Abstract: A balloon catheter including a shaft and an inflatable balloon attached to the shaft, the catheter includes an open sleeve having a proximal end sealingly attached to the catheter shaft and an open distal end. The sleeve surrounds at least part of the balloon. The sleeve and the balloon are arranged such that inflating the balloon expands the sleeve into an expanded state and deflating the balloon when the sleeve is in the expanded state forms an open cavity between the sleeve and the deflated balloon and creates suction to capture and retain debris within the cavity.

Abstract: A rapid exchange balloon catheter including: an outer conduit having a lumen and a wall surrounding the lumen, the wall including a lateral opening formed therein; an inner conduit having a proximal end and a distal end; a sealing sleeve for sealing the lateral opening of the outer conduit; a balloon whose proximal margin is attached to the outer surface of the distal end of the outer conduit, and whose distal margin is attached to the outer surface of the portion of the inner conduit that extends beyond the distal end of the outer conduit; a pushing-pulling mechanism disposed in the outer conduit; and a fluid port for the introduction of an expansion fluid and for the removal of the expansion fluid.

Abstract: A catheter system having an intussuscepting balloon and a handle for a catheter system. The handle includes a fluidic system for preventing overpressure conditions during balloon intussuscepting and includes a locking mechanism disposed outside of the fluidic system for preventing unintended or accidental movements of a plunger assembly included in the fluidic system. The system includes standard sized components and non-standard sized components. During handle assembly, specific sizes of non-standard sized components are selected to match the length and/or the diameter of a specific selected balloon and are assembled with the standard sized components to form the catheter system.

Abstract: A balloon catheter includes an outer conduit having an outer surface, and an inner conduit having an outer surface. The inner conduit is suitable for passage over a guide wire, and the inner conduit is movably disposed within the lumen of the outer conduit. There is also a balloon having a proximal margin and a distal margin, such that the proximal margin of the balloon is attached to the outer surface of the distal tip of the outer conduit and the distal margin of the balloon is attached to the outer surface of the portion of the inner conduit that extends beyond the distal tip of the outer conduit. And there is a fluid port for introducing an expansion fluid into the annular space formed between the inner surface of the outer conduit and the outer surface of the inner conduit and into the lumen of the balloon, and for the removal of the expansion fluid.

Abstract: A balloon catheter includes an outer conduit having an outer surface, and an inner conduit having an outer surface. The inner conduit is suitable for passage over a guide wire, and the inner conduit is movably disposed within the lumen of the outer conduit. There is also a balloon having a proximal margin and a distal margin, such that the proximal margin of the balloon is attached to the outer surface of the distal tip of the outer conduit and the distal margin of the balloon is attached to the outer surface of the portion of the inner conduit that extends beyond the distal tip of the outer conduit. And there is a fluid port for introducing an expansion fluid into the annular space formed between the inner surface of the outer conduit and the outer surface of the inner conduit and into the lumen of the balloon, and for the removal of the expansion fluid.

Abstract: A balloon catheter includes an outer conduit having an outer surface, and an inner conduit having an outer surface. The inner conduit is suitable for passage over a guide wire, and the inner conduit is movably disposed within the lumen of the outer conduit. There is also a balloon having a proximal margin and a distal margin, such that the proximal margin of the balloon is attached to the outer surface of the distal tip of the outer conduit and the distal margin of the balloon is attached to the outer surface of the portion of the inner conduit that extends beyond the distal tip of the outer conduit. And there is a fluid port for introducing an expansion fluid into the annular space formed between the inner surface of the outer conduit and the outer surface of the inner conduit and into the lumen of the balloon, and for the removal of the expansion fluid.

Abstract: The present invention is primarily directed to a rapid exchange catheter that permits axial movement of an inner conduit within an outer conduit comprising: • an outer conduit; • an inner conduit, suitable for total or partial passage over a guide wire, wherein said inner conduit is movably disposed within the lumen of said outer conduit, wherein the proximal end of said inner conduit is angled such that it pierces the wall of said outer conduit; • means for permitting axial movement of said inner conduit within said outer conduit, such that said movement is not hindered by the passage of the angled proximal part of the inner conduit through said outer conduit; and • means, situated at the proximal end of the outer conduit, for causing axial pushing-pulling movements of said inner conduit.

Abstract: A catheter system suitable for the retrieval of debris and other solid or liquid matter from body passages, and the removal of said matter from the body. More particularly, a catheter system including two or more concentrically-arranged conduits and an inflatable element connected therebetween, wherein the inflatable element is arranged such that it may entrap solid or liquid matter in an internal annular cavity.

Abstract: A system comprising a catheter having an expandable element, which when expanded, has an annular shape surrounding a passageway. The expandable element in the expanded state is rollable along at least a portion of the shaft of the catheter without slipping. The system may be used for delivering an object to a site in the body, retrieving an object from a body, removing debris and/or other particulate matter from a blood vessel, and distending and/or expanding a pathologically-involved region of a blood vessel wall.

Abstract: A catheter system suitable for the retrieval of debris and other solid or liquid matter from body passages, and the removal of said matter from the body. More particularly, a catheter system including two or more concentrically-arranged conduits and an inflatable element connected therebetween, wherein the inflatable element is arranged such that it may entrap solid or liquid matter in an internal annular cavity.