Retrieval of material from vessel lumens can be improved by electrically enhancing attachment of the material to the thrombectomy system. The system can include a catheter having a distal portion configured to be positioned adjacent to a thrombus in a blood vessel, an electrode disposed at the distal portion of the catheter, and an interventional element configured to be delivered through a lumen of the catheter. The electrode and the interventional element are each configured to be electrically coupled to an extracorporeal power supply.

A thrombectomy catheter system can include a catheter configured for insertion into vasculature of a patient. The system includes a pressure chamber configured to isolate an internal volume from a surrounding environment. The system can include an infusion container including an infusion fluid therein. The pressure chamber can receive the infusion container. A drive unit can pressurize a working fluid in the pressure chamber with the infusion container received in the pressure chamber. In an example, pressurizing of the working fluid correspondingly compresses the infusion container to pressurize the infusion fluid and transfer the infusion fluid to the catheter. In an example, the infusion fluid is isolated from the working fluid by the infusion container when the working fluid is pressurized in the pressure chamber.

An esophageal food bolus dislodger (EFBD) device and method of using same is disclosed. For example, an EFBD device is provided that may include an esophageal catheter that has a distal guidance member, and also including a cone member, an inflation member, and a boring member arranged along the esophageal catheter in advance of the distal guidance member. In EFBD device, the combination of the inflation member in a partially or fully deployed state, the cone member in a partially or fully deployed state, and the boring member may be used to dislodge food in a procedure for endoscopic removal of food bolus. Further, a method of using the presently disclosed EFBD device for dislodging food from the esophagus is provided.

A vascular device for treating a tract of a blood vessel has an intraluminal element having at least one dispensing opening for dispensing a pharmacological agent in the tract of the blood vessel, and an abrasion element coming into contact with an inner wall of the blood vessel to remove material from the inner wall. The abrasion element has a contact portion for removing the material and a collection portion for collecting the removed material. and is configured to expand between a rest configuration and a contact configuration. The abrasion element has a first surface facing the intraluminal element and configured to face a fluid inside the blood vessel. The first surface in the contact configuration forms a concave portion adapted to face the fluid inside the blood vessel. The collection portion includes the concave portion to collect the material removed from the inner wall treated with the pharmacological agent.

Systems and methods can involve wedge dissectors attached to strips in turn attached to medical balloons, for forming serrations within vascular wall tissue for angioplasty as well as drug delivery.

Systems and methods can involve wedge dissectors attached to strips in turn attached to medical balloons, for forming serrations within vascular wall tissue for angioplasty as well as drug delivery.

In an example, a scoring device is configured for retention of a catheter shaft. The scoring device incudes a proximal portion and a distal portion. A retention sleeve extends between the proximal and distal portions. The retention sleeve has a catheter socket configured to selectively receive and mechanically engage the catheter shaft. The scoring device includes a scoring tool coupled with the retention sleeve, for instance proximate to the distal portion. The scoring tool includes a balloon socket configured to selectively receive a balloon of the catheter shaft. The scoring tool includes one or more scoring elements extending around the balloon socket, the one or more scoring elements configured to provide localized scoring to vasculature.

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.

An apparatus is provided that is operable in different modes to perform various functions for treating a body lumen. The apparatus includes a shaft including proximal and distal ends, a lumen extending there between, and a balloon on the distal end. The apparatus includes a valve on the distal end that selectively opens or closes an outlet communicating with the lumen. With the valve open, fluid introduced into the lumen exits the outlet into a body lumen. With the valve closed, fluid introduced into the lumen expands the balloon. The valve may be biased to be closed, e.g., by a spring element disposed within the balloon. Optionally, the apparatus also includes an actuator for expanding a helical member within the balloon interior, e.g., either before or after expanding the balloon, such that the helical member and balloon may adopt an expanded helical shape for removing material within a body lumen.

A medical device comprises a catheter having a lumen extending between a distal end and a proximal end of the catheter and a balloon having an expandable interior volume coupled to the distal end of the catheter with its interior volume in fluid communication with the lumen of the catheter. A spring-loadable mechanical structure is disposed within the balloon configured to snap between first and second configurations upon actuation by an actuation mechanism. Upon actuation, the spring-loadable mechanical structure creates pressure pulses in fluid within the balloon interior volume which are transmitted to the walls of the balloon to disrupt calcified material or other hardened material within a vessel of the human or animal body in which the balloon is situated.