Catheters with weeping balloons can be used for various medical purposes. For example, in some embodiments provided herein weeping balloons are used for catheter visualization devices. In some embodiments, weeping balloons are used to deliver therapeutic agents. Weeping balloons can include openings of a selected size and shape through which a fluid gradually flows or “weeps.” The design of the openings can affect performance characteristics such as, but not limited to, fluid flow rate, tear resistance, and mitigation of counter-flow.

An occlusion catheter system includes an inflation catheter member and an occlusion balloon. The proximal and distal balloon ends are connected to the inflation catheter between the proximal and distal catheter ends. A distal pressure sensor is attached to the inflation catheter member between the proximal balloon end and the atraumatic tip. An inflatable spine is connected to the inflation catheter. The proximal spine end is connected to the inflation catheter near the proximal balloon end and the distal spine end is connected to the inflation catheter near the distal balloon end. The occlusion balloon and the inflatable spine are configured to define blood flow channels with the internal surface and the external balloon surface when the occlusion catheter system is at least partially positioned in the vessel and the occlusion balloon and the inflatable spine are in a partially inflated configuration.

A device for interventional surgical or medical procedures is presented. The device is generally in the form of a balloon and is used to position itself or other working elements up against or through lumen walls in the body. The balloon is comprised of at least two materials of different elastic modulus, which allows for a flexible but relatively non-distensible, unfolding component of the balloon as well as an elastomeric, inflatable component of the balloon. The elastomeric component is fixedly attached to the flexible but relatively non-distensible component and together they form a pressure vessel that can be inflated within the lumens of the body.

A medical device includes a polymer scaffold crimped to a catheter having an expansion balloon. A sheath is placed over the crimped scaffold after crimping to reduce recoil of the crimped polymer scaffold and maintain scaffold-balloon engagement relied on to hold the scaffold to the balloon when the scaffold is being delivered to a target in a body. The sheath is removed by a health professional either by removing the sheath directly or using a tube containing the catheter.

Balloon catheter comprises an elongate catheter shaft having a proximal section, a distal section, and an inflation lumen defined therein and a multilayer balloon on the distal section of the shaft comprising a first layer made of a first polymer material having a first Shore durometer hardness, a second layer made of a second polymer material having a second Shore durometer hardness greater than the first Shore durometer hardness, wherein the second layer is an inner layer relative to the first layer, and a third layer made of a third polymer material having a third Shore durometer hardness less the first Shore durometer hardness, wherein the third layer is an inner layer relative to the second layer. Method of making a balloon catheter is also provided.

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.

Flexible high-pressure angioplasty balloons are disclosed herein which utilize an inflatable balloon positioned upon the catheter and a supporting structure secured over or along the catheter at a first location proximal to the balloon and at a second location distal to the balloon. Inflation of the balloon reconfigures the supporting structure to urge the first location and the second location towards one another thereby inhibiting longitudinal elongation of the balloon relative to the catheter. The supporting structure may surround, support, or otherwise extend over the entire length of the balloon and allows for the balloon to retain increased flexibility which enables the balloon to bend or curve even at relatively high inflation pressures.

A method of inserting a stent includes inserting a unitary, monolithic catheter assembly into a cardiac artery. The catheter assembly includes a body having a proximal end and a distal end, a distal balloon mounted on the distal end, and a proximal balloon mounted on the body, proximally of the distal balloon. A balloon expandable stent is mounted on the distal balloon. The method further includes the steps of advancing the catheter assembly to a blockage in the artery until the distal balloon and the stent both extend across the blockage; inflating the distal balloon and expanding the stent; deflating the distal balloon; advancing the catheter body distally until the proximal balloon extends within the stent; expanding the proximal balloon to post-dilate the stent; deflating the proximal balloon; and withdrawing the catheter body from the artery.

A method and a medical elongate body are configured to prevent stagnation or turbulence of blood flow in a recess of a rugged pattern formed in a blood vessel due to bulging of a blood vessel wall at a lesion part of the blood vessel. The method involves partitioning an inside of the blood vessel into upstream and downstream sides of the recess, and introducing gel into the recess to at least partially fill the recess. A blood vessel lumen forming method and medical elongate body to form such a lumen are other aspects of the disclosure and involve introducing gel into the recess to at least partially fill the recess with the gel, and drilling the gel to remove at least some of the gel to form a passage and secure blood flow in the blood vessel.

A copolymer containing polyether blocks and polyamide blocks for manufacturing an inflatable catheter element, such as a catheter balloon, with improved bursting strength, in which said copolymer has the following characteristics: number-average molecular mass of the PE blocks greater than 500 g/mol, and number-average molecular mass of the PA blocks greater than 10 000 g/mol.