An introducer sheath is disclosed, which includes a tube body that is percutaneously inserted into a body lumen; and a hub that is connected to a proximal portion of the tube body. The tube body contains a polyvinylidene fluoride resin, a ratio of a thickness to an inner diameter of the tube body is 1/16 or lower, and a ration of a kink radius to an outer diameter of the tube body is 9.5 or lower.

A method is described herein for the treatment of intracranial aneurysms. The method comprises inserting into an aneurysm an embolism coil coated with a polymeric coating comprising a genipin, such as genipin or a derivative thereof, thereby increasing the stability of clots within the aneurysm. According to one example, the coating is a poly(L-lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) is used to release genipin to crosslink fibrin clots thereby creating more stable occlusions. Increased clotting can improve segregation of the weakened portion of the blood vessel from the rest of the vasculature and reduce the risk of recurrence.

A catheter system includes an indwelling, hollow catheter having a tip inserted into a person's bladder. The tip has an opening through which urine from the bladder passes into the catheter. A flexible reservoir extends around the person's ankle and has walls bounding an interior compartment. A flexible, elongated tube has one end connected to the catheter and an opposite end connected to the reservoir. The tube is hollow for conducting urine in the catheter through the tube into the compartment of the reservoir. One of the walls of the reservoir is a bottom wall that engages and rests on a top of the person's foot in use to resist downward movement of the reservoir as the reservoir is filled with urine. A freely manipulated drain pipe is in fluid communication with the reservoir.

The expandable sheath and methods of use disclosed herein are used to deliver a prosthetic device through a patient's vasculature. The sheath is constructed to be expandable in the circumferential direction, while maintaining sufficient stiffness in the longitudinal direction to withstand pushing and resist kinking The sheath includes a plurality of curved arms extending outwardly from a longitudinally extending spine. The curved arms move away from the longitudinal axis of the sheath when pushed radially outwardly by a passing prosthetic device, and move back toward the longitudinal axis once the prosthetic device has passed.

A catheter assembly includes an outer shaft having an outer shaft body forming an outer shaft bore that receives an inner shaft. The outer shaft has a wire transition section. The catheter assembly includes an exit path connector coupled to the outer shaft body at the wire transition section. The exit path connector has a rigid body section separate and discrete from the outer shaft body and coupled to the outer shaft body. The body section defines an exit path connector bore that receives the inner shaft. The body section has a side exit port at a side of the body section being open to the exit path connector bore. The catheter assembly includes a catheter wire passing through the side exit port from an interior to an exterior of the cable exit port.

A rigidizing device includes an elongate flexible tube, a braid layer positioned over the elongate flexible tube, an outer layer over the flexible tube and the braid layer, and an inlet between the elongate flexible tube and the outer layer and configured to attach to a source of vacuum or pressure. The braid layer has a plurality of strands braided together at a braid angle of 5-40 degrees relative to a longitudinal axis of the elongate flexible tube when the elongate flexible tube is straight. The rigidizing device is configured to have a rigid configuration when vacuum or pressure is applied through the inlet and a flexible configuration when vacuum or pressure is not applied through the inlet. The braid angle is configured to change as the rigidizing device bends when the rigidizing device is in the flexible configuration.

A method for providing an insertion cord of an endoscope with graduated flexibility along the length of the insertion cord. The method includes: providing a main tube having a proximal and a distal end, and subjecting the main tube to a conditioning process including application of heat and a temporary mechanical deformation along at least a part of the length of the main tube between said proximal end and said distal end. The magnitude of the temporary mechanical deformation is varied along said part of the length of the main tube.

An elongated medical instrument includes a base material part, and an outer layer part made of a resin provided on a surface of the base material part. An outer surface of the outer layer part is a substantially flat surface other than the presence of irregularly disposed recesses or protrusions.

Disclosed are embodiments of a method for affecting thrombi formation on an indwelling catheter. The method involves the step of providing an intravenous catheter. The intravenous catheter includes an inner surface and an outer surface, and the intravenous catheter is located within a blood vessel. A light diffusing element is inserted into the intravenous catheter. Light is emitted from the light diffusing element such that the light irradiates the intravenous catheter. The light emitted from the light diffusing element is configured to promote or hinder thrombi formation on the inner surface or outer surface of the intravenous catheter. Also disclosed are an illumination system for affecting thrombi formation on an intravenous catheter as well as an indwelling intravenous catheter system.

Reinforced catheter tips, catheters including rapidly insertable central catheters (“RICCs”), and methods thereof reduce the number of steps and medical devices involved in introducing catheters into patients. In an example of a catheter, a RICC can include a catheter tube, a catheter hub coupled to a proximal portion of the catheter tube, and a plurality of extension legs extending from the catheter hub. The catheter tube can include a first section in a distal portion of the catheter tube and a second section proximal of the first section. The first section of the catheter tube can distally terminate with a catheter tip reinforced with a reinforcement band therein. The plurality of extension legs that extend from the catheter hub can be equal in number to a plurality of lumens extending through the RICC. In another example, a method can include a method of making the foregoing RICC.