A microcatheter comprising an inner layer, a strike layer and an outer layer and a braided skeleton located between the inner layer and the outer layer, wherein the inner layer is made of Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) and has a thickness of 0.0015 inch or less, wherein the strike layer includes a polyether block amide and has a thickness of 0.001 inch or less, and wherein a distal portion of said outer layer is made of polycarbonate-based thermoplastic polyurethane having a shore of 90A or below.

An implantable medical device includes a first component including a first material, a second component including a second material, and a fiber matrix including a plurality of fibers. The fiber matrix joins the first component to the second component. The fiber matrix includes a first a first portion connected to the first component, and a second portion connected to the second component. The first portion of the fiber matrix is interpenetrated with, and mechanically fixed to, the first material. The first portion of the fiber matrix directly contacts the first material.

A flexible tube production apparatus includes a die composed of: a cylindrical inner die having an outer face in which a groove is formed; a tubular member that is housed inside the inner die, and has a through-hole that allows a blade wire to be inserted from one end to the other end thereof; and an outer die that surrounds the inner die such that a predetermined gap is generated between itself and the outer face of the inner die, and has an extrusion hole that extrudes the resins having been supplied to the gap, onto the outer face of the blade wire that is fed from the other end of the tubular member. A resin supply portion supplies a first resin and a second resin to the die while the motor rotates the inner die about a center axis.

In some examples, a catheter (e.g., a balloon catheter) includes a guidewire tube extending through a catheter body and a coating on at least a portion of an outer surface of the guidewire tube. In some examples, the coating is an elastomeric coating. The coating is configured to increase friction between the portion of the outer surface of the guidewire tube and an inner surface of the catheter body when the portion of the outer surface contacts an inner surface of the catheter body.

A catheter including an inner liner, a reinforcement layer disposed about the inner liner and having a distal edge separated a predetermined axial distance in a proximal direction from the distal end of the inner liner. The reinforcement layer having a discrete annealed section with an altered crystalline structure having modified (e.g., increased) stiffness relative to non-annealed sections of the reinforcement layer. A marker band is positioned over or adjacent to the distal edge of the reinforcement layer. An outer jacket is disposed about an interim assembled structure including the inner liner, the reinforcement layer, and the marker band to form an assembled structure. During manufacture, heat is applied to reflow together individual components of the assembled structure producing an integral composite catheter shaft.

A catheter adapted for deflection in a narrow tubular region and/or sharp turn, has an elongated body, a deflection section having a support member adapted for heat activation to assume a trained configuration, and a lead wire configured to deliver a current to the support member for heat activation. The support member is constructed of a shaped memory alloy, for example, nitinol, and the lead wire is adapted to directly heat the support member. Moreover, the catheter may include a thermally insulating layer covering at least a portion of the support member. The trained configuration of the support member extends in a single dimension, in two dimensions or in three dimensions.

An insertion set system includes a base configured to be secured to a patient, and a flexible tubing on the base. The flexible tubing has a distal end portion forming a cannula to be inserted into the patient. An inserter having a needle is received by the base. The needle has a channel in which the distal end portion of the flexible tubing is received. The needle is able to slide relative to the flexible tubing, to selectively withdraw the needle off of the distal end portion of the flexible tubing. The base may include a passage for fluid flow arranged transverse to the axial dimension of the distal end portion of the flexible tubing.

An active return curve deflectable catheter includes an elongate catheter body, a fixation member, a deflection assembly, and a pull wire. The fixation member is coupled to a distal portion of the elongate catheter body. The deflection assembly includes a hub coupled to a proximal end of the elongate catheter body, a handle, and a control member. The pull wire extends from the control member through the hub assembly to the fixation member. The elongate catheter body is configured to deflect from an initial configuration to a deflected configuration in response to a pull force applied to the pull wire by actuation of the control member in a first direction.

A balloon catheter has an outer shaft which surrounds a shaft lumen. The outer shaft has a proximal outer shaft portion connected to a distal outer shaft portion. An inner shaft is in a distal portion of the shaft lumen. A guide wire lumen is in the inner shaft. An opening at a proximal end portion of the inner shaft permits the guide wire to be guided out from the outer shaft. A metallic tube is in the shaft lumen. The proximal end portion of the inner shaft is engaged with the metallic tube. A separate, elongate and metallic stiffening element is in the shaft lumen, and is connected to the metallic tube and protrudes from the metallic tube into the distal portion of the shaft lumen and into the proximal portion of the shaft lumen to stiffen portions of the outer shaft.

A pre-curved catheter tube of a catheter assembly or other elongate medical device and methods for forming such a device using a heating procedure is disclosed. Pre-curving of the catheter tube is desirable to impart to the catheter assembly a desired positional configuration when the catheter assembly is inserted into a patient. The heating procedure may include heat sterilization procedures commonly used to sterilize medical devices prior to use. One method for curving a catheter tube of a catheter assembly includes constraining the catheter tube into a curved configuration using the tube constraint, heating the catheter tube in the curved configuration for a predetermined time at a predetermined temperature, and releasing the catheter tube from the tube constraint after the heating is complete.