A polytetrafluoroethylene tube is provided and has a thickness of 0.1 mm or less, a tensile elongation at break of 350% or more, and a melting energy of 0.6 J/g or more which is calculated from an endothermic peak at 370° C.±5° C. in a procedure of increasing a temperature in differential scanning calorimetry (DSC).

A catheter including a hollow shaft having one or more curved parts. At least one curved part of the curved parts has a first region that is made of a first resin material, a second region that is provided closer to the distal end side in the longitudinal direction than the first region and is made of a second resin material having a different composition from the first resin material, and a third region that is provided adjacent to the first region and the second region and is made of a third resin material formed by mixing the first resin material and the second resin material.

An elastomeric polymer, comprising (1) a hard segment in the amount of 10% to 60% by weight of the elastomeric polymer, wherein the hard segment includes a urethane, urea or urethaneurea; and (2) a soft segment in the amount of 40% to 90% by weight of the elastomeric polymer. The soft segment comprises (a) at least 2% by weight of the soft segment of at least one polyether macrodiol, and/or at least one polycarbonate macrodiol; and (b) at least 2% by weight of the soft segment of at least one polyisobutylene macrodiol and/or diamine.

The invention relates to a method for coating the surface of the balloon of a balloon catheter with an active substance, with the balloon being made of an elastic material and being expandable by pressurization with a fluid, with the balloon being designed for expansion at a target site, wherein the coating of the surface of the balloon being applied at a pressure which is lower than the pressure used to expand the balloon at the target location. In this way, due to the generation of shear forces a particularly effective delivery of the active substance from the balloon to the inner wall of the blood vessel or the surrounding tissue is achieved. Furthermore, the invention relates to a relevant balloon as well as a balloon catheter.

The present disclosure is directed toward composite materials comprising high aspect ratio habits of drug crystals which can be partially or fully extending into a substrate, and additionally, can be projecting from a substrate at an angle of about 20° to about 90°. The present disclosure is directed toward medical devices, such as medical balloons, comprising said composite and methods of using and making the same. The described composite can be used for the local treatment of vascular disease. The present disclosure is also directed toward paclitaxel crystals with a hollow acicular habit.

The present invention relates to a method of preparing reduced graphene oxide, incorporation of the reduced graphene oxide into polyisoprene latex to provide a polyisoprene latex graphene composite and elastomeric articles prepared using the polyisoprene latex-graphene composite. In particular, the reduction of graphene oxide is accomplished without the use of strong reducing agents and organic solvents and incorporation of the reduced graphene oxide into polyisoprene latex is accomplished using room temperature latex mixing method or hot maturation. The resultant composite exhibits good colloid stability, and polyisoprene latex films produced the composite exhibit good mechanical properties with improved ageing resistance.

The present invention relates generally to expandable medical devices including a light-activated shape-memory polymer. In certain embodiments, the devices include, for example, balloon catheters, used to treat narrowed or obstructed portions of a body vessel, and retrieval devices, used to remove obstructions from a body vessel. Certain aspects of the invention relate to methods of manufacturing and using such devices.

A balloon catheter includes a balloon which is both of high strength and radiopaque. The balloon includes an outer strengthened layer which includes a strengthening element at least partially embedded within the layer. Concentrically within the strengthened layer there is a radiopaque layer which includes a high concentration of radiopaque material distributed in the radiopaque layer. The strengthened layer acts as a support to the radiopaque layer which is otherwise be unable to withstand the pressure to which the balloon is normally inflated for deployment and in the course of a medical procedure. The structure provides a high strength radiopaque balloon with a relatively thin balloon wall optimizing balloon flexibility and wrappability. There is also disclosed a method of making a balloon which uses an internal support layer in a raw tubing which is then removed following formation of a balloon.

A balloon catheter includes a balloon which is both of high strength and radiopaque. The balloon includes an outer strengthened layer which includes a strengthening element at least partially embedded within the layer. Concentrically within the strengthened layer there is a radiopaque layer which includes a high concentration of radiopaque material distributed in the radiopaque layer. The strengthened layer acts as a support to the radiopaque layer which is otherwise be unable to withstand the pressure to which the balloon is normally inflated for deployment and in the course of a medical procedure. The structure provides a high strength radiopaque balloon with a relatively thin balloon wall optimizing balloon flexibility and wrappability. There is also disclosed a method of making a balloon which uses an internal support layer in a raw tubing which is then removed following formation of a balloon.

A method for delivering a therapeutic agent to a tumor through a target vessel includes delivering the therapeutic agent through a lumen of a catheter which has been coated or otherwise structured to reduce the wall shear stress during delivery of the immunotherapy and by generating turbulent flow during the delivery of the therapeutic agent.