Abstract: A method for coaxially connecting a first plastic tube (10, 110) to a second plastic tube (20, 120), said plastic tubes (10, 20) in particular being provided as part of a medical catheter (102), the two plastic tubes (10, 20) being connected by way of a tubular connecting piece (50), characterized in that the first plastic tube (10) and/or the second plastic tube (20) are integrally molded from the outside onto the tubular connecting piece (50) using a forming process such that an adhesive and/or positive connection is produced.

Abstract: A method and endovascular system, such as a balloon catheter, for detecting the absence of neointimal coverage of bare or drug-eluting metal stents, featuring two (bipolar systems) or more electrodes (multipolar systems). The distal part of the device has an expandable platform, such as an inflatable balloon, for providing transient mechanical contact of the electrodes to the stented vessel segment. The electrodes on the expandable platform have a circumferential-symmetric array, i.e., arrangement in identical circular sectors. For example, the electrodes are arranged in semicircles, i.e., at 90 and 180 degrees, when using a bipolar catheter system, or they are arranged in quarter-sections, i.e., at 90, 180, 270, and 360 degrees, when using a quadrupolar catheter system. The electrodes of the endovascular device connect with a direct current (DC) or alternating current (AC) measurement unit.