A neurovascular catheter can have an elongate flexible tubular body. The tubular body can have a proximal end, an inclined distal end, and a side wall that defines a central lumen. The neurovascular catheter can further have a distal leading tip on a first side of the inclined distal end. The neurovascular catheter can further have a preset curve in a distal zone of the tubular body such that wherein the distal leading tip lies on a concave side of the curve.

A vascular access device to passively open a fluid path within a vasculature. The vascular access device may include a catheter and a guidewire. The catheter may have a proximal end, a tip, and a length of tubing therebetween. The guidewire may extend along the length of tubing and may include a bent portion. At least a portion of the length of tubing may substantially conform to the bent portion such that the tip of the catheter avoids an obstruction within the vasculature.

A needle steering system and apparatus provides active, semi-autonomous control of needle insertion paths while still enabling a clinician ultimate control over needle insertion. A method and system controls the needle path as the needle is inserted by precisely controlling the rotation of the needle as it continuously rotates during insertion. This enables underactuated 2 degree-of-freedom (DOF) control of the direction and the curvature of the needle from a single rotary actuator. Control of the rotary motion is therefore decoupled from the needle insertion. The rotary motion controls steering effort and direction, while the insertion controls needle depth or insertion speed. In one implementation, the proposed method does not require constant velocity insertion, interleaved insertion and rotation, or known insertion position or speed. The insertion may be provided by a robot or other automated method, may be a manual insertion, or may be a teleoperated insertion.

A vascular device is provided having a catheter body and a rotatable cutter assembly located at the distal end of the catheter body. The cutter assembly has at least one helical cutting surface within a housing that is coupled by a torque shaft to a drive mechanism. A conveyor mechanism helically wound about the torque shaft conveys occlusive material conveyed into the housing by the helical cutting blade further proximally along the catheter body for discharge without supplement of a vacuum pump. The catheter body is manipulated to insert the distal end of the catheter body within a body lumen and advance the distal end of the catheter body toward the occlusive material. The drive mechanism is operated to rotate the helical cutting surface to cut and convey the occlusive material from the body lumen proximally into the housing and to convey the occlusive material conveyed into the housing by the helical cutting surface further proximally along the catheter body by the conveyor mechanism for discharge without supplement of a vacuum pump. The distal end of the catheter body is deflected and rotated to sweep the cutter assembly in an arc about the center axis of the catheter body to cut occlusive material in a region larger than the outside diameter of the cutter assembly.

A system for accessing a body cavity, such as a paranasal sinus, may include a sinus access member and a handle. The sinus access member may include a rigid support tube, a curved shape memory member slidably disposed at least partially within the rigid support tube, a flexible tube slidably disposed over at least part of the curved shape memory member, and proximal coupling end. The handle may include an engagement mechanism at a distal end for releasably attaching to the proximal coupling end of the sinus access member, a housing for gripping with a hand, a curving slider for extending and retracting the curved shape memory member, and an extension slider for extending and retracting the flexible tube relative to the curved shape memory member and the rigid support tube. The handle may be reusable, and the sinus access member may be disposable.

A probe can be configured with a shaped portion that can lift, advance, retract, or swivel a distal end of a catheter to thereby reposition the catheter within a patient's vasculature. This repositioning can move the catheter relative to the wall or other anatomy of the vasculature and relative to any obstructions such as a thrombus that may have formed. By repositioning the catheter, the probe prolongs the patency of the catheter including facilitating the collection of a blood sample through a long-dwelling catheter.

A catheter including a tubular body, in which the tubular body includes a based portion and a shaped portion, the shaped portion includes a first bending portion, a first intermediate portion that is located on a distal side relative to the first bending portion, a second bending portion that is bent at a distal side relative to the first intermediate portion, a second intermediate portion that is located on a distal side relative to the second bending portion, a third bending portion that is bent at a distal side relative to the second intermediate portion, and a distal end portion that is located on a distal side relative to the third bending portion, the first bending portion and the first intermediate portion are located on a first plane, and the second bending portion and the second intermediate portion are located on a second plane different from the first plane.

A catheter device for repositioning or explanting an implantable medical device comprises an outer catheter, and a steerable catheter extending through the outer catheter, wherein the outer catheter is axially movable with respect to the steerable catheter. A snare catheter extends through the steerable catheter, wherein the snare catheter is axially movable relative to the steerable catheter. A mandrel may extend through the snare catheter and comprising a distal end, wherein the mandrel is axially movable relative to the snare catheter. A snare may be arranged on the distal end of the mandrel for establishing a connection to the implantable medical device, wherein the snare, by moving the mandrel with respect to the snare catheter, is at least partially retractable into the snare catheter.

For rotation compensation in a catheter, a rotation sensor senses rotation of the handle or catheter. Motors are controlled to change the bend in response to sensed rotation. As the tip rotates due to handle rotation, the motors change the bend to maintain the bend and tip position relative to the patient. This steering in the patient reference frame may be more intuitive, easier to learn, and allow rotation to change an imaging field of view without moving the bending planes.

A system for accessing a body cavity, such as a paranasal sinus, may include a sinus access member and a handle. The sinus access member may include a rigid support tube, a curved shape memory member slidably disposed at least partially within the rigid support tube, a flexible tube slidably disposed over at least part of the curved shape memory member, and proximal coupling end. The handle may include an engagement mechanism at a distal end for releasably attaching to the proximal coupling end of the sinus access member, a housing for gripping with a hand, a curving slider for extending and retracting the curved shape memory member, and an extension slider for extending and retracting the flexible tube relative to the curved shape memory member and the rigid support tube. The handle may be reusable, and the sinus access member may be disposable.