A safety balloon catheter includes a catheter having a stretch valve, a connector, a balloon inflated with an inflation fluid, a hollow inflation lumen extending through the catheter to the balloon and conveying inflation fluid thereto and therefrom, a hollow second lumen, and a balloon drainage port fluidically connecting the balloon to the second lumen. The stretch valve has a hollow base fixed in the second lumen at a proximal catheter end and shaped to permit a fluid therethrough and a hollow plug slidably positioned in the second lumen at a given distance from the base to, in a steady state, prevent inflation fluid from passing through the drainage port and, when actuated, slide within the second lumen to permit inflation fluid to pass through the drainage port and into the second lumen. The connector connects the base and the plug and has a length greater than the given distance.

A method of delivery a prosthetic heart valve includes inserting a delivery apparatus and a prosthetic heart valve into a patient's vasculature. The delivery apparatus includes a steerable guide catheter, a balloon catheter, and a flex indicator. The balloon catheter extends coaxially through the guide catheter, the prosthetic heart valve is mounted on a distal end portion of the balloon catheter, and the flex indicator is movably coupled to a handle of the guide catheter. The method further includes adjusting flexion of a steerable section of the guide catheter to position the prosthetic heart valve. The flex indicator moves relative to the handle of the guide catheter as the flexion of the steerable section is adjusted, and the handle comprises one or more visual indicators adjacent the flex indicator to provide visual indication of an amount of flexion of the steerable section of the guide catheter.

An occlusion catheter system includes a proximal hub having an inflation connection port and an inflation pathway. An inflation catheter member is connected to the proximal hub and has an inflation lumen. A stiffener member defines a longitudinal axis. The proximal end of the stiffener member is connected to the proximal hub. The stiffener member extends through a portion of the inflation lumen. An occlusion balloon has a proximal balloon end and a distal balloon end. A distal catheter member is positioned substantially on the longitudinal axis and is connected to the distal end of the stiffener member. An atraumatic tip is positioned on a distal end of the distal catheter member. The atraumatic tip has a substantially circular profile in a relaxed configuration. A pressure sensor is connected to the occlusion catheter system distally relative to the occlusion balloon and is connected to a processor by electrical wiring.

A catheter comprising: a shaft (1) having a proximal end (2) and a distal end (3), the distal end terminating in a tip (4); a drainage opening (7) located at the distal end of the shaft, the drainage opening communicating with a drainage lumen (8) of the shaft; a balloon located at the distal end of the shaft, the balloon comprising a first region secured to the shaft, a second region secured to the shaft and an elastic-walled conduit extending between the first region and the second region, the elastic conduit extending over the tip.

The invention relates to a positioning device (1) comprising a distal part (8) that is adapted to be delivered through a defect, preferably an opening in a ventricular or atrial septum. It comprises a mechanism to selectively expand the distal part (8), such that before expansion, it can be deployed through said defect, and upon expansion, is mechanically prevented from being retracted through the same defect. Thus, the positioning device (1) is temporarily engaged at the defect site.

Catheters that includes inner and outer elongate shafts, each of which is secured relative to an end of an inflatable member. Balloon bonding locations may be disposed radially inward relative to an outer dimension of the outer elongate shaft.

Catheter having an elongate tubular shaft including an inflation lumen and a guidewire lumen defined therein, the guidewire lumen extending along at least a distal length of an inner tubular member of the elongate tubular shaft. The catheter includes a distal tip member having a proximal end and a distal end, wherein the distal tip member is monolithic and the proximal end of the distal tip member is secured to a distal end of the inner tubular member. The catheter includes a balloon having a proximal portion and a distal portion, the proximal portion of the balloon sealingly coupled to the distal portion of the elongate tubular shaft. The distal portion of the balloon is sealingly coupled to the distal tip member and the balloon defines an inner chamber in communication with the inflation lumen, wherein the proximal end of the distal tip member is disposed within the inner chamber.

A fiber-reinforced is medical balloon includes a cylindrical central portion. The balloon includes first and second conical portions connected to the cylindrical central portion along a central longitudinal axis extending from a first end of the balloon to a second end of the balloon. The balloon includes a plurality of first fiber strands extending from the first end of the balloon to the second end of the balloon. Each strand of the plurality of first fiber strands runs substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis through the cylindrical central portion and radially around at least a portion of the first and second conical portions. The balloon includes at least one second fiber strand extending radially around the central portion. The strands are applied as part of a single continuous fiber.

An apparatus includes a shaft, an expandable dilation member, and a bulbous tip. The shaft has a first outer cross-sectional dimension. The dilation member is positioned proximal to the distal end of the shaft. The dilation member is operable to transition between a non-expanded configuration and an expanded configuration. The dilation member is sized to pass through a passageway associated with drainage of a paranasal sinus or a Eustachian tube when the dilation member is in the non-expanded configuration. The bulbous tip is positioned at the distal end of the shaft. The bulbous tip is distal to the dilation member. The bulbous tip has a second outer cross-sectional dimension. The second outer cross-sectional dimension is larger than the first outer cross-sectional dimension. The bulbous tip is removably secured to the distal end of the shaft.

An inflatable dilatation device includes: (i) a tubular frame including a first frame member that zigzags circumferentially; and (ii) an elongate inflatable first balloon. The elongate inflatable first balloon: (i) is secured to the first frame member; and (ii) zigzags along the first frame member, such that inflation of the first balloon causes the first balloon and the first frame member circumferentially to expand in unison from a contracted condition to an expanded condition.