A balloon catheter includes a balloon/shaft assembly and a linear member. The balloon/shaft assembly includes a catheter shaft extending from a proximal end to a distal end and a balloon connected to the catheter shaft. The linear member straddles an inflatable region of the balloon and is mounted on the balloon/shaft assembly. The linear member includes a hard portion and a flexible portion. The hard portion includes at least an outer portion disposed on an opposite side to an inner portion facing the inflatable region, of a portion disposed along an outer peripheral surface of the inflatable region in an inflated state. The flexible portion is a portion other than the hard portion. The flexible portion is extendable and has a lower hardness than the hard portion.

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.

Embodiments herein relate to systems and methods for intravascular lesion disruption. In an embodiment, a catheter system for imparting pressure to induce fractures upon a vascular lesion within or adjacent a blood vessel wall is included. The system includes a catheter configured to advance to a vascular lesion, the catheter including an elongate shaft that defines at least a first orifice for fluid flow; a balloon, coupled to the elongate shaft, that surrounds the first orifice where the balloon can expand from a collapsed configuration suitable for advancing the catheter through a patient's vasculature to a first expanded configuration suitable for anchoring the catheter in position relative to a treatment site; and a propulsion system configured to propel a fluid from the first orifice toward the balloon wall to create an inertial impulse in a vessel wall to transfer momentum to the vascular lesion. Other embodiments are also included herein.

A medical device includes a mesh member capable of radially expanding and contracting, and a cylindrical member located at one end of the mesh member. The mesh member is woven from a first wire and a second wire. The cylindrical member includes a wrapping portion and a lining portion that are fixed to each other at fixation portions positioned within spaces defined by the first wire and the second wire. Neither the wrapping portion nor the lining portion is fixed to either of the first wire or the second wire. Upon expansion or radial contraction of the mesh member, movement of the first wire or the second wire is not interfered with by the cylindrical member. This reduces the concentration of stress at the end of the mesh member and thus the likelihood that either the first wire or the second wire will break.

A dual-tube removal device for treating obstipation of animals is provided. The first tube, or lubricant conduit, selectively channels lubricant or enema solution through dispersal ports provided near the distal end of the lubricant conduit. The second tube, or pilot tube, aids is selectively inflating an inflatable cuff adjacent the same distal end. In the inflated condition, with the infusion of lubricant and or enema solution and after guiding the distal end past the fecal blockage, a user may urge the fecal blockage out of the colon of the animal.

A flagellated, back-curved guidewire component of the present invention facilitates passage of a balloon catheter through the vasculature. The guidewire may be used in conjunction with commercially available devices. Alternately, the guidewire may come integrated with a balloon catheter, such as a flagellated balloon embolectomy catheter or a flagellated balloon resuscitation catheter. The guidewire can include multiple flexible flagellate disposed at a distal end of an elongate wire configured for passing through the vasculature. The guidewire is configured to self-center in the vasculature.

Dual-access site catheter systems with a blade or scoring functionality entering through a first access site and a balloon functionality for manipulating or driving the blade or scoring functionality through a different site. The blade or scoring functionality also sometimes provides needle or fluid delivery functionality to an atherosclerotic lesion.

A method of manufacturing includes forming a medical balloon (12) with a scoring element (60) along at least a barrel section by expanding a tubular parison in a mold cavity (52) including a closed end groove (52a, 52b) corresponding to the scoring element. The scoring element may extend longitudinally, circumferentially, or helically, and a plurality of scoring elements may be provided. Medical balloons formed using the method and a mold (54) for forming such balloons are also disclosed.

A medical device (1) for assisting the break-up, disruption or disintegration of calcified or other hardened material within vessels of the human or animal body which material otherwise prevents or inhibits stenting procedures or passage of guidewires, catheters and other devices through the vessels. The device comprises a catheter (2) having a lumen (9) extending between a distal end (5) and a proximal end (6) of the catheter and a displaceable element (4) at the distal end of the catheter configured for axial and/or radial displacement relative to the catheter when driven by pressure fluctuations within the lumen. A pressure pump (11) is coupled to a proximal end of the catheter and is configured for application of a baseline pressure to the catheter lumen. A pressure modulation source (12) is also coupled to the proximal end of the catheter, configured to modulate the baseline pressure in the catheter lumen with one or more pressure impulses, and preferably with a series of pressure pulses.

A scoring device includes an elongate shaft, a balloon disposed on a far side of the shaft and inflatable radially of the shaft by a fluid flowing into the balloon, at least one storage tube disposed along an outer surface of the balloon and having a storage lumen defined therein, and an elongate scoring wire storable in the storage tube and made of a harder material than the balloon. The storage tube is fixed to the balloon or the shaft and has an opening portion defined therein that provides fluid communication between outer and inner circumferential surfaces of the storage tube along the storage lumen when the balloon is inflated, and the scoring wire is movable in the storage lumen along a longitudinal axis of the storage tube.