Abstract: A guide wire for a medical instrument, such as an endoscope, has a marking pattern, which extends at least across part of the axial length of the guide wire and includes markings of different marking types that can be sensed. On the guide wire, markings of first and second marking types are formed by marking surfaces, of which the marking surfaces of at least the first marking type each extend across only part of the circumferential surface of the guide wire and across only part of the axial length of the marking pattern, and in the axial direction of the guide wire follow each other at a distance by at least one interposed marking surface of the second marking type. At least one longitudinal marking strip is formed as a marking of a third marking type, which extends continuously across the axial length of the marking pattern.

Abstract: A multi-wire instrument has a distal functional section, in which a plurality of individual wires form a wire basket, wherein they are combined at a distal end and connected to one another by being joined directly to one another or to a distal terminating body while forming a respective predetermined breaking connection. A shaft section extends between the distal functional section and a proximal end region of the multi-wire instrument. The individual wires extend in one piece from their distal end to the proximal end region of the multi-wire instrument and the shaft section is formed by the individual wires, which are combined there and held together.

Abstract: A guide wire includes a core which extends from a proximal to a distal end of the guide wire. The core is designed as a single part or from multiple longitudinal sections adjoining one another, and includes a distal cladding which surrounds the core in a distal section and is made from a polyurethane material or another soft-flexible plastic material. The core, in a section adjoining the distal section which is surrounded by the soft-flexible distal cladding, is unclad or is surrounded by a connection cladding which is stiffer than the distal cladding and is in the form of a helical spring or in the form of a tube, made of polytetrafluoroethylene or another plastic material with a similar stiffness, which contacts and surrounds the core, with the tube having an enlargement at its distal end, by which it surrounds a diameter-reduced proximal end region of the distal cladding and terminates, substantially flush in terms of the external diameter, on an annular shoulder of the distal cladding.

Abstract: A guide wire unit includes a section which can be stiffened in a manner controlled by a pressure medium. The section has a pressure channel for the controlled production of a stiffening pressure by introducing a pressure medium, and flexible stiffening elements that are forced one against the other in a manner increasing the stiffening effect when subjected to a pressure load by the effect of the stiffening pressure. The flexible stiffening elements have an inner stiffening tube part and a radially less flexible outer stiffening tube part surrounding the same. Under the effect of the stiffening pressure, the inner stiffening tube part is forced against the interior of the outer stiffening tube part, thereby increasing the stiffening effect. A distal end section can be mounted distally and/or a stiff section can be mounted proximally in front of the controlled stiffness section. A center guide wire core may extend in the controlled stiffness section.

Abstract: A pressure connection device for a guidewire unit that is operated with a pressure medium is provided. A return valve is mounted in the interior of a distal tube section of a pressure medium tube of the guidewire unit, the return valve opening for introducing the pressure medium into the pressure medium tube and closing in order to prevent the pressure medium from escaping from the pressure medium tube, and/or a connecting body accommodates the distal tube section of the pressure medium tube and has a pressure medium-controlled tube holding element which secures the distal tube section to the connecting body in a fluid-tight manner when impinged upon with pressure and, in a pressure-relieved state, releases it so it can be detached from the connecting body.

Abstract: A multiwire unit having a plurality of wire sections which are formed in one piece from a tubular piece whose tubular jacket is subdivided in at least an axial subsection by a plurality of axial slots. The wire pieces remain interlinked at a front end section at a distance to a front tube face, and assume a bent functional state downstream of the wire linking area in a defined functional state of the multiwire unit. The front wire linking area, in the functional state of the multiwire unit, is shaped to an essentially tipless front end closure. For this purpose, the axial slots end at an appropriate small axial distance to the front tube face. The multiwire unit may be formed as, for example, a wire basket unit or a wire filter unit for medical instruments.

Abstract: The invention relates to a guide wire for a medical instrument, which has a guide wire core (2) and a sheathing (3) that surrounds the guide wire core at least in sections. According to the invention, the sheathing (3), at least in a shaft section (5) joined to an end section (4), is provided with a rigidity greater than that of the guide wire core. The invention is for use, e.g. in medical instruments for magnetic resonance tomography (MRT) suitable applications.

Abstract: A stone catching instrument for use, for example, as a stone catching basket and a wire filter unit for medical instruments, and method for producing the same, are provided. The stone catching basket instrument has a multiwire basket unit with several wire sections connected with one another as a cohesive wire complex, the wire complex cut in one piece out of a planar material in a rosette-shape and bent to form the wire basket unit. The wire sections extend essentially radially and are cohesive with one another at their inner radial ends at a wire linkage area. The wire basket unit when in a widened condition is arranged to catch particles caught through spaces between the wire sections, and when moved to a drawn-together condition, holds particles in the wire basket unit.

Abstract: A member of a rigid flexible elastic material, the member including a body portion and an aperture portion with the member adapted for delivery through an axial longitudinal channel of a percutaneous delivery subsystem, the aperture portion including an expanded mode having a lateral dimension greater than an inner diameter of the channel when the aperture portion extends outside the channel and a collapsed mode wherein the lateral dimension is not greater than the inner diameter of the channel when the aperture portion is within the channel, the channel including a first axial opening and a second axial opening with the aperture portion transitioning from the expanded mode to the collapsed mode when inserted into the openings and the aperture transitioning from the collapsed mode to the expanded mode when exiting from the openings.

Abstract: A support catheter that can puncture a heart septum with a guidewire without buckling and that can access difficult to reach arteries such as carotid or renal arteries from the aorta under difficult circumstances is provided. The support catheter comprises a catheter body having a proximal end, a distal end, and an interior wall surface defining a first lumen extending from the proximal end toward the distal end. A second lumen is disposed between the interior wall surface and an outer surface of the catheter body. A plurality of stiffening members is disposed around the second lumen, the plurality of stiffening members being engageable to selectively stiffen the catheter body. In another configuration, the catheter further comprises a second plurality of stiffening members disposed between the first lumen and the second lumen.

Abstract: In an endoscope tube system, an elastically bendable section is constructed of individual members spaced with respect to one another. A stabilizing spring band and a tension spring band are provided. The spring bands extend in a mutually opposite manner axially along the circumferential area of the individual members and at least one of the bands have a natural curvature which is opposite to the bending direction of the bendable section. The individual members are fixed on the stabilizing spring band, while the tension spring band is only connected with the most forward individual member. This construction of the bendable section requires no tension cables and is therefore operationally reliable, easy to take apart, and easy to clean.