Advanced Cardiovascular Systems, Inc.

Covidien LP

Abbott Cardiovascular Systems, Inc.

Baxter International Inc.

Edwin Wang

Jeong Soo Lee

Florencia Lim

Roseminda J White

Ujwal Jalgaonkar

Edwin Bon

Roger H Tu

Tim Kitchen

Fozan El-Nounou

Peter Skujins

Chi Le Long

Timothy Owens

David P Marchesiello

George Stern

Komonn Lim

Charles David Claude

Gaurav Girdhar

Lawrence J Farhat

Christopher R Folk

Srinivasan Sridharan

Syamala Rani Pulugurtha

Eric Mintz

Chris Kuo

John Schreiner

Jon A Becker

Xiaodong Ma

Fernando Gonzalez

Vidya J Nayak

Kevin Nguyen

David Franco

Cary Hata

Emma Hurst

Nadine Ding

Jose A Romero

Huong Chung

Gary Heinemann

Bryant Pham

Christine Gutting

Kevin V Nguyen

Athanasios Touris

In some examples, a catheter includes an expandable member configured to expand radially outward from a collapsed configuration to an expanded configuration. The expandable member is configured to be expanded and contracted in a controlled manner, e.g., in response to user actuation or automatically under the control of control circuitry of a device. For example, in some examples, control circuitry of a device can be configured to control the expandable member to expand and contract according to a predetermined expansion frequency or according to an expansion frequency determined based on a cardiac cycle of a patient.

Aspiration systems and methods, and expanding-mouth catheters

In some examples, a catheter includes an elongated body that includes a proximal portion and a distal portion, and one or more electroactive elements in at least one of the proximal portion or the distal portion of the elongated body. The one or more electroactive elements each include a contractive material configured contract in response to an application of an electrical signal to the respective electroactive element. The contraction of the electroactive elements is configured to change a dimension or a shape of the elongated body. The electroactive elements may be distributed around the elongated body at the distal portion of the elongated body, such as in different axial or radial positions. The electroactive elements may comprise a nickel titanium (NiTi) alloy having a Ni:Ti composition of about 50:50.

Catheter including contractible electroactive elements

In some examples, a catheter includes a catheter body including an outer jacket and an inner liner. The inner liner may include a proximal section including a proximal end of the inner liner and a distal section including a distal end of the inner liner. The distal section may include an inner liner defining a plurality of cuts. Each cut may extend at least partially through the liner wall. The one or more cuts defined in the liner wall of the distal section of the inner liner may increase a bending flexibility of the distal section relative to the proximal section of the inner liner, while maintaining a suitable tensile strength of the distal section.

Catheter including an inner liner with a flexible distal section

In some examples, a catheter includes an elongated body comprising proximal and distal portions. The distal portion of the elongated body comprises an inner liner that includes a proximal liner section and a distal liner section that include different materials, and an outer jacket positioned over the inner liner. The distal liner section has a first hardness and the proximal liner section has a second hardness, where the first hardness is less than the second hardness.

Flexible tip catheter

Example compliant hydrophilic coatings including a base coat and a lubricious top coat for coating a medical device including a flexible substrate. The coatings exhibit reduced cracking and peeling in response to deformation or expansion of the flexible substrate. Example techniques for coating a medical device including a flexible substrate with compliant hydrophilic coatings.

Compliant hydrophilic coatings for medical devices

In some examples, a catheter body includes an outer jacket positioned over a structural support member. A proximal portion of the structural support member comprises a straight or tapered polymer hypotube and a distal portion of the structural support member comprises a distal support member that is more flexible than the polymer hypotube. In some examples, the polymer hypotube defines one or more openings, through which an adhesive may be introduced between the polymer hypotube and an inner liner of the catheter body.

Catheter body structural support member including a polymer hypotube

In some examples, a catheter may include a catheter body, a first expandable member, and a second expandable member. The catheter body may define a first lumen, a second lumen, a delivery port, and a surface extending from the delivery port into the first lumen. The first lumen may define a first central longitudinal axis. The second lumen may define a second central longitudinal axis spaced from the first central longitudinal axis in a direction orthogonal to the second central longitudinal axis. The delivery port may be in fluid communication with the first lumen. The surface extending from the delivery port into the first surface may be oriented at an obtuse or acute angle relative to the first central longitudinal axis.

Medical catheter system

A catheter may include a hypotube defining an inner circumferential surface, an outer circumferential surface, and an end. The hypotube may include a metal or alloy. The catheter also may include an inner liner attached to the inner circumferential surface of the hypotube and extending beyond the end of the hypotube, and the inner liner may include a fluoropolymer. The catheter further may include a hub and a single bonding layer attached to the outer circumferential surface of the hypotube and bonded to the hub. The single bonding layer may include a polyamide, a polyether-co-polyamide, or polyurethane and is the only layer between the outer circumferential surface of the hypotube and the hub.

Catheter including leak resistant proximal shaft

A catheter having an multilayered shaft section with a first layer formed of a polyimide first material and a second layer formed of a second material. In a presently preferred embodiment, the polyimide material is a thermoset polyimide. However, in alternative embodiments, a thermoplastic polyimide is used. The thermoset polyimide has a very high glass transition temperature (Tg) of approximately 400&#xb0; C. (as measured by differential scanning calorimetry), and excellent dimensional stability at the processing temperature of polyamides commonly used in catheter components. As a result, during formation and assembly of the catheter, production of a thin polyimide layer with controlled dimensions is facilitated. The polyimide has a high modulus and provides a thin walled yet highly pushable shaft section, while the second layer provides kink resistance. In one embodiment, the second material is selected from the group consisting of a polyamide material and a polyurethane material.

Catheter with a multilayered shaft section having a polyimide layer

Stent delivery systems and methods of use are provided. The systems can include a catheter, a core member, and engagement member, and a stent. The catheter can have a inner wall. The core member can extend within the catheter and having a distal segment. The engagement member can be attached to the distal segment. Further, the stent can be positioned within the catheter and extend over the engagement member. The stent can have an axial length that is greater than an axial length of the engagement member. The engagement member can have an expanded state in which the engagement member presses the stent against the catheter inner wall for engaging the stent to move the stent along with the core member relative to the catheter.

Methods and apparatus for luminal stenting

A catheter system is provided. The system includes a catheter having an elongated flexible body and one or more electroactive polymer actuators disposed along the elongated flexible body. The electroactive polymer actuators are adapted to cause a change in configuration of the elongated flexible body. The system also includes a controller adapted to transmit the control signal to the electroactive polymer actuators. The controller includes a memory storing a plurality of control signals corresponding to a plurality of predetermined configurations of the catheter and a user-interface coupled to the memory. The user-interface is configured to select one or more configurations from the plurality of predetermined configurations in response to user input.

Computer controlled steerable tip guide catheter

A catheter having an elongated shaft which has a multilayered distal tip with a first layer formed of a polyimide first material and a second layer formed of a polymeric second material. In one embodiment the multilayered distal tip is a separate member, distal to the distal end of a proximal portion of the shaft. In another embodiment, the shaft has an outer tubular member, and a multilayered inner tubular member with a distal end which forms the multilayered distal tip of the shaft. In a presently preferred embodiment, the polyimide material is a thermoset polyimide. In one embodiment, the polymeric second material is a polyamide material.

Catheter with a polymide distal tip

Growing community of inventors

Tustin, CA, United States of America

Edwin Wang