Urinary catheters and methods for preventing bacterial infections.

Methods of delivering cells and other therapeutic agents to organs and extravascular sites using an endoluminal delivery device are provided that allow for retention of the cells or agents at the delivery site at significantly improved levels as compared to needle delivery. Optimal delivery rates using the endoluminal delivery device are also provided. The methods allow for delivery of a variety of therapeutic agents to organs including heart, kidney and pancreas.

A catheter assembly includes a catheter having a proximal end and a distal end; an expandable device releasably attached to the catheter near the distal end; a generally tubular constraining sleeve extending around and compressing the device to an outer peripheral dimension suitable for endoluminal delivery; a tip fixedly secured to the distal end of the catheter; and a bridge member disposed between the tip and the expandable device so as to fill a gap therebetween as the catheter assembly is bent during endoluminal delivery of the expandable device to a treatment site.

A catheter system may include a catheter adapter, which may include a distal end and a proximal end. The catheter system may include a catheter, which may include a distal end, a proximal end, a catheter lumen extending through the distal end of the catheter and the proximal end of the catheter, and an inner surface forming the catheter lumen. The catheter may extend distally from the distal end of the catheter adapter. The distal end of the catheter may include one or more holes. The distal end of the catheter may include one or more channels. The holes and/or the channels may facilitate visualization of blood flashback indicating the catheter is disposed within a vein of a patient.

A transport system for delivery or retrieval of a biostimulator, such as a leadless cardiac pacemaker, is described. The biostimulator transport system includes a docking cap supported by a bearing within a bearing housing. The bearing allows relative rotation between a torque shaft connected to the docking cap and an outer catheter connected to the bearing housing. The bearing housing and the docking cap include respective bearing retainers that constrain the bearing within the bearing housing without a weld attachment. The weldless retainers of the biostimulator transport system provide a robust mechanical securement of the bearing that is not vulnerable to corrosion. Other embodiments are also described and claimed.

A catheter having a proximal end portion having gaps between axially adjacent portions of an element wire where an inner layer is joined to an outer layer through the gaps; and a distal end portion where the axially adjacent portions of the element wire come into contact with each other, and a cavity is provided between the inner layer and a coil body. The catheter has excellent followability to a guide wire and is capable of efficiently transmitting a pushing force and/or rotational force from an operator to the distal end of the catheter.

The present embodiments provide systems and methods suitable for delivering an agent including a plurality of particles to a target site. In example embodiments, a system suitable for delivering an agent to a target site includes a catheter having a first wall defining a lumen sized for delivery of the agent to the target site. The catheter has a distal end terminating with a primary opening of the lumen, an opposing proximal end, and a longitudinal axis extending between the distal end and the proximal end. At least one secondary opening is formed at the distal end, wherein the secondary opening is configured to allow fluid to flow through the secondary opening to create a steady flow of fluid at an angle with respect to the longitudinal axis and prevent the plurality of particles from flowing through the secondary opening.

A catheter is capable of firmly fixing a shaft and a hub, and preventing a decrease in dimensional accuracy of an outer side of the hub in a radial direction. The catheter includes: a shaft that is a tubular body in which a lumen extending the shaft from a distal end to a proximal end is formed, and that includes a shaft proximal surface in which the lumen is opened and a shaft outer surface that is an outer peripheral surface of the tubular body; and a hub that is attached to the proximal end of the shaft. The hub includes a tubular accommodation unit configured to accommodate the shaft, the accommodation unit includes a hub melted surface that is directly welded to the shaft outer surface, and an absolute value of a residual strain of the accommodation unit decreases outward in a radial direction from the hub melted surface.

A medical system comprising a medical instrument including at least one elongated actuation member used to move at least a portion of the medical instrument, a motor coupled to the medical instrument and used to operate the at least one elongated actuation member, and a control system in communication with the medical instrument and with the motor. The control system is configured to receive at least one input from the medical instrument and determine a force on a tip of the medical instrument by applying the at least one input to a lumped model of the medical instrument. The lumped model comprises a mass of the motor and a spring parameter coupling the mass of the motor to a mass of the portion of the medical instrument.

A transport system for delivery or retrieval of a biostimulator, such as a leadless cardiac pacemaker, is described. The biostimulator transport system includes a docking cap supported by a bearing within a bearing housing. The bearing allows relative rotation between a torque shaft connected to the docking cap and an outer catheter connected to the bearing housing. The bearing housing and the docking cap include respective bearing retainers that constrain the bearing within the bearing housing without a weld attachment. The weldless retainers of the biostimulator transport system provide a robust mechanical securement of the bearing that is not vulnerable to corrosion. Other embodiments are also described and claimed.