Localmed, Inc.

Coherent, Inc.

Devices for Vascular Intervention, Inc.

Other

Intella Interventional Systems, Inc.

Gynecare, Inc.

James R Kermode

Enrique J Klein

Aaron V Kaplan

Deepak R Gandhi

Thomas M Bourne

Anant V Hegde

John B Simpson

Vahid Saadat

Edward D Reed, Jr

Richard L Mueller, Jr

Peter S Brown

Nubar Sahag Manoukian

Donald S Baim

Mark E Plaia

Kalman Kele

Dennis C Frezzo

Richard P Mueller

An apparatus and method for human female sterilization. The apparatus includes an occlusive device configured from an elongate tubular member having a central lumen and a flange formed at the proximal end. The occlusive device is formed with a plurality of flexible ribs configured to provide a plurality of seals within the interstitial portion of a Fallopian tube. A valve member is preferably disposed within the lumen of the tubular member. The occlusive device may further include a plurality of copper rings disposed between the ribs of the tubular member, or ribs may be coated with a material containing copper. The method includes placing the occlusive device within a delivery catheter having a lumen and placing the distal end of the delivery catheter within the uterus. After the occlusive device and distal end of the delivery catheter are placed in the Fallopian tube, the occlusive device is removed from the delivery catheter and ejected into the Fallopian tube. In addition, a guide wire may be inserted through the vagina and into a Fallopian tube of the uterus such that the occlusive device and the delivery catheter are threaded over the guide wire.

Tubular fallopian sterilization device

Sleeve catheters having an interactive device near their distal ends are provided for introduction while disposed over conventional interventional and imaging catheters. Exemplary interactive devices on the sleeve catheters include ultrasonic imaging arrays, drug delivery lumens, and the like. The sleeve catheters are most commonly used with angioplasty catheters, stent placement catheters, atherectomy catheters, and the like.

Method and apparatus for sequentially performing multiple intraluminal

A multiple balloon catheter for use in a vessel of a patient and for use with an inflation/deflation device. A flexible elongate tubular member with proximal and distal extremities has a distal balloon mounted on the distal extremity of the flexible elongate tubular member. Coaxial inner and outer balloons are mounted on the distal extremity of the flexible elongate member proximal of the distal balloon. The flexible elongate tubular member has balloon inflation lumens therein in communication with the interiors of the distal balloon and the inner and outer coaxial balloons. A manifold is secured to the proximal extremity of the flexible elongate tubular member in communication with the inflation lumens and is adjusted to be coupled to the inflation/deflation device. Valves are carried by the inflation/deflation manifold for inflating the distal balloon in the inner and outer coaxial balloons one at a time or in unison without removal of the inflation/deflation device from the manifold.

Multiple balloon stent delivery catheter and method

An intravascular catheter provides means for infusing an agent into a treatment site in a body lumen and means for deploying the infusing means adjacent the treatment site which operate independently of one another. In a first embodiment, a flexible catheter body has an expansion member attached to its distal end in communication with an inflation passage, and an infusion array disposed about the expansion member in communication with one or more delivery passages. In a second embodiment, the infusion array is a separate component and slidably received over the expansion member, which may be a balloon dilatation catheter. In both embodiments, the infusion array includes a plurality of delivery conduits having laterally oriented orifices. The delivery conduits may be extended radially from the catheter body to contact a treatment site by expanding the expansion member with an inflation fluid. An agent may be introduced into the delivery passages and infused into the treatment site through orifices in the delivery conduits. The expansion member may be expanded for dilatation of the lumen before, during, or after infusion.

Intravascular catheter with infusion array

An intravascular catheter provides means for infusing an agent into a treatment site in a body lumen and means for deploying the infusing means adjacent the treatment site which operate independently of one another. In a preferred embodiment, a flexible catheter body has an expansion member attached to its distal end in communication with an inflation passage, and an infusion array disposed about the expansion member in communication with one or more delivery passages. The infusion array includes a plurality of delivery conduits having laterally oriented orifices. The delivery conduits may be extended radially from the catheter body to contact a treatment site by expanding the expansion member with an inflation fluid. An agent may be introduced into the delivery passages and infused into the treatment site through orifices in the delivery conduits. The expansion member may be expanded for dilatation of the lumen before, during, or after infusion.

A fiber optic probe is disclosed for delivering laser radiation from a medical laser system to a treatment site. The probe includes a handpiece having an axial channel. The axial channel includes an intermediate mating region of reduced diameter. A tip piece having a fiber located therein is mounted on the front end of the handpiece. The input end of the fiber is mounted in a ferrule which is received in the reduced diameter mating region of the handpiece. A tail piece which includes an optical fiber is mounted at the rear end of the handpiece. The delivery end of the fiber in the tail piece is mounted in a ferrule and is also received in the mating region of the handpiece. The two ferrules are spring biased together to maximize coupling efficiency. The mating region is spaced from the front end of the handpiece so that the force on the mating region, caused by the torque imparted to the tip piece during use, is less than it would be if the mating region were located at the front end whereby the coupling efficiency is maintained. The handpiece is designed to be reused after sterilization in an autoclave.

Fiber optic probe

A medical laser delivery system is disclosed which includes a laser generating a high power, pulsed, treatment beam. The beam is coupled to an optical fiber which is placed adjacent to a tissue site immersed in a fluid medium. The wavelength of the laser light and the energy of the pulses is selected so that the fluid medium will be quickly vaporized creating a vapor bubble around the end of the fiber. The end surface of the fiber is angled in a manner such that after the vapor bubble is formed, the laser output will be totally internally reflected at the end surface and be redirected out of the side of the fiber.

Medical laser delivery system with internally reflecting probe and method

Atherectomy catheters are described having a cylindrical cutting head rotatably mounted at the distal end of a catheter body. The head has an axially elongated aperture and an open interior. A severing means is disposed adjacent the elongated aperture such that atheromatous material invaginated by the head is severed and diverted into the interior of the head. A preferred embodiment has the elongated aperture helically-disposed about the central axis of the cylindrical head and a cutting means formed integrally along the periphery of the aperture. Another preferred embodiment has the cylindrical head provided with a tapered distal end that extends distally from a housing for the head and incorporates an extension of the elongated aperture.

Atherectomy catheter having axially-disposed cutting edge

An atherectomy device for removing stenosis materials from a vascular vessel is provided. The atherectomy device includes a flexible tubular member, a flexible drive means disposed within the tubular member, and a cutting assembly carried by the distal extremity of the tubular member. The cutting assembly includes a collection chamber which receives a cutting bit carried by the drive means. The cutting bit is rotated to remove materials from the stenosis and cause the removed materials to be withdrawn into the collection chamber as the bit is advanced. A second embodiment of the atherectomy device includes an anchor member coaxially mounted within a tubular cutting blade at the distal end of the catheter. The anchor member is first advanced into a region of stenosis where it becomes embedded, and the tubular blade is subsequently advanced over the anchor member to sever the stenosis. The tubular blade and anchor member may be retracted within the catheter and thus used to withdraw the several material from the blood vessel.

Growing community of inventors

Sunnyvale, CA, United States of America

James R Kermode