Abstract: This invention is a surgical device. It is a guidewire for use in a catheter and is used for accessing a targeted site within a system of lumen within a patient's body. The guidewire may be of a high elasticity metal alloy, preferably a Ni-Ti alloy, having specified physical parameters, and is especially useful for accessing peripheral or soft tissue targets. The "necked" guidewire tip also forms a specific parameter of the invention.

Abstract: This invention is in the field of vasoocclusion devices. More particularly, it relates to a vasoocclusion coil which may be segmented, onto which a fibrous, woven or braided, tubular covering or element is attached.

Abstract: The catheter with atraumatic drug delivery tip can be sued to access remote tortuous blood vessels and to deliver defined doses of medication over a desired length of the accesses vessel. The guidewire of the catheter helps guiding the catheter to a desired location and can be used to control release of medication in axial as well as in radial direction inside the vessel. The catheter is designed with sections of different flexibility.

Abstract: This invention is an intraluminal stent or graft suited for the noninvasive treatment of aneurysms, diseased blood vessels, and other bodily lumen. The stent is made up of polymeric tubing which is helically and tightly wound to produce a column having an open lumen from one end to the other. At the stent's distal end, the tubing is sealed. At the stent's proximal end, the stent is adapted to allow the introduction of fluid suitable for inflating the stent at the chosen vascular site. The stent coils adhere to each other or to one or more sizing strips which may be straight or helical in configuration, or the stent may be constructed to use both methodologies.

Abstract: A catheter for use in combination with a guide wire for placement within a tortuous, small vessel and delivery of fluid at a target site is disclosed. The catheter comprises an elongate tubular body with a perforated flexible tip located at the distal end of the elongate tubular body.

Abstract: An artery, vein, aneurysm, vascular malformation or arterial fistula is occluded through endovascular occlusion by the endovascular insertion of a platinum wire and/or tip into the vascular cavity. The vascular cavity is packed with the tip to obstruct blood flow or access of blood in the cavity such that the blood clots in the cavity and an occlusion if formed. The tip may be elongate and flexible so that it packs the cavity by being folded upon itself a multiple number of times, or may pack the cavity by virtue of a filamentary or fuzzy structure of the tip. The tip is then separated from the wire mechanically or by electrolytic separation of the tip from the wire. The wire and the microcatheter are thereafter removed leaving the tip embedded in the thrombus formed within the vascular cavity. Movement of wire in the microcatheter is more easily tracked by providing a radioopaque proximal marker on the microcatheter and a corresponding indicator marker on the wire.

Abstract: This invention is a surgical instrument and specifically is a device for delivering an embolic coil to a selected site within a vessel in a human body via use of a catheter. In particular, the device involves an embolic coil having an enlarged member, such as a ball attached thereto which coil is released by forcing the enlarged member through an aperture in a socket situated on the distal end of a pusher assembly.

Abstract: An infusion catheter with an elongate tubular body having proximal and distal ends and a lumen extending between the ends through which a diagnostic, therapeutic, or vasoocclusive agent can be delivered is disclosed. The elongate tubular body is formed of a relatively stiff tapered proximal segment, a relatively flexible and strong distal segment, and a transition section that is less flexible than the distal segment but more flexible than the proximal segment. The infusion catheter is directed to the target site by means of the flow of blood to that site.

Abstract: This invention is a surgical instrument and specifically is a device for delivering embolic coils to a selected site within the vasculature of the human body via use of a catheter. Specifically, a pusher sheath within the catheter lumen pushes embolic coils mounted on a guidewire through the end of the catheter lumen. The catheter may have a constricted distal tip or other means of controlling the release of the embolic coils. Additionally (or alternatively), the guidewire may engage the embolic coils from their interior to allow precise placement of the coils.

Abstract: A catheter composed of an outer coaxial tube or relatively high flexibility and three tandemly disposed inner coaxial tube segments that vary in stiffness with the stiffest being located at the proximal end of the catheter and the least stiff ending proximal of the proximal end of the catheter. The catheter thus has four regions of different stiffness/flexibility.

Abstract: A pusher-vasoocclusive coil assembly that is advanced through a catheter to a site within a vessel and is manipulated to detach the coil from the assembly. The coil has an affixed, proximally-extending wire that carries a ball on its proximal end and the pusher has an affixed, distally-extending wire that carries a ball on its distal end. The pusher and coil are coupled by placing the wires and balls in an overlapping interlocked position and enclosing the coupled assembly with a coaxial sleeve. The coil-pusher-sleeve assembly is positioned at the site and the sleeve is retracted to allow the balls to move radially relative to one another to disengage and uncouple the pusher and coil.

Abstract: An extendable guidewire assembly comprising: a guidewire having a tapered proximal end; an extension wire having a tapered distal end; a first polymeric tubular sleeve that is fixedly attached about the tapered distal end of the extension wire such that the tapered distal end of the extension wire extends partly through the sleeve lumen, said lumen having a diameter that is smaller than the untapered diameter of the guidewire and wherein said lumen expands radially when the sleeve is under axial compression and contracts radially when the sleeve is under axial tension; and a second polymeric sleeve to guide the guidewire into the first polymeric sleeve.

Abstract: This invention is a surgical instrument and specifically is a device for delivering an embolic coil to a selected site within the vasculature of a human body via use of a catheter. In particular, the device uses embolic coils having interlocking clasps on the coils which are secured to each other by a control wire within the catheter. Retraction of the control wire into the catheter body uncouples the distal coil.

Abstract: A pusher-vasoocclusive coil assembly that is advanced through a catheter to a site within a vessel and is manipulated to detach the coil from the assembly. The pusher has a distal end that is initially threaded into the proximal end of the coil and the assembly includes a sleeve that is slid over the pusher and whose distal edge abuts the proximal end of the coil to hold the coil in place while the distal end of the pusher is threaded out of the coil to detach the coil at the site.

Abstract: The invention comprises a proximal end fitting for use within a guidewire assembly wherein the proximal end fitting comprises an elongated radially compressible tube. When in use, the tube is compressed against the O-ring seal in the fitting to better facilitate the seal between the O-ring and the guidewire and thereby better control blood reflux.

Abstract: A catheter guide wire comprising: a flexible, torqueable proximal wire section, a more flexible intermediate section with a flexible polymer tube covering, and a most flexible distal end section. A helical ribbon coil is wrapped about the intermediate core segment between the wire core and the polymer tube covering to increase radiopacity and improve torque transmission while retaining flexibility.

Abstract: An extendable guidewire assembly comprising: a guidewire having a tapered proximal end; an extension wire having a tapered distal end; and a polymeric tubular sleeve that is fixedly attached about the tapered distal end of the extension wire such that the tapered distal end of the extension wire extends partly through the sleeve lumen, said lumen having a diameter that is smaller than the untapered diameter of the guidewire and wherein said lumen expands radially when the sleeve is under axial compression and contracts radially when the sleeve is under axial tension.

Abstract: A catheter and catheter device for accessing a target site along a tortuous, small-vessel pathway. The catheter includes a flexible distal segment which is composed of a flexible outer tube and a low-friction surface structure embedded in the polymer tube and forming hard, disjoint surface regions. The surface structure allows the catheter to be advanced over sharp bends and small-diameter loops in a guide wire, in advancing the catheter along a small-vessel pathway.