Abbott Laboratories Vascular Enterprises Limited

Abbott Laboratories Corporation

Andrew Jeffrey

Randolf Von Oepen

Ib Erling Joergensen

Lorcan James Coffey

Axel Grandt

Bodo Quint

Günter Lorenz

Louise Balfe

Stevan Nielsen

Thomas Rieth

Arik Zucker

Suk-Woo Ha

Michael Jetter

Guenter Lorenz

Boris Warnack

Kay Unzicker

Zdravkica Dzakula

Stefan Leuthold

Doreen Seeger

Christine Pagel

Hartmut Gratwohl

Louise Corcoran

John P Lacken

Apparatus for enhancing pushability and minimizing kinking of a balloon catheter is provided, wherein a catheter comprises inner and outer tubes, and a balloon that is proximally affixed to the outer tube and distally affixed to the inner tube. The catheter of the present invention further comprises a tubular member imposed on the inner tube which is configured to form a reversible mechanical linkage between inner tube and outer tube while an axially compressive load is applied to the catheter tip.

Catheter with enhanced pushability

The present invention relates to a method of thermal treatment of thermally responsive material wherein areas in or on the material to be thermally treated are defined and thermal energy is inputted on or into the defined areas in order to change/influence the material characteristics. The present invention further relates to medical devices or parts thereof manufactured at least in part from thermally responsive material by a process comprising at least one step of thermal treatment of this thermally responsive material.

Method of thermal treatment of a thermally responsive material of medical devices

A guidewire exchange device is configured to exchange a guidewire associated with a guidewire port in a medical device. The guidewire exchange device is further configured to interface with the medical device at the guidewire port, remove the guidewire from the medical device, and insert a replacement guidewire.

Guidewire replacement device

The present invention relates to a catheter comprising an outer tube; an inner tube; and a balloon fixed at its proximal sleeve to the outer tube and at its distal sleeve to the inner tube, wherein the inner tube comprises an elastic segment.

Balloon catheter with elastic segment

The invention discloses a balloon catheter comprising a catheter shaft, at the distal end of which an inflatable balloon is arranged and at the proximal end of which a connecting piece is arranged, comprising a guiding wire which can be passed through a guiding wire lumen of the catheter shaft from the proximal end to the distal end and through the balloon and an inflation or deflation lumen extending from the proximal end of the catheter shaft to the balloon, wherein a portion of the catheter shaft having a selectable length and extending from the proximal end is provided with a metal reinforcing pipe.

Balloon catheter

The present invention relates to a catheter having a soft distal tip that can be manufactured at lower cost than catheters in the prior art. In one embodiment, the catheter is produced by coupling a soft sleeve to the distal end of a catheter tube. The sleeve may affixed to the catheter tube under temperature and pressure conditions that cause the proximal end of the sleeve to taper against the outer surface of the catheter tube, avoiding or minimizing discontinuities in the insertion profile of the catheter, and that also cause the inner wall of the sleeve to taper against the distal end of the catheter tube, avoiding or minimizing discontinuities in the lumen of the catheter.

Catheter having a soft distal tip

The invention includes a catheter having an elongate main body having a proximal section and a distal section. The elongate main body further includes a plurality of stiffening members disposed along the length of the elongate main body. At least one stiffening member includes a plurality of clusters including helical turns or rotations disposed circumferentially about a tubular member and along the length of the cluster. The clusters can be configured to vary flexibility along the length of the tubular member. The catheter can include a sheath having a stationary section and a retractable section.

Catheter having plurality of stiffening members

The invention provides a catheter and method of making the same including an outer tubular member having a length, an outer surface, an inner surface and a lumen therethrough. The catheter also includes an inner tubular member having an outer surface, an inner surface and a lumen therethrough, at least a length of the inner lumen is disposed in the lumen of the outer tubular member. The catheter also includes a support member biasing a portion of the outer surface of the inner tubular member against a portion of the inner surface of the outer tubular member.

Multiple lumen catheter and method of making same

The invention includes a catheter having an elongate main body having a proximal section and a distal section. The elongate main body further includes a plurality of stiffening members disposed along the length of the elongate main body. The plurality of stiffening members includes a first stiffening member and a second stiffening member. The catheter can also include a balloon formed from a tubular member having a recess defined in a portion of its surface. A tapered or thinned balloon is formed from a process by which material is removed from a tubular member prior to formation of the balloon.

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Tuebingen, Germany

Andrew Jeffrey