The disclosure provides insertion tools and articles that facilitate entry of a medical device, such as a balloon catheter, into the body. In embodiments the insertion tools have an elongate hollow body (50) that is able to protect a portion of a medical device, such as a balloon of a balloon catheter, during an insertion procedure. In one embodiment the insertion tool has an elongate hollow body (131), a tapered distal end (135), and a locking mechanism (133) at the proximal end which can secure a portion of a balloon catheter. An opening at the distal end can allow passage of the balloon in a folded uninflated state.

Disclosed are rapidly insertable central catheter (“RICC”) insertion assemblies and methods. For example, a RICC insertion assembly can include a RICC, an access guidewire, an introducer needle, and a coupler coupling the foregoing components together. The introducer needle can include a needle shaft and a sheath. The needle shaft can include a longitudinal needle slot. The sheath can seal the needle slot thereunder except for a sheath opening thereto in a proximal portion of the sheath. The coupler can include a coupler housing and a valve module disposed in the coupler housing. The valve module can seal the needle shaft and the sheath therein. The access guidewire can include a proximal end coupled to the coupler and a distal end disposed in the introducer needle, thereby enforcing a loop in the access guidewire. The RICC can be disposed over the loop in a ready-to-deploy state of the RICC insertion assembly.

An introducer sheath (10) comprises a tubular body (11) with a distal portion (12) and a proximal portion (13), the proximal portion (13) being configured to be inserted into the patient's body. Introducer sheath can be separated along its length in a longitudinal direction. The introducer sheath (10) further comprises at least a first handle (15) which is pivotable about a fulcrum (21). The first handle (15) has a first end portion (151) and a free second end portion (152) so as to form a lever, such that pivoting the handle (15) about the fulcrum (21) causes a contacting portion (23) of the handle to act on a respective counter portion (24) that is operatively connected to the distal portion (12) of the tubular body (11). This creates a breaking force that causes the distal portion (12) of the tubular body (11) to break.

An insertion system and a method for protecting an insertion device, for example, a needle, a catheter, a stent, etc., from infection and/or damage before, and/or during, and/or after insertion of the insertion device into an insertion site, are provided. The insertion system includes a hub or an introducer sheath with a hub, the insertion device, and an insertion device protection apparatus. The insertion device protection apparatus includes at least two elongate protective covers detachably engaged to each other and defining a channel extending through a length of the insertion device protection apparatus for enclosing the insertion device therewithin before, and/or during, and/or after inserting the insertion device into the insertion site. The elongate protective covers are progressively disengaged from each other from a proximal end and/or a distal end of the insertion device protection apparatus before, and/or during, and/or after insertion of the insertion device into the insertion site.

A rapidly insertable central catheter (“RICC”) insertion assembly can include a RICC, an introducer needle, a coupler coupling the RICC and the introducer needle together, and a sheath-splitting means for splitting a sheath body of the introducer needle away from an access guidewire. The sheath-splitting means allows the access guidewire to escape from the sheath body and remain in a needle tract established with the introduce needle. The splitting of the sheath body by the sheath-splitting means can be initiated by withdrawing the sheath body by a pair of finger tabs extending from a sheath hub around the proximal portion of the sheath body, twisting the introducer needle or a needle hub around the proximal portion of the needle shaft, triggering one or more triggers disposed in the coupler housing, or pushing a catheter tip of the RICC into the sheath body.

An example introducer is disclosed. An example introducer includes an inner liner including a lumen, a distal region and at least one folded portion extending along the distal region. The introducer also includes a reinforcing member having a length and including at least one spine extending along the length of the reinforcing member. The introducer also includes a sheath disposed along at least a portion of the introducer, wherein the sheath includes at least one perforation, wherein material adjacent to the at least one folded portion is removed from a distal portion of the introducer to form a tip region. The introducer also includes a tip member disposed along the tip region.

Intravascular delivery system is designed for a safe and efficient access to secondary and tertiary vascular structures, such as the branches of the coronary sinus, to enhance the delivery and deployment of various catheters, such as, for example, pacemaker electrical leads. The over-the-wire system features a straight, or alternatively shaped, micro-catheter distal tip of an inner catheter that seamlessly cooperates with a peel-away reinforced outer catheter. The inner catheter and the peel-away reinforced outer catheter are advanced in their engaged mode of operation towards (or beyond) the target site. Subsequently, the inner and outer catheters are disengaged, and the inner catheter is removed from the outer catheter. A pacemaker lead may be advanced over the wire inside the outer catheter to the target site for deployment. Subsequently, the outer catheter is easily split and may be rapidly removed from the blood vessel.

Introducer sheaths are described. In one embodiment, an introducer sheath comprises a sheath hub, a fixed housing coupled to the sheath hub, a rotating element rotatably coupled to the fixed housing, a sheath tube fixedly coupled to the rotating element, and a lock coupled to the rotating element. The lock is capable of preventing the rotating element and the sheath tube from rotating with respect to the sheath hub.

A vascular access system comprising a sheath, a slitted sleeve, and a sealing portion of the slitted sleeve. The slitted sleeve comprises a tubular sleeve body having a longitudinal slit along its length, wherein the slitted sleeve is adapted to receive a first portion of a medical device therein. The longitudinal slit closes, but does not seal, after the first portion of the medical device is inserted therein. The sealing portion of the slitted sleeve is configured to fill a gap and form a seal between an inner surface of the sheath and a portion of the first portion of the medical device disposed in the sheath when the sheath is inserted in the blood vessel and the slitted sleeve is inserted into the sheath lumen. A vascular access device accessory and a method for inserting it into a sheath are also provided.

Provided are drainage systems that may include a drainage manifold and may be suitable for draining fluid from a tissue site. The drainage manifold may include a plurality of elongate members having a moveable end that may be adapted to configure the drainage manifold to treat a uniquely shaped tissue site. The drainage manifold may be coupled to a drainage tube with a transitional connector to provide a drainage system capable of distributing reduced pressure to the tissue site to enhance the drainage of fluids.