Boston Scientific Scimed, Inc.

Scimed Life Systems, Inc.

Yiqun Wang

Lixiao Wang

Daniel James Horn

John Jianhua Chen

Victor Leo Schoenle

Albert C C Chin

Dachuan Yang

Ronald A Sahatjian

Martin R Willard

Jason Todd Lenz

Joel R Munsinger

Robert Burgmeier

Lance A Monroe

Ismail Guler

Robert J Bianchi

David W Lodin

Mary Parisi

Timothy L Rubesch

Medical device components and processes are disclosed. For example, tube-shaped catheter components and processes of making tube-shaped catheter components are disclosed. Devices and systems, including medical devices and systems, such as catheters, containing tube-shaped catheter components are also disclosed.

Medical device components and processes

A medical device such as a tube or a balloon including wall structure with multiple layers. The wall structure can distribute stress, resulting in reduced defect propagation and failure.

Multilayer medical device

Medical device components, such as tube-shaped catheter components, are disclosed. In some embodiments, a medical device component includes a region that includes a polyamide having a hoop stress ratio of at least about 1.25.

Medical device components

Medical device components, such as tube-shaped catheter components, are disclosed. In some embodiments, a medical device component includes a region that includes a polyamide having a post buckle fracture tensile strength of at least about 6500 psi.

Sheath materials and processes are disclosed. For example, hypotube sheaths and processes of making hypotube sheaths are disclosed. Devices and systems, including medical devices and systems, such as catheters, containing hypotube sheaths are also disclosed.

Sheath materials and processes

An inflatable medical balloon for multiple procedures, including angioplasty procedures, procedures for delivering medical devices, such as stents, and a method of making the catheter systems. The catheter system employs a balloon having a plurality of flexible portions and a combination of hard and soft portions.

Conformable balloons

An inflatable medical balloon comprises a polymer matrix material and a plurality of fibers distributed in the matrix material. The plurality of fibers operatively adhere to the matrix material and provide reinforcement thereof. The fibers may be parallel or angularly oriented relative to the longitudinal balloon axis, and may be helically disposed thereabout. The fibers may be composed of material which has a greater tensile strength than the matrix material. The fibers may be microfibers formed by phase separation of a melt blend material during extrusion or polymer cores coextruded with the matrix material and surrounded thereby. The balloon may be formed of alternating layers of fiber-free polymer and layers of fiber-containing polymer.

Dimensionally stable balloons

A medical balloon composed of a micro-composite material which provides for radial expansion of a balloon to a predetermined extent, but which has minimal longitudinal growing during balloon inflation. The micro-composite material includes a fibril component, a matrix component, and optionally, a compatibilizer. The fibril component may preferably be liquid crystal polymer fibers randomly scattered through out the balloon material. The liquid crystal polymers are created by extrusion at high speed. An alternative fibril component may be a PET fibers which are uniformly spaced about the balloon material and extend through out the length of the balloon material tube.

A catheter shaft is disclosed utilizing perfluoroalkoxy polytetrafluoroethylene (PFA) as a lubricious inner lumen for which to aid the advancement of additional medical devices. PFA possesses adequate lubricity while requiring no special fabricating techniques. Thus, PFA may be processed by conventional melt-extrusion techniques, as well as by injection, compression, rotational transfer, and blow molding processes; optimizing the manufacturability of the lubricious inner lumen. Additionally, the catheter shaft includes portions of the outer tubular member modified through an ablation process. The ablation process selectively removes extruded polymeric material around and between the contours of a braided support layer. In one illustrative embodiment, a portion of the outer layer of the catheter is removed by laser ablation and then refilled by polymeric inserts having various flexibility characteristics.

Guide catheter with lubricious inner liner

A catheter shaft in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention comprises a support member including a distal end, a proximal end, and a plurality of elongate flanges extending therebetween. Each elongate flange has a fixed end and a free end. The fixed end of each flange being fixed to a central portion of the elongate support member. In a preferred embodiment, a sheath is disposed about the support member of the catheter shaft.

Catheter shaft

The present invention relates to a medical device comprising at least one tubular member having an inner surface and an outer surface. The inner surface of the tubular member is at least occasionally subjected to contact with at least one second surface. The tubular member therefore comprises a hydrophilic lubricious coating disposed on its inner surface to reduce the friction between the inner surface of the tubular member and the second surface which is caused by movement.

Hydrophilic lubricant coatings for medical devices

The present invention relates to a method of preparing a coated hollow polymeric tubular member useful in medical devices. The method involves a simple, unique method of simultaneously extruding and coating the polymeric tube.

Growing community of inventors

Tokyo, Japan

Yiqun Wang