A catheter that includes a tubular inner layer, a first reinforcing body that is wound around an outside in a radial direction of the inner layer, a second reinforcing body that is wound around the outside in the radial direction of the first reinforcing body, and an outer layer that covers the inner layer, the first reinforcing body, and the second reinforcing body, and the inner layer has a reduced diameter portion that is reduced in diameter from a proximal end side of the catheter toward a distal end side of the catheter on an inner peripheral surface of the inner layer, and a thickness of the outer layer between the first reinforcing body and the second reinforcing body is increased, at least partially from the proximal end side toward the distal end side, in the radial direction of the reduced diameter portion.

An intraluminal sensing device includes a guidewire configured to be positioned within a body lumen of a patient. The guidewire includes a core wire, a first insulative coating covering at least a portion of a circumference of the core wire, and at least two conductive traces insulated from one another and extending longitudinally along at least the portion of the length of the core wire over an outer surface of the first insulative coating. Each conductive trace conforms to the curvature of the first insulative coating. The guidewire also includes a second insulative coating covering the conductive traces along at least the portion of the length of the core wire, and a sensor in electrical communication with the at least two conductive traces and configured to obtain physiological data while positioned within the body lumen. The guidewire also includes a proximal connector in electrical communication with the conductive traces.

Guidewires having conductive elements are described where in one variation, the guidewire may be formed by disposing an insulative layer upon a surface of the guidewire core, and printing one or more conductive traces directly upon a surface of the insulative layer.

A delivery member is provided for delivering and deploying an intravascular medical device. The delivery member includes a flexible distal portion including a wound wire coil surrounded by a flexible sleeve and inhibited from extending lengthwise by a stretch resistant member positioned through the lumen of the coil. The delivery member can include hypotubes positioned on either side (distally and proximally) from the wound wire coil to which the stretch resistant member and the wound wire coil can be attached.

A guide wire includes a core shaft, and a coil body wound around a distal end side of the core shaft, and a distal tip to which a distal end portion of the core shaft and a distal end portion of the coil body are fixed. The distal end portion of the core shaft has a rectangular transverse sectional shape, and an aspect ratio of the rectangle is greater than or equal to 1:1 and less than or equal to 1.08:1.

A method of making a medical guidewire including providing a wire having a length that includes a proximal length and a distal length. The method further includes applying cold work to the distal length and not applying cold work to the proximal length, thereby imparting to the distal length a diameter that is smaller than the proximal length diameter; and applying a reducing process to the wire whereby the proximal length is reduced to have an outer diameter that is the same as the outer diameter of the distal length. The proximal length has an inner diameter and the distal length has an inner diameter that is less than the inner diameter of the proximal length.

Shapeable guide wire devices and methods for their manufacture. Guide wire devices include an elongate shaft member having a shapeable distal end section that is formed from a linear pseudoelastic nickel-titanium (Ni—Ti) alloy that has linear pseudoelastic behavior without a phase transformation or onset of stress-induced martensite. Linear pseudoelastic Ni—Ti alloy, which is distinct from non-linear pseudoelastic (i.e., superelastic) Ni—Ti alloy, is highly durable, corrosion resistant, and has high stiffness. The shapeable distal end section is shapeable by a user to facilitate guiding the guide wire through tortuous anatomy. In addition, linear pseudoelastic Ni—Ti alloy is more durable tip material than other shapeable tip materials such as stainless steel.

A method and apparatus are disclosed for a guidewire that comprises an elongate member with a proximal and distal portion. The distal portion includes a distal curved portion, ending in a distal tip, and a tapered region that reduces the cross-section from a larger cross-section to a smaller cross-section. The elongate member further includes a plurality of flattened regions positioned at discrete locations along the elongate member. Each of the plurality of flattened regions are separated from one another by an unflattened region whereby when a force is exerted onto the guidewire, the guidewire undergoes bending at the plurality of flattened regions.

The invention relates generally to methods and systems for capturing, filtering, or retrieving obstructions or other particulates from a patient's vasculature. In one aspect, device for retrieving an obstruction from a patient is provided that includes an outer delivery shaft and an expandable basket movable between a collapsed configuration and an expanded configuration. The basket is configured to be in the collapsed configuration during delivery and in the expanded configuration during engagement and retrieval of the obstruction. A proximal end of the basket is configured to be centrally and pivotally coupled to the outer delivery shaft. The proximal end and/or a distal end of the basket is movable relative to each other such that a proximal portion of the expandable basket is invertible toward a distal portion of the basket to form a proximally oriented cavity in the expanded configuration to engage and retrieve the obstruction.

Devices and methods for the treatment of chronic total occlusions are provided. One disclosed embodiment comprises a method of facilitating treatment via a vascular wall defining a vascular lumen containing an occlusion therein. The method includes providing an intravascular device having a distal portion with a lumen extending therein; inserting the device into the vascular lumen; positioning the distal portion in the vascular wall; and directing the distal portion within the vascular wall.