Abstract: An atherectomy catheter includes an outer tube; an inner tube which is inserted into the outer tube rotatably about an axis thereof and axially movably; a removing member fixed to a distal portion of the inner tube and accommodated in the outer tube to drill and remove an occlusive material which stenoses or occludes a lumen of a blood vessel; and a guide member mounted on the inner tube in penetration therethrough so that the guide member functions as the axis of the inner tube when the inner tube rotates. The removing member has a developed state in which a distal end of the removing member unfolds when the removing member is projected from a distal portion of the outer tube and radially expands owing to an elastic restoring force thereof, and the removing member can drill said occlusive material in the developed state by rotating about the guide member functioning as an axis of said removing member and moving the removing member toward a distal end of the atherectomy catheter.

Abstract: A method of forming a balloon to be attached to a medical catheter involves drawing a cylindrical balloon base in its circumferential direction and/or its lengthwise direction, while the inside and/or outside of the balloon base is in contact with a fluid in a supercritical state for the balloon base to be modified.

Abstract: A stent includes annular units arranged in the axial direction of the stent, wherein each of the annular units includes a plurality of annular elements so arranged as to surround the stent axis, the adjacent annular elements being joined to each other through a joint, and the adjacent annular units are interconnected at their joints by at least one link. The annular elements in each annular unit are so arranged that one of the adjacent pair of annular elements is located on the proximal end side in the axial direction of the stent relative to the other of the adjacent pair of annular elements, end portions of each annular unit are projected zigzag, and the zigzag projected end portion of one annular unit is in the state of penetrating into the adjacent annular unit. The joints in each annular unit are substantially parallel to the stent axis.

Abstract: A catheter assembly comprises an elongated tubular outer catheter opening at its distal end, an elongated tubular intermediate catheter opening at its distal end and positioned in the outer catheter, an elongated inner catheter positioned in the intermediate catheter, and a head section provided at a distal part of the inner catheter. A deformable section serving as a stirring mechanism is provided to stir an atheroma. In use of the catheter assembly, at the time of capturing an atheroma, the deformable section is operated to stir the atheroma, and thereafter the head section slides inside the outer catheter so that the atheroma stirred by the deformable section is sucked in through the distal end of the outer catheter.

Abstract: An atherectomy catheter includes an outer tube; an inner tube which is inserted into the outer tube rotatably about an axis thereof and axially movably; a removing member fixed to a distal portion of the inner tube and accommodated in the outer tube to drill and remove an occlusive material which stenoses or occludes a lumen of a blood vessel; and a guide member mounted on the inner tube in penetration therethrough so that the guide member functions as the axis of the inner tube when the inner tube rotates. The removing member has a developed state in which a distal end of the removing member unfolds when the removing member is projected from a distal portion of the outer tube and radially expands owing to an elastic restoring force thereof, and the removing member can drill said occlusive material in the developed state by rotating about the guide member functioning as an axis of said removing member and moving the removing member toward a distal end of the atherectomy catheter.

Abstract: A catheter includes a tubular catheter base having a single layer or a multiple-layer laminated base, wherein an innermost portion is made of ultrahigh molecular weight polyolefin. The layer of ultrahigh molecular weight polyolefin has a drawn region which has been drawn in the presence of a supercritical fluid in at least a longitudinal portion, and the catheter base possesses a densified region at the inner circumferential surface in at least the drawn region.

Abstract: A method of forming a balloon to be attached to a medical catheter involves drawing a cylindrical balloon base in its circumferential direction and/or its lengthwise direction, while the inside and/or outside of the balloon base is in contact with a fluid in a supercritical state for the balloon base to be modified.

Abstract: A stent includes annular units arranged in the axial direction of the stent, wherein each of the annular units includes a plurality of annular elements so arranged as to surround the stent axis, the adjacent annular elements being joined to each other through a joint, and the adjacent annular units are interconnected at their joints by at least one link. The annular elements in each annular unit are so arranged that one of the adjacent pair of annular elements is located on the proximal end side in the axial direction of the stent relative to the other of the adjacent pair of annular elements, end portions of each annular unit are projected zigzag, and the zigzag projected end portion of one annular unit is in the state of penetrating into the adjacent annular unit. The joints in each annular unit are substantially parallel to the stent axis.