Medical devices and methods for making and using medical devices are disclosed. An example medical device may include a guide extension catheter. The guide extension catheter may include a proximal member having a proximal end, a distal end, and a proximal diameter. The guide extension catheter may additionally include a collar member attached to the distal end of the proximal member, the collar member comprising a base portion and one or more ribs connected to the base portion and extending distally away from the base portion. In still some additional embodiments, the guide extension catheter may further include a distal sheath member attached to the collar member, the distal sheath member having a distal diameter larger than the proximal diameter.

The designs and methods disclosed herein are for a clot retrieval catheter that can have a proximal elongate body with a large bore lumen and a distal tip expandable to a diameter larger than the outer sheath through which it is delivered. The distal tip can have a flexible metallic support frame to provide radial scaffolding and the ability for further flexible expansion when ingesting a clot. The support frame can be designed so that the expanding movement is focused in a portion of the circumference though a plurality of deformable cells that can collapse to be almost flat and parallel to the longitudinal axis for deliverability, but expand to a very steep angle for good resistance to collapse under aspiration. The designs can be sufficiently flexible to navigate tortuous anatomy but recover to maintain the inner diameter of the lumen when displaced in a vessel.

The present disclosure relates to a splitable introducer sheath assembly and the method of manufacturing the same. The splitable introducer sheath assembly includes a sheath tube, a hub portion, and at least two anchors. The sheath tube includes anchor tabs separately extending from the proximal sheath end. In one embodiment. The anchors secure the respective anchor tabs within the respective first and second hub halves. Alternatively, the hub halves may include a base having a first mating surface and a cap having a second mating surface; the anchor tabs extends within the corresponding one of the base with a proximal end of the anchor tab extending beyond the first mating surface; and the first mating surface of the cap is secured to the second mating surface of the base with the proximal end of the corresponding anchor tab secured therebetween.

A frame for constructing nerve tract is provided, including microcatheters, a support, and a shell. The shell is configured to contain a culture medium inside. The microcatheters are configured to culture nerve cells. The multiple microcatheters are suspended and fixed into the shell by the support, the microcatheters are arranged along a direction from one end to the other end of the shell, catheter walls of the microcatheters are provided with through holes, the nerve cells in the microcatheter cannot flow out through the through holes, and the culture medium enters the microcatheter through the through holes. A method for constructing nerve tract based on the frame described is provided, including: filling the nerve cells wrapped with a collagen hydrogel stock solution into the microcatheters, and after the collagen hydrogel stock solution is completely cross-linked, placing the frame loaded with the nerve cells in a culture device for perfusion culture.

This invention is directed to a medical device having a longitudinal axis, and including a handle and a catheter. The handle can include a body having a proximal end and a distal end, an actuator moveably coupled to the body, and a handle control member coupled to the actuator, wherein the actuator can be configured to move relative to the body to move the handle control member. The catheter can include a shaft having a proximal end and a distal end, wherein the proximal end of the shaft and the distal end of the body can be configured for releasable coupling. The catheter can also include a steering section located along the shaft and a catheter control member coupled to the steering section, wherein the catheter control member can be configured to move relative to the shaft to move the steering section relative to the longitudinal axis. The medical device can also include a securing member configured to move relative to at least one of the handle and the catheter to releasably couple the handle control member to the catheter control member.

A method of making a catheter includes obtaining a hollow tube having a proximal section, a distal section, an elongated conduit, and one or more fluid openings formed in the distal section of the hollow tube that are in fluid communication with the elongated lumen. The method includes inserting a mandrel within the elongated lumen, positioning a first visible marker over an outer surface of the hollow tube at a junction of the proximal and distal sections of the hollow tube, and placing a sacrificial material over the first visible marker to completely cover the first visible marker. Heat is applied for shrinking the sacrificial material, which, in turn, compresses the first visible marker against the outer surface of the hollow tube, and for least partially melting the first visible marker for fusing the first visible marker to the outer surface of the hollow tube.

The invention provides an intermittent catheter comprising a hollow polymeric tubular body comprising a base polymer and further comprising an amphiphilic additive at and/or on an outer surface of the body, wherein one or both of the base polymer and the additive are independently cross-linked and/or the base polymer and additive are cross-linked with each other.

The invention provides an intermittent catheter comprising a hollow polymeric tubular body comprising a base polymer and a layer comprising a lubricious additive on or comprising a surface of the body, wherein the lubricious additive comprises an amphiphilic molecule.

An extravascular system is provided which includes a catheter adapter having a blood control septum configured to control flow of a fluid through the catheter adapter, the catheter adapter further having a catheter configured for intravenous insertion. The extravascular system further includes a septum activator slidably inserted within the catheter adapter and configured for advancement through the blood control septum to provide a fluid pathway through the blood control septum. Further still, the extravascular system includes an external safety mechanism comprising a needle hub and a needle shield interconnected via a tether, wherein the needle shield includes a safety clip that is configured to retain a sharpened end of the introducer needle within the needle shield. Some implementations further comprise an access port forming a portion of the catheter adapter and providing selective access to the lumen of the catheter adapter.

An intravascular treatment system including an introducer sheath having an intentional friction zone along a section thereof imposing an intentional friction force on the outer surface of a catheter shaft slidable therein. The friction zone representing a non-straight (e.g., curved or bent) section of the introducer sheath and/or a section of the introducer sheath whose inner wall has a reduced inner diameter (e.g., fused heat shrink material). During intravascular treatment, sufficient axial force may be applied to overcome the imposed intentional friction force and advance the intravascular treatment device in a distal direction to a desired target site in the artery. Once properly positioned, the imposed intentional friction force ensures that the intravascular treatment device is maintained in place.