Catheter systems with multiple inner lumens that converge at the catheter distal tip are preloaded with at least two guidewires. The catheters offers sequential probing with two or more guidewires, therefore improving on procedural speed and accuracy. The catheters comprise proximal and distal regions enabling angled lumens to merge into a common lumen with a diameter slightly larger to the largest of the two proximal lumens. The confluence of the two proximal lumens comprises a single lumen with a reduced profile and cross sectional area. The lumens merge with the larger lumen at an angle greater than zero degrees, and the distal tip has a diameter equal to the diameter of the smaller proximal lumen. The proximal region serves as a directed passageway for different guidewires that enter the catheter through two proximal lumens and which may be reoriented through a convergence region for sequential exiting of the catheter tip.

A catheter allowing injection or aspiration of fluid at any desired position along an entire circumference of the catheter. The catheter may include a first hollow body having an inner lumen, and a second hollow body covering an outer periphery of the first hollow body and having an outside lumen between the first hollow body and the second hollow body. The outside lumen is divided by partition walls connected to the first hollow body and the second hollow body to form a plurality of outer lumens. On an outer periphery of the second hollow body, holes are formed for the respective outer lumens along a circumferential direction of the second hollow body. Alternatively, the catheter may include a plurality of tubes disposed on an outer periphery of the hollow body, and may include a hole formed in each of the tubes along a circumferential direction of the hollow body.

A catheter that has a catheter tube everting inside-out during the process of catheterization is disclosed. The catheter tube has a plurality of longitudinal protrusions extending from the first end of the catheter tube through at least a portion of the catheter tube, and forming an angle of 0 degrees to 45 degrees with respect to the longitudinal axis of the catheter tube and facing radially inwards, and provides for dilating a circumference of the catheter tube upon everting the catheter tube inside-out from the first end of the catheter tube.

An intravascular sensor delivery device for measuring a physiological parameter of a patient, such as blood pressure, within a vascular structure or passage. In some embodiments, the device can be used to measure the pressure gradient across a stenotic lesion or heart valve. For example, such a device may be used to measure fractional flow reserve (FFR) across a stenotic lesion in order to assess the severity of the lesion. The sensor delivery device has a distal sleeve configured to pass or slide over a standard medical guidewire. Some distance back from the sensor and distal sleeve, the device separates from the guidewire to permit independent control of the sensor delivery device and the guidewire. The sensor delivery device can be sized to pass over different sizes of guidewires to enable usage in coronary and peripheral arteries, for example.

In some examples, an aspiration catheter system includes an outer catheter and an inner catheter configured to be positioned within the outer catheter lumen, and an alignment element. The outer catheter defines an outer catheter lumen and an outer catheter distal opening. The inner catheter defines an inner catheter lumen, an inner catheter distal opening, and a plurality of sidewall openings proximal to the inner catheter distal opening. The alignment element is configured to indicate a predetermined position of the inner catheter relative to the outer catheter when the inner catheter is received within the outer catheter distal opening. When the inner catheter is at the predetermined position, at least one sidewall opening of the plurality of sidewall openings remains positioned within the outer catheter lumen and at least one other sidewall opening of the plurality of sidewall openings is positioned distal to the outer catheter distal opening.

A catheter assembly including an elongate catheter tube is disclosed. The number of lumens defined by the catheter tube can vary as a function of longitudinal length along the catheter tube. For instance, the catheter tube can define three lumens from the proximal end of the catheter tube and terminate one of the lumens at an intermediate termination point such that only two lumens are defined further distally along the catheter tube. A sensor can be placed in the terminating lumen so as to isolate it from the other lumens and from blood or other body fluids while still enabling the sensor to reside within the patient body when the catheter tube is positioned in the patient for use. In addition to this, various other lumen transition and sensor configurations are disclosed.

Apparatuses of the type broadly applicable to numerous medical applications in which it is desirable to insert one or more steerable or non-steerable catheters or similar devices into a working channel of an associated device, such as an endoscope, catheter, etc., or passageway of a patient, are disclosed. The apparatuses may include catheters having a dedicated guide wire channel and one or more of the following: viewing capabilities, a working channel, and auxiliary channels, such as insufflation/irrigation channels. The catheters may include a guide wire channel that is configured to provide the catheter or other device with rapid exchange capabilities.

A rapid exchange catheter comprises a guide wire lumen including a substantially sealed portion in which a lumen wall extends around an entire periphery thereof and a channel portion including a channel opening the lumen to an exterior of the catheter, wherein a width of the channel is less than a maximum width of the channel portion. A guide wire ramp extends into the channel portion, with the ramp extending further into the lumen of the channel portion as a distal end of the ramp is approached.

Catheters, sheaths, or other tubular devices are provided that include a proximal end, a distal end sized for introduction into a patient's body, and a steerable distal portion. The tubular device includes a primary lumen extending between the proximal and distal ends; an auxiliary lumen adjacent the primary lumen; and one or more reinforcement members including windings extending helically along at least the distal portion, at least some of the windings passing between the primary and steering element lumens and at least some of the windings surrounding both the primary and steering element lumens. In one embodiment, a steering element is slidably disposed within the auxiliary lumen. Apparatus and methods for making such tubular devices are also provided.

A split-tip catheter and methods for deploying a split-tip catheter in a right atrium are provided. The catheter is configured with a distal potion including a first and a second distal end regions elastically divergable from alignment along a splitting plane to regain a relaxed configuration. The first distal end region terminates in a first tip having a first forward opening, and the second distal end region terminates in a second tip having a second forward opening. Catheter deployment may include directing the first forward opening generally towards an anterior right atrium wall portion and applying the first forward opening to withdraw blood from the right atrium.