orifice configured for deploying a balloon tamponade, the balloon tamponade configured for inserting into a second end of the trocar, through the trocar and out of the orifice at a first end of the trocar, and, wherein the balloon tamponade is configured to be inflated such that the balloon tamponade inflates to a greater extent along the second axis than the longitudinal axis of the trocar.

Catheters incorporating a thin film polymeric layer or layers. The thin film may have a wall thickness of about 0.00025″ +/− less than 0.0001″ to about 0.0015″ +/−0.0002″, for example. The thin film may be formed by extruding a sheet and cutting the sheet into elongate ribbons, each having two opposing long edges. The ribbon may be rolled or wrapped to define a tubular shape with a gap between the long edges. Heat and pressure may be applied to close the gap, abut the edges and form a longitudinal joint. The joint may extend along a portion of the length of the tubular shaft or most of the length of the tubular shaft. The tubular-shaped thin film layer may have a uniform wall thickness around the circumference, and the uniform wall thickness may extend across the joint.