Advanced Cardiovascular Systems, Inc.

Abbott Cardiovascular Systems, Inc.

Timothy Owens

Florencia Lim

Edwin Wang

Fozan El-Nounou

Gregory M Hyde

Srinivasan Sridharan

Chi Le Long

James M Cannon, Jr

A balloon for a catheter and a method of making the balloon, having a layer of a porous polymeric material with a modified outer surface and a lubricious coating bonded to the modified outer surface. In one embodiment, the modified outer surface is formed by a polymer impregnated in the porous polymeric material, and the subsequently applied lubricious coating bonds to the impregnating polymer. In another embodiment, the modified outer surface is formed by a functionality deposited on the porous polymeric material which bonds to the subsequently applied lubricious coating. The modified outer surface provides an improved strong bond between the lubricious coating and the balloon, for improved catheter performance.

Catheter balloon having a lubricious coating

A device is presented including a medical device adapted to be inserted in an anatomy. The medical device has many target markers. A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system will not detect or will disregard the medical device as noise without information obtained on the plurality of target markers prior to insertion of the medical device into the anatomy. Also presented a method including inserting a medical device into an anatomy. The medical device has many target markers. Scanning a magnetic resonance image (MRI) of the anatomy. Processing the scanned image by a MRI processor connected to a memory. Determining a location and orientation of the medical device in relation to the anatomy based on the target markers. And displaying a precise image of the medical device within the anatomy. The medical device is not detectable or disregardable as noise for MRI systems.

Method and apparatus for computer modified magnetic resonance imaging

A method of making a catheter balloon or other expandable tubular medical device or component thereof, in which an assembly of heat shrink material on an outer surface of coaxially disposed first and second tubes is heated to radially shrink the heat shrink material and reduce the outer diameter of the first tube. In a presently preferred embodiment, the heat shrink material extends at least along a central section of the first tube to reduce the outer diameter of the first tube at least along the central section of the first tube. The first and second tubes form the outer and inner layers, respectively, of a multilayered balloon, which has an improved low profile outer diameter.

Method of making a low profile balloon

A catheter balloon or other expandable tubular medical device or component, having at least a first layer with a first section and a second section longitudinally compacted by more than the first section. In a presently preferred embodiment, the second section of the first layer extends at least in part along a central portion of the length of the first layer. The longitudinal compaction of the material of the first layer preferably results in a balloon or other expandable tubular medical device or component having improved performance characteristics such as compliance and dimensional stability. One aspect of the invention is directed to a method of longitudinally compacting a porous polymeric tube incrementally along the length of the tube, to compact sections of the tube.

Compacted catheter balloon and method of incremental compaction

A method of making a catheter having a catheter shaft, the method including axially deflecting at least a section of the catheter shaft. The shaft section is axially deflected in a first radial direction on the shaft circumference one or more times. In a presently preferred embodiment, the method further includes axially deflecting the shaft section in at least a second radial direction on the shaft one or more times. The axial deflection produces stress in at least a section of the polymeric tubular member which reduces the push force of the shaft and catheter. The invention is also directed to a catheter shaft formed using the method of the invention, the catheter shaft generally comprising a polymeric tubular member. The polymeric tubular member has a section with deflection-induced stress from axial deflection of the section, so that the shaft has a push force reduced by the axial deflection-induced stress. In one embodiment, the section of the shaft having axial deflection-induced stress is adjacent to proximal and distal shaft sections which do not have the axial deflection-induced stress. The method of the invention produces a catheter having improved catheter push and trackability due to the reduced push force of the catheter shaft, which reduces bending resistance of the catheter without adversely reducing the pushability of the catheter.

Catheter shaft and method of making a catheter shaft

An apparatus for secure stent delivery where the stent is delivered by a catheter system including a foldable delivery balloon. The apparatus, embodied in a stent with tethering clips, enables the stent and delivery balloon to be mechanically interlocked during delivery of the stent. The tethering clips are coupled to a strut included in the stent and the clips are positionable in a releasable gripping relationship with a fold in the balloon. When the balloon is inflated, the tethering clips are pushed outward and the stent and balloon are no longer interlocked, allowing the stent to be expandable radially by the inflating balloon.

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Dublin, CA, United States of America

Timothy Owens