A guide wire for guiding a dilator to be inserted into a living body includes: a flexible elongated shaft portion; a puncture portion at a distal end portion of the shaft portion to form a hole in biological tissue; and an elastically deformable cover portion covering the puncture portion. The cover portion includes a sparse pitch portion that has a wire member wound in a spiral shape and axially contractible, and a distal end cover located on a distal end side of the sparse pitch portion and covering at least a part of the puncture portion. The puncture portion includes a first contact portion. The distal end cover includes a second contact portion configured to contact the first contact portion from a proximal end side, so that relative axial movement of the first and second contact portions is restricted by the first contact portion contacting the second contact portion.

A medical delivery device for delivering a medical device includes a navigable elongated member, a deployment bay, and a compression mechanism. The deployment bay may be configured to house the medical device as the medical device is navigated to the target site. The deployment bay may be at a distal end of the delivery device and may include a distal opening through which the medical device may be deployed. The compression mechanism is configured to longitudinally compress in response to a predetermined force such that the elongated member and deployment bay are relatively closer together along a longitudinal axis of the delivery device.

Catheter devices and uses thereof are provided that include inner and outer tubular members, each having proximal and distal ends, where the distal end of the outer tubular member is shaped, including at least one curve, such as a Judkins right curve or an Amplatzer left curve. At least a portion of the inner tubular member is coaxially positioned within the outer tubular member. The control mechanism has a housing with a means to seal an inner luminal space thereof, where the control mechanism is coupled to the proximal ends of the outer tubular member and the inner tubular member. The control mechanism is operable to extend and retract the distal end of the inner tubular member from the shaped distal end of the outer tubular member.

An inserter, a medical elongated body set, and a method of using an inserter can effectively remove air remaining inside a distal portion of a medical elongated body by effectively performing priming on the distal portion of the medical elongated body. An inserter assists a medical elongated body to be inserted into a medical device. The inserter includes a tubular portion having a proximal opening portion into which the medical elongated body is inserted and a distal opening portion that guides the medical elongated body to the medical device, and having a main lumen through which the proximal opening portion and the distal opening portion communicate with each other, and a connector that communicates with the main lumen of the tubular portion, and connects a liquid injection tool.

Multiple approaches to incorporating multiple conductors on a guidewire by building the multiple conductor traces of variable sizes and material compositions on separate insulating layers are described. The approaches described in the invention facilitate ease of assembly of sensors to the guidewire or catheter element. This approach is particularly useful in scenarios where electrical or mechanical properties of the device need to be altered in specific sections to either enhance device performance and reliability (e.g. selective abrasion resistance), or facilitate ease of assembly (e.g. soldering or connection ease), or in some instances achieve desired electrical characteristics (e.g. impedance). The desired properties are incorporated into the same device requiring an innovative approach to forming signal wires in an otherwise tight space without impacting the primary mechanical performance of the devices.

Tubes (e.g., catheters, endotracheal or chest tubes and bypass grafts) are provided, comprising a catheter and a plurality of sensors.

A guide wire that has an atraumatic and flexible loop that expands within a vessel, with indicators that indicate the degree of expansion. The indicators are used to determine the degree of expansion through the use of radio-opaque markers, hydraulic, and electrical signals. The guide wire enables safe passage into target vessels while providing user feedback on inadvertent passage into side branches and diseased segments.

A guide wire having a conductive portion coated with an insulating film without impairing mobility of a diaphragm. The diaphragm and the conductive portion are on a surface perpendicularly intersecting with an axial line direction. A guide wire main body has a housing having an internal space with a pressure sensor therein. The pressure sensor includes a sensor main body having a distal end surface perpendicularly intersecting with an axial direction of the guide wire main body and facing a distal end, a diaphragm located on the distal end surface, resistive bodies each having a variable electrical resistance value by being deformed together with the diaphragm, terminals connected to the resistive bodies, conductive wires attached to the terminals with solder. Insulating films is formed by electrodeposition coating on a portion of the terminals, solder, and conductive wires.

An endovascular device may include (a) a proximal end, configured for communicating a pressure signal to a receiver; (b) a distal end comprising a pressure sensor that is based on (i) a piezoelectric polymer layer; and (ii) first and second electrodes, electrically insulated from each other, each contacting the piezoelectric polymer layer, wherein the pressure sensor derives the pressure signal from the first and second electrodes; and (c) a device body, which provides one or more conductors to carry the pressure signal from the distal end to the proximal end.

An apparatus comprises a shaft, an expandable dilator, and at least one ventilation pathway. The shaft defines a longitudinal axis and comprises a distal and proximal ends with at least one shaft lumen. The expandable dilator comprises body with its own proximal and distal ends. The body is configured to transition between a contracted state and an expanded state. The body is configured to dilate a Eustachian tube of a patient in the expanded state. The at least one ventilation pathway is configured to provide ventilation from the distal end of the body to the proximal end of the body when the body is in the expanded state. In some examples, the ventilation pathway comprises a set of transversely oriented vent openings formed through the shaft. In some other examples, the ventilation pathway comprises a space defined between one or more radially outwardly protruding features of the expandable dilator.