A method and an assembly for securing a crimped medical device over a deflated balloon of a balloon catheter is provided. The medical device is positioned in its expanded state over the deflated balloon of the balloon catheter, and is then crimped over the deflated balloon. First and second eyelets of first and second strings, respectively, are then threaded through first and second rings, respectively, that are provided on the medical device. Next, a locking wire is advanced through a lumen defined between the sheath and the catheter body to exit the distal end of the sheath, and then advanced through the first and second eyelets and into the distal tip of the balloon catheter. The sheath is then advanced over the crimped medical device to the distal tip to completely cover the crimped medical device.

Medical devices including vascular access kits and related system and methods are disclosed. In some embodiments, a vascular access system may include a first conduit, a second conduit, and an expandable stent that is coupled to both the first and second conduits such that there is a continuous lumen between the first conduit and the second conduit. Methods of deploying the vascular access system within the body of a mammal, more particularly, a human patient are disclosed. Methods of bypassing a section of vasculature of a mammal, more particularly, a human patient are disclosed. The vascular access system, when implanted and assembled, may be a fully subcutaneous surgical implant.

An implant delivery system including a catheter having a delivery lumen; a pusher member slidably disposed in the catheter delivery lumen; a retaining member coupled to a distal end portion of the pusher member, the retaining member configured to retain an expandable implant in a collapsed configuration on the pusher member for delivery of the implant through the catheter delivery lumen; and an expandable actuator coupled to the distal end portion of the pusher member and operatively associated with the retaining member, wherein expansion of the actuator causes the retaining member to disengage from an implant carried on the pusher member, to thereby allow the implant to expand from the collapsed configuration.

A multi-stage balloon catheter has a deflated state, a first inflation state at a first pressure and a second inflation state at a higher fluid pressure. In the first inflation state, the multi-stage balloon has a plurality of bulb segments separated by waist hoops that allow the multi-stage balloon to conform to match the curvature of a passageway. When pressure is increased in the multi-stage balloon from the first inflation state to the second inflation state, the waist locations expand either by breaking or stretching the waist restraints or by overcoming expansion resistance incorporated into the balloon material at the waist locations. The multi-stage balloon catheter may be used to implant a stent in a manner to conform and match a curved passageway rather than tending to straighten the passageway.

An interventional catheter is adapted for treating a blood vessel. In an embodiment, the catheter includes an elongate shaft sized for insertion in a blood vessel and a stent positioned on a distal region of the elongate shaft. An expandable dilation member is coupled to a distal region of the elongate shaft. The expandable dilation member is adapted to expand outward. A stent containment member is positioned over the elongate shaft and the stent to contain the stent in a collapsed state.

A protective device for an elongate catheter carrying a functional element, in particular a stent or a balloon, in particular a balloon coated with an active substance, on a distal end portion of the catheter. The protective device includes a protector configured to be arranged on the distal end portion so that the functional element is surrounded by the protector. A protective sleeve surrounds an interior to receive the catheter together with the protector. The protective sleeve has at least one projection on an inner side of the protective sleeve facing the interior of the protective sleeve. The projection is configured to retain the protector when the catheter together with the protector is arranged in the interior of the protective sleeve and the catheter is withdrawn from the protective sleeve so that the protector is pulled off the distal end portion of the catheter.

A delivery system for implantable medical device and control handle thereof are provided. Also provided is an implantable medical device and securing method, loading method, and releasing method therefor. The delivery system includes a balloon catheter; a sheath in sliding fit over the balloon catheter and for covering the implantable medical device; an adjustment string for releasably securing the implantable medical device over the balloon catheter, one end of the adjustment string is capable of being fixed to the balloon catheter, and the other end is capable of passing through the implantable medical device and has an eyelet; and a locking wire having relative locked and unlocked states. In the locked state, the locking wire passes through the eyelet to restrain the implantable medical device, and in the unlocked state, the locking wire disengages from the eyelet to release the implantable medical device.

To provide a new balloon catheter enabling formation of, with high dimensional accuracy and excellent shape adaptability with respect to a balloon, an additional structure such as a blade and a reinforcement member to be additionally provided to the balloon. In this balloon catheter 10 provided with an expandable/contractible balloon 14 on the distal end side of a catheter 12, an additional structure 36 having a prescribed pattern is formed through electroforming or the like directly onto an inner circumferential surface 34 and/or an outer circumferential surface 82 of the balloon 14.

Methods and systems for rotationally aligning a commissure of a prosthetic heart valve with a commissure of a native valve are disclosed. In some examples, a delivery apparatus can include a first shaft configured to rotate around a central longitudinal axis of the delivery apparatus, a second shaft extending through the first shaft and having a distal end portion extending distally beyond a distal end portion of the first shaft, an inflatable balloon coupled to the distal end portion of the first shaft, and a third shaft surrounding the first shaft. The first shaft is configured to rotate within the third shaft and translate axially relative to the third shaft, and the third shaft includes a distal tip portion including a plurality of internal helical expansion grooves and a plurality of external helical expansion grooves that are configured to allow the distal tip portion to flex radially outward.

A delivery apparatus for an implantable medical device includes a handle, a shaft having a proximal end portion and a distal end portion, the proximal end portion being coupled to the handle, and a nosecone coupled to the distal end portion of the shaft. The nosecone includes a proximal end portion and a distal end portion pivotably coupled to the proximal end portion.