A venous access catheter shaft and method of using and manufacturing such a catheter is provided. In one aspect of the invention, a catheter is provided comprising a base polymer having a Shore A durometer of 85A or lower, with 2.0% percent by weight of surface modifier, and a radiopaque filler comprising between 20-40 percentage by weight. In another aspect of the invention, a method reducing thrombus accumulation on a venous access catheter is provided wherein the catheter surface's resistance to thrombus formation is enhanced during indwell time by lowering the durometer rating of the base polymer of the catheter without increasing the amount of surface modifier additive. In another aspect of the invention, a method of manufacturing a catheter shaft is provided, wherein the shaft is formed comprising a base polymer having a Shore A durometer of 85A or lower, with 2.0% percent by weight of surface modifier, and a radiopaque filler comprising 30% by weight barium sulfate, and optionally a colorant of 0.2% weight.

A system and method for the use of magneto-rheological fluids (MRF) and magnetically controlled elastomers (MCE) for use in fluid control and distribution apparatus which are responsive to control by a magnetic field are disclosed.

A medical tube having improved lubricity is disclosed. The medical tube is produced by extruding a polymer material blended with a lubricity enhancing additive through a resilient die. The polymer material can be medical-grade high-density polyethylene, and the lubricity enhancing additive can be a silicone-based or alloy-based material. The medical tube can include one or more internal elongated protuberances so as to reduce the internal surface area of the medical tube available to generate friction on a guide wire inserted or withdrawn through the medical tube.

The present invention discloses a flexible digital ureteroscope that is at least partially disposable. The ureteroscope comprises a single-use catheter and a handle. The catheter comprises a distal end, a bend portion, and a proximal portion. The distal end has a rigid or semi-rigid shell that houses a set of micro lenses, an image sensor microchip, and a plurality of LED light sources. A working channel extends along the entire catheter and is coupled to a working channel port on the handle to receive various medical devices and irrigation lines during an endoscopic procedure. In addition, the catheter includes one or more steering wires to control the distal end to bend towards a desired direction. The rigid or semi-rigid shell of the distal end is made of a mix of polymer composite material with graphene nano-filler for enhancing thermal dissipation. The handle may be a single-use handle or a reusable handle. In case the handle is a reusable handle, it includes a battery module and a wireless communication module for communicating with a host machine wirelessly. In case the handle is a single-use handle, to reduce cost, the handle does not include a battery module and/or a wireless communication module. Rather, the single-use handle includes a host interface for receiving power from the host machine and transmits image data to the host machine.

The present invention relates to a multi-reservoir port, catheter, and non-coring needle system that supports high-flow applications such as hemodialysis and apheresis. In particular, the invention relates to improvements to provide optimal flow rates, septum life, and septum/needle stability when introducing fluid into the multi-reservoir port.

An elastomer molded body for a medical device includes an elastomer portion and a filler. The elastomer portion contains a crosslinked fluorine-based elastomer. The filler is formed from a plurality of particles each of which has aspect ratio of 5 or more and specific surface area of 3 m.sup.2/g or more and 10 m.sup.2/g or less. The aspect ratio is defined as a ratio of a dimension in a long axis direction thereof to a dimension in a short axis direction thereof. The filler has an uneven distribution in a surface layer part of the elastomer portion and is oriented in a direction along a surface of the elastomer molded body.

Tubing, such as medical tubing for administration of intravenous fluid, can include an outer layer on an inner layer, and, optionally additional layers, in which at least the outer layer and the inner layer are made of a same polymeric material but the outer and inner layers have differing amounts or differing types of a plasticizer such that a hardness of the outer layer is greater than a hardness of the inner layer.

Embodiments of the invention include devices and coatings for devices including coated hydrophobic active agent particles. In an embodiment, the invention includes a drug delivery device including a substrate; and coated therapeutic agent particles disposed on the substrate, the coated therapeutic agent particles comprising a particulate hydrophobic therapeutic agent; and a cationic agent in contact with the particulate hydrophobic therapeutic agent. Other embodiments are also included herein.

To provide a medical device including a substrate and a hydrophilic polymer layer formed on at least a part of the substrate, which satisfies the following conditions (a) to (d): (a) a polymer constituting the hydrophilic polymer layer is a hydrophilic polymer having an acidic group; (b) the hydrophilic polymer layer has a thickness of 1 nm or more and less than 100 nm; (c) a number ratio of basic group/acidic group of the hydrophilic polymer layer is 0.2 or less; and (d) a liquid film retention time at 40 minutes after ultrasonic cleaning in a phosphate buffer solution is 15 seconds or more. The present invention provides a medical device in which a surface of a substrate is hydrophilized, and a method for manufacturing same by a simple method.

To provide a medical device including a substrate and a hydrophilic polymer layer formed on at least a part of the substrate, which satisfies the following conditions (a) to (d): (a) a polymer constituting the hydrophilic polymer layer is a hydrophilic polymer having an acidic group; (b) the hydrophilic polymer layer has a thickness of 1 nm or more and less than 100 nm; (c) a number ratio of basic group/acidic group of the hydrophilic polymer layer is 0.2 or less; and (d) a liquid film retention time at 40 minutes after ultrasonic cleaning in a phosphate buffer solution is 15 seconds or more. The present invention provides a medical device in which a surface of a substrate is hydrophilized, and a method for manufacturing same by a simple method.