A drug or agent coated balloon having a length which is adjustable in vivo is described herein. The balloon is configured to be coated or coatable with one or more drugs where the coating may be applied prior to advancement into a patient body or prior to balloon expansion within the patient body. The length of the expandable portion of the balloon is adjustable to approximate a length of the tissue region to be treated. Moreover, the drug-coated balloon may be used alone or it may be utilized to deploy luminal prostheses having one or more linked or otherwise coupled segments.

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.

A catheter comprises a catheter shaft having a fluid channel, an ultrasound transducer and a compliant balloon mounted on the catheter shaft and having an interior in fluid communication with the fluid channel and containing the ultrasound transducer. The compliant balloon includes a balloon wall having a working section radially surrounding the ultrasound transducer. The working section has a predetermined straightness when the working section has a first diameter and when the working section has a second diameter that is at least 2 mm greater than the first diameter. Other embodiments are also described and claimed.

An hourglass shaped three-chambered and tunneled balloon catheter suitable for use in the placement of an aortic valve during the transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) process.

Apparatus and methods are provided for flaring a stent deployed within a branch vessel including an ostium communicating with a main vessel, a first end of the stent extending at least partially from the branch. A catheter is provided that includes a balloon having a reinforced region adjacent an unreinforced region. When the balloon is positioned at a desired location, e.g., within a stent, prosthetic valve, or other tubular prosthesis, the balloon may be inflated to a first pressure causing the reinforced and unreinforced regions to expand substantially simultaneously. Upon inflation of the balloon beyond the first pressure, the reinforced region of the balloon remains at the first diameter and the unreinforced region continues to expand, e.g., to flare one or more ends of the prosthesis.

a dilatable balloon catheter, comprising: a guide wire inserted and disposed in the inside of the catheter, an operation portion is fixedly connected to one end of the catheter, a balloon is disposed at the outer side of the catheter remote from the operation portion, the lumen of the catheter and the inner cavity of the balloon are connected by a communication structure provided on the catheter, the guide wire includes a first guide wire and a second guide wire which are separated from each other, the rear end of the first guide wire is connected to insertion-extraction structure in the rear end of the operation portion, the second guide wire is fixed to the inside of the catheter by a fixing process. The guide wire of the dilatable balloon catheter and the liquid injection lumen can share the same lumen, greatly reducing the diameter of the catheter in the present invention, so that the dilatable balloon catheter can be inserted into a narrow duct or lumen that needs to be expanded in human body through an device channel of an endoscope, and realize visualization operation.

An everting balloon system is disclosed that can be used for the placement of an IUD within the uterine cavity of a female patient. The everting balloon system with IUD can be used to access a uterine cavity at specific locations in the fundus. A one-handed IUD delivery system for placement with an everting catheter is disclosed. An IUD loading system for placement within an everting catheter is disclosed. The everting catheter with an IUD can simplify the process of IUD placement within the uterine cavity.

A device for introduction into a body vessel includes a main elongated element, a balloon positioned at the main elongated element distal end, a distal connecting element positioned at the distal end of the balloon to receive a guidewire during use, and a longitudinally movable sheath positioned external to the main elongated element, a position of the sheath distal end with respect to the balloon defining an exposed portion of the balloon that expands when fluid is delivered to the balloon through the inflation lumen.

Disclosed herein are balloon protectors, balloon catheters including the balloon protectors, and methods thereof. The balloon protector (100) includes a balloon-covering section (106) and a tabbed section (110) proximal of the balloon-covering section. The balloon-covering section is configured to cover a drug-coated balloon of the balloon catheter. The balloon-covering section includes a tip piece (104) of the balloon protector coupled to a distal-end portion of a body piece of the balloon protector. The tabbed section includes a pair of tabs (122) configured to be continuously pulled away from each other to progressively split the balloon protector along the balloon-covering section until the balloon protector is completely peeled off the balloon. Beneficially, an outer diameter of the tip piece can provide a stop to prevent insertion of a balloon catheter into an introducer sheath while the balloon protector is covering a balloon of the balloon protector.

A balloon catheter includes a catheter (1) and a balloon body (2) sleeved on the catheter (1). The balloon body (2) includes an inner layer balloon (21) and an outer layer balloon (22). The inner layer balloon (21) and the outer layer balloon (22) are both directly wrapped and fixed on the catheter (1). The inner layer balloon (21) is located inside the outer layer balloon (22). A medium channel (23) is formed between the inner layer balloon (21) and the outer layer balloon (22). An outer layer medium inlet hole (11) and a medium backflow hole (12) both in communication with the medium channel (23) are provided in the catheter (1). In the balloon catheter, the double-layer balloon body (2) is provided, so that a medium can flow in the medium channel (23) between the inner layer balloon (21) and the outer layer balloon (22), the medium flows into the medium channel (23) through the outer layer medium inlet hole (11), and then the medium in the medium channel (23) flows out through the medium backflow hole (12) to implement circulation. In this way, more medium can exchange heat on the inner surface of the outer layer balloon (22) and the flow rate distribution is relatively uniform, to increase the flowing quality of the medium on the surface of the balloon body, thereby improving the heat exchange efficiency.