The present invention is directed to material removal instrument for forming cavities in interior body regions, particularly cavities in intervertebral discs and vertebrae. The instrument includes a cannula and a rotation mechanism disposed at least partially within the cannula. A cutting element extends from the rotation mechanism and impacts and dislocates tissue as the rotation mechanism is rotated within the body. Dislocated tissue with withdrawn from the body via the cannula.

A medical device and a treatment method are disclosed that can be applied to body lumina with a wide range of inside diameters and can enhance a property for suction of a substance from the inside of a body lumen by restricting flow within the body lumen. The medical device includes an elongated shaft section; an expanding section that is an elastically deformable tubular body provided with a plurality of openings; a flexibly deformable tubular cover section that is coupled to an end portion on a proximal side of the expanding section, surrounds an outer periphery of the expanding section on the proximal side, but does not surround, and externally exposes, an outer periphery of the expanding section on a distal side; and a sheath capable of accommodating the expanding section and the cover section in a diameter-reduced state.

Sinusitis and other disorders of the ear, nose and throat are diagnosed and/or treated using minimally invasive approaches with flexible or rigid instruments. Various methods and devices are used for remodeling or changing the shape, size or configuration of a sinus ostium or duct or other anatomical structure in the ear, nose or throat; implanting a device, cells or tissues; removing matter from the ear, nose or throat; delivering diagnostic or therapeutic substances or performing other diagnostic or therapeutic procedures. Introducing devices (e.g., guide catheters, tubes, guidewires, elongate probes, other elongate members) may be used to facilitate insertion of working devices (e.g. catheters e.g. balloon catheters, guidewires, tissue cutting or remodeling devices, devices for implanting elements like stents, electrosurgical devices, energy emitting devices, devices for delivering diagnostic or therapeutic agents, substance delivery implants, scopes etc.) into the paranasal sinuses or other structures in the ear, nose or throat.

A device and method for treating a patient with total or near total occlusion is provided. The device can be positioned in a blood vessel at a treatment site. An occlusion at the treatment site is enlarged by a catheter. The catheter can be advanced over a guidewire into the occlusion. One or more of [a] compression or torsion applied to the guidewire or [b] compression or torsion applied to the catheter body expands or creates a path through the occlusion. The expansions or creation of the access path can be by cutting or abrading the occlusion or by a shoe-horn effect.

An intravascular catheter device and methods for using the same are provided. An expandable portion is provided at a distal end of a flexible catheter tube and includes struts operable between a first position and a second position where the struts are moved outward from the first position. An incising member is provided at, and extends along a lengthwise dimension of, and outward from, at least one of the struts. An embolic protection device is provided which is configured for movement between a first position and a second position where the embolic protection device is enlarged relative to said first position.

Sinusitis and other disorders of the ear, nose and throat are diagnosed and/or treated using minimally invasive approaches with flexible or rigid instruments. Various methods and devices are used for remodeling or changing the shape, size or configuration of a sinus ostium or duct or other anatomical structure in the ear, nose or throat; implanting a device, cells or tissues; removing matter from the ear, nose or throat; delivering diagnostic or therapeutic substances or performing other diagnostic or therapeutic procedures. Introducing devices (e.g., guide catheters, tubes, guidewires, elongate probes, other elongate members) may be used to facilitate insertion of working devices (e.g. catheters e.g. balloon catheters, guidewires, tissue cutting or remodeling devices, devices for implanting elements like stents, electrosurgical devices, energy emitting devices, devices for delivering diagnostic or therapeutic agents, substance delivery implants, scopes etc.) into the paranasal sinuses or other structures in the ear, nose or throat, Specific devices (e.g., tubular guides, guidewires, balloon catheters, tubular sheaths) are provided as are methods for manufacturing and using such devices to treat disorders of the ear, nose or throat.

A method includes cutting a septal wall between a right atrium and left atrium of a heart of a patient to form a multi-cuspid valvular shunt, and ablating septal wall tissue of at least a portion of the multi-cuspid valvular shunt to cause the ablated portion of the multi-cuspid valvular shunt to be biostable.

The disclosure provides plaque treatment catheter assemblies for the treatment of arterial plaques and removal of clots. One assembly includes a second catheter tube movable within a first catheter tube, and an expansion member movable within the second tube. The second catheter tube has one or more distally-disposed and outwardly-expandable plaque treatment portion(s). Another assembly includes a catheter tube and at least one channel(s) within the catheter. The channel includes an elongate member with a distally-disposed plaque scoring or clot retrieval member. Optionally, the assembly includes an expandable member that can cause movement of the scoring member.

Devices and methods for increasing or restoring a flow in a body lumen. The devices and the methods may treat conditions like stroke by removing a clot from a blood vessel and/or reopen the vessel. The device may include a plurality of engaging elements, a central wire, and proximal control element. The device may include a linking structure between engaging elements. The linking structure may include segments configured to respond differently upon the application of longitudinal loads. The positions of the engaging elements and the distance therebetween can be adjusted simultaneously or sequentially to promote the engagement of the clot or occlusion. The device may include be configured to inhibit or prevent the proximal engaging element from being pulled back into a microcatheter when pulling the central wire to pull the distal engaging element proximally and/or during retraction of the device holding a clot.

Disclosed is an angioplasty balloon catheter and method of use, said angioplasty balloon catheter includes an elongated tip end with physical characteristics nearly identical to a standard angiographic diagnostic catheter. The elongated tip end extends approximately between 2 cm to 75 cm beyond a distal end of a balloon, depending upon embodiments. The tip of the elongated tip end may be angled or straight depending upon embodiments and may or may not have a plurality of side holes in addition to an end hole depending on embodiments. The elongated tip end permits the angioplasty balloon catheter to tract more easily across tortuous or markedly angulated segments of a dialysis graft or fistula, minimizing complications that can result with currently available devices. If angulated, the elongated tip end also enables a user to selectively catheterize an artery without needing a separate diagnostic catheter to do so, and enable tracking and cornering across sharply angulated vessel segments. Whether with an angled or straight distal catheter portion, the angioplasty balloon catheter disclosed herein allows the user to perform angioplasty of an inflow segment of a dialysis graft or fistula and then perform post angioplasty angiographic imaging without the need to exchange the angioplasty balloon catheter for a diagnostic catheter, advance the balloon catheter into the native artery, or perform a blowback angiographic run, thereby improving safety and reducing procedure time.