A device and method for intravascular treatment of atherosclerotic plaque prior to balloon angioplasty which microperforates the plaque with small sharp spikes acting as serrations for forming cleavage lines or planes in the plaque. The spikes may also be used to transport medication into the plaque. The plaque preparation treatment enables subsequent angioplasty to be performed at low balloon pressures of about 4 atmospheres or less, reduces dissections, and avoids injury to the arterial wall. The subsequent angioplasty may be performed with a drug-eluting balloon (DEB) or drug-coated balloon (DCB). The pre-angioplasty perforation procedure enables more drug to be absorbed during DEB or DCB angioplasty, and makes the need for a stent less likely. Alternatively, any local incidence of plaque dissection after balloon angioplasty may be treated by applying a thin, ring-shaped tack at the dissection site only, rather than applying a stent over the overall plaque site.

In some implementations, an intravascular gas exchange catheter includes (a) a catheter wall extending from a proximal end to a distal end; (b) a first internal lumen coupled to a first lumen port at the proximal end and adjacent at least a portion of the catheter wall, and a second internal lumen coupled to a second lumen port at the proximal end; and (c) an interior space enclosed by the catheter wall and disposed at the distal end, wherein the first internal lumen and second interior lumen are fluidly isolated from each other along a length of catheter wall but fluidly coupled to each other at the interior space. The catheter wall may include a porous material that facilitates diffusion of a target gas through the catheter wall, from or to a space exterior to the catheter wall, to or from the first lumen.

Methods and apparatus are provided to facilitate the minimally invasive removal of tissue biopsies and to facilitate the direct approach to anesthetizing the chest wall, in accordance with embodiments of the present invention. A pull-type cutting device 1 comprises two coaxially nested tubes, each extending from a proximal end 21 to a distal end 22. The first tube 61 defines a guide wire lumen 23 for slidingly receiving a guide wire. The second tube 63 extends over the first tube 60 and coupled thereto at the distal end 22 defining an expandable portion 13 adjacent the distal end 22. The second tube 63 defines an inflation lumen 25 extending from the shaft proximal end 21 to the expandable portion 13. The inflation lumen 25 communicates inflation fluid from the proximal end 21 to the expandable portion 13 so as to inflate and deploy the expandable portion 13. Disposed adjacent the shaft distal end 22 is a cutting head 10 comprising the expandable portion 13 having a cutting portion 11 distal from the shaft distal end 22.

Disclosed herein is a method of producing high purity pentagalloyl glucose (PGG), analogues or derivatives thereof, at least 99.9% pure, by washing with dimethyl ether. PGG may be provided in a kit, including a hydrolyzer for dissolving the PGG and a saline solution. Also disclosed herein is a device for delivery of a therapeutic solution to a blood vessel. The device may be a catheter having an upstream balloon and a downstream balloon. The upstream balloon may be expanded to anchor the catheter and occlude antegrade blood flow. The downstream balloon may be expanded to occlude retrograde blood flow, creating a sealed volume within the blood vessel. The downstream balloon may have pores configured to deliver a therapeutic inflation solution into the sealed volume or a portion thereof. The downstream balloon may be expanded by the expansion of a balloon disposed inside the downstream balloon.

An apparatus for performing a medical procedure includes a balloon comprising an inflatable body. A first releasable or frangible connection is provided to maintain the body at a first diameter up to a first inflation pressure, and to release, such as by disconnecting, and thus allow the body to assume a second diameter, such as at a second inflation pressure greater than the first inflation pressure or upon a manual release of the connection by a clinician. Multiple releasable or frangible connections may be provided, including between portions (folds) of the inflatable body of the balloon. This disclosure also pertains to a non-compliant or semi-compliant balloon having a first inflation diameter corresponding to a first range of inflation pressures and a second inflation diameter corresponding to a second inflation pressure greater than the first range of inflation pressures.

An overtube assembly for use with an elongate medical tool includes an overtube including a flexible tubular body having a proximal end and distal end. The flexible tubular body includes a split extending from the proximal end to the distal end. The overtube assembly further includes an inflatable balloon coupled to a distal portion of the flexible tubular body. The flexible tubular body is disposable over a section of the elongate medical tool by inserting the elongate medical tool through the split.

A catheter for introduction into a body vessel includes a shaft including one or more lumens, a balloon positioned at the distal end of the shaft, and at least one tube on an outer surface of the balloon and associated with the one or more lumens. The at least one tube includes one or more delivery ports for eluting a therapeutic agent, such as a drug, to treat a vascular lesion.

Provided are an apparatus for acquiring biological data and an apparatus for processing biological data. The apparatus for being inserted into a living body and acquiring biological information includes a balloon inserted into the living body to expand or contract, one or more electrodes disposed on a surface of the balloon, and one or more fine protrusions disposed on surfaces of the electrodes to come into contact with the living body.

An endoscopy system including a balloon-equipped endoscope including a balloon which is configured for slidable frictional engagement with an interior wall of a body passageway and axial stretching of the interior wall when inflated to a slidable frictional engagement pressure and displaced axially along the body passageway and a balloon inflation subsystem operative to selectably inflate the balloon to the slidable frictional engagement pressure.

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.