Abstract: Disclosed herein are devices and methods for providing embolic protection in a patient's vascular system. In particular, the devices detailed herein are supported by a flexible scaffold that is coupled to a filter. When deployed into the peripheral or coronary vasculature of a patient, the embolic protection devices of the present disclosure collect and remove embolic debris as a prophylactic measure to lessen the risk of embolic associated complications.

Abstract: An ablation catheter Has a spring assembly residing between an ablation head and a proximal catheter body. Three optical fibers extend through a lumen in the catheter body. Three mirrors supported by the ablation head face proximally but are spaced distally from the optical fibers. The mirrors are provided with a pattern of reflectance that varies along a radius from a central area of reflectance. Light of a respective defined power shines from each of the optical fibers to a corresponding one of the mirrors with a reflected percentage of the respective defined light power being reflected back to the optical fiber. A percentage of the reflected percentage of the respective defined light power is captured by and travels along each optical fiber to a dedicated light wave detector connected to a controller.

Abstract: A guidewire including an optical fiber containing three fiber cores, each supporting a strain-sensing fiber Bragg grating (FBG) is described. The three FBGs are susceptible to changes in strain so that axial and lateral force vectors imparted to the FBGs can be ascertained. An optical connector detachably connects the guidewire optic fiber to a proximal optical fiber. The proximal optical fiber in turn is connected to a controller, which in addition to ascertaining the axial and lateral force vectors imparted to each of the FBGs, is programmed to calculate the spatial orientation of the guidewire as it is advanced through the vasculature. This capability is extremely useful for positioning the guidewire at a body site of interest prior to performing a medical procedure. A temperature-sensing FBG is used to compensate for changes in the ambient temperature.

Abstract: In various examples, a medical device is configured to be at least partially insertable within a patient. The medical device includes a first elongate member including a sidewall surrounding and defining a lumen extending through the first elongate member between a first proximal end and a first distal end. A second elongate member is sized and shaped to fit within the lumen of the first elongate member. A coil is disposed within the sidewall of the first elongate member, wherein the coil is configured to sense a position of the second elongate member with respect to the coil. In some examples, the first elongate member includes a catheter, and the second elongate member includes a guidewire.

Abstract: In various examples, an apparatus facilitates attachment of an extension wire to a guidewire. The apparatus includes a body portion including a lumen sized to accommodate a distal end of the extension wire therein. A cutout is defined within a portion of a sidewall of the body portion, the cutout allowing access to the lumen. A funnel portion is disposed within a distal end of the body portion and includes an opening in the distal end of the body portion. The funnel portion includes a tapered wall converging from the opening to the lumen, wherein, with the distal end of the extension wire disposed within the lumen, the funnel portion facilitates alignment and attachment of a proximal end of the guidewire with the distal end of the extension wire. In other examples, a system or a method facilitates attachment of an extension wire to a guidewire.

Abstract: A guidewire system comprises a guidewire supporting a distal ferrule in the proximal end of a guidewire lumen. The distal ferrule has a ferrule opening that is sized to snuggly receive the proximal end of a distal optical fiber with a distal portion of the distal optical fiber extending into the guidewire lumen. However, the proximal end of the distal optical fiber only occupies a distal portion of the opening in the distal ferrule, leaving a proximal portion of that opening unoccupied. That way, the distal end of a proximal optical fiber can be received into the unoccupied proximal portion of the opening in the distal ferrule to optically connect to the distal optical fiber. Having the proximal and distal optical fibers coaxially aligned in a common opening in a ferrule received in a guidewire ensures that the optical fibers are optically connected to each other in a precise manner so that light can be transmitted along them with minimal losses.

Abstract: A coating composition containing added diol functionality to a urethane, a urea, or polyurethane urea functional resin where an adipic acid dihydrazide chain extender, or free adipic acid dihydrazide active hydrogens react with the oxirane group found in glycidol is described. The combination of diisocyanate, a polyether segment, optionally at least one polyester diol segment, optionally at least one poly(tetrahydrofuran) diol segment, optionally and at least one dimethylol propionic acid diol segment, at least one dihydrazide segment and glycidol compound introduces an increased hydrophilic structure, by diol addition, in compositions that are usable as coatings, on for example, medical devices.

Abstract: An ablation catheter for treating cardiac arrhythmias by ablating near pulmonary venous tissue is described. The ablation catheter includes a system of optical fibers containing respective fiber Bragg gratings (FBG) that are susceptible to changes in strain to thereby indicate to the physician the amount of force that the ablation head is exerting on the myocardial tissue during the ablation procedure. Optionally, the FBGs are used to indicate the exact orientation of the catheter and its ablation head inside the vasculature.

Abstract: A system and method are presented for detecting and measuring pressure within a region of a body lumen or vessel. The pressure sensing system includes a light source for transmitting light through a pathway containing polarization-maintaining fiber optic wires. A distal portion of the polarization-maintaining fiber optic wire, which is engaged to and extends along a guidewire, includes pressure sensing station(s) made up of fiber Bragg gratings (FBG). The light transmitted to and reflected from the FBGs on the two polarization modes of the polarization-maintaining fiber optic wire can be analyzed to provide one or more pressure values.

Abstract: In various examples, an apparatus includes a first hypotube formed from a first material and a second hypotube formed from a second material different from the first material. A first joint is formed between the first hypotube and the second hypotube, the first joint including a combination of the first material and the second material. The apparatus includes a sidewall and a passageway extending through the apparatus. The sidewall is formed by the first sidewall of the first hypotube, the second sidewall of the second hypotube, and the first joint. The apparatus includes an outer diameter that is substantially consistent along a length of the apparatus and an inner diameter that is substantially consistent along a length of the apparatus. In other examples, a method of joining the first hypotube to the second hypotube is contemplated.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are devices and methods for providing embolic protection in a patient's vascular system. In particular, the devices detailed herein are supported by a flexible scaffold that is coupled to a filter. When deployed into the peripheral or coronary vasculature of a patient, the embolic protection devices of the present disclosure collect and remove embolic debris as a prophylactic measure to lessen the risk of embolic associated complications.

Abstract: Methods and systems for braiding sutures and the resulting constructs are disclosed. The sutures can have alternating bifurcated and non-bifurcated lengths. The sutures can have looped-ends, with both ends of the loop having contiguous braiding with the adjacent body or remainder of the suture. Braiding machines can have one or more bifurcating bars that can controllably obstruct or allow passage of the shuttle and carriers of the braiding machine. The controllable bifurcating bars can result in u-turns in the shuttle and carrier paths, such as a path encircling a horngear adjacent to the bifurcating bar, or passage of the shuttle and carrier across the bifurcating bar.

Abstract: A guidewire having a fiber optic force sensor with a mirror having encoded reflectance is described. The guidewire has a distal housing supported by a core wire. A distal hypotube connected to the distal housing supports a spring intermediate hypotube proximal and distal portions. An atraumatic head is connected to the distal hypotube portion. An optical fiber having at least one fiber core extends through lumens in the core wire and housing to a distal end of the housing. A mirror supported by the atraumatic head faces proximally but is spaced distally from the fiber core at a distal face of the optical fiber. The mirror is provided with a pattern of reflectance that varies along a radius from a central area of reflectance. Light of a defined power shines from the fiber core to the mirror with a reflected percentage of the defined light power being reflected back to the fiber core.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of delivering drugs having e.g., anti-proliferative activity in the vascular, preferably, the cardiovascular, system locally or systematically using an at least partially drug-coated guidewire. The drug-coated guidewire, particularly an expansion member or portion thereof, is brought into contact with the target tissue or in circulation and the drugs are quickly released into the area surrounding the device in a short time after the contact step. Once the therapeutic drugs are released, they are quickly and effectively absorbed by the surrounding cells or circulation.

Abstract: A coating composition containing added diol functionality to a urethane, a urea, or polyurethane urea functional resin where an adipic acid dihydrazide chain extender, or free adipic acid dihydrazide active hydrogens react with the oxirane group found in glycidol is described. The combination of diisocyanate, a polyether segment, optionally at least one polyester diol segment, optionally at least one poly(tetrahydrofuran) diol segment, optionally and at least one dimethylol propionic acid diol segment, at least one dihydrazide segment and glycidol compound introduces an increased hydrophilic structure, by diol addition, in compositions that are usable as coatings, on for example, medical devices.

Abstract: A guidewire that is specifically designed for performing an intracardiac transseptal puncture procedure is described. A piercing head for the guidewire has a conically-shaped section that tapers to a cutting section comprised of three tapered facets extending to a pointed tip. The three facets form three cutting edges that each provide for smooth cutting of body tissue, for example, cutting of the septum wall. The cut tissue does not tend to close or relax as readily as if the tissue had been punctured with a conically-shaped piercing tip, for example, one that has a structure similar to a pencil tip, This helps with subsequently moving a catheter and similar medical device through the pierced body tissue. Consequently, the faceted piercing head leaves an opening having a diameter that is substantially similar to the maximum outer diameter of piercing head.

Abstract: The present invention relates to apparatus and methods for cardiac ablation and to sensor structures useful in such apparatus and methods.

Abstract: A guide wire (1) for use with a catheter comprises a core wire (3) terminating in a distal portion (18) of flat ribbon-like construction having respective opposite major surfaces (29,30). A spring (24) is brazed to a distal end (27) of the distal portion (18) and to the core wire (3) at a tapering portion (14). A reinforcing member (38) extends axially along the distal portion (18) from a proximal end (26) of the distal portion (18) to a location (40) for reinforcing the distal portion (18) for in turn increasing its torsional rigidity in order to minimize axial twisting of the distal portion (18).

Abstract: The present invention relates to a device and a method for capturing a guidewire being progressed along the lumen of a bodily duct and to direct it into a catheter. In one aspect a catheter-based eccentric cone capture structure is used to engage and direct a guidewire oppositely approaching the capture structure.

Abstract: This invention relates to hydrophilic polymer compositions and a preferred application therefore, viz., hydrophilic medical device coatings. The hyaluronic acid hyaluronon by itself or modified as described herein advantageously reacts with compositions disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,776,956 to produce hydrophilic compositions and coatings particularly useable with medical devices.