Abstract: An intravascular foreign matter removing wire has a flexible long wire body, a first catching section located on the tip side of the wire body and operative to catch a foreign matter present inside a blood vessel, and a second catching section located in the vicinity of and on the base end side of the first catching section and operative to catch a foreign matter present inside a blood vessel.

Abstract: The laser induced liquid jet generating apparatus irradiates a laser beam on a liquid in a main body, guides the generated liquid jet into a catheter via a nozzle, and generates a flow in the direction opposite the liquid jet. Even by the use of a catheter having a small outside diameter, therefore, the apparatus is enabled to effect powerful laser irradiation without being thermally affected by the laser beam and consequently shatter thrombus, for example, and recover by aspiration the shattered thrombus through the distal end of the catheter.

Abstract: An intravascular foreign matter removing wire has a flexible long wire body, a first catching section located on the tip side of the wire body and operative to catch a foreign matter present inside a blood vessel, and a second catching section located in the vicinity of and on the base end side of the first catching section and operative to catch a foreign matter present inside a blood vessel.

Abstract: A wire for removing an intravascular foreign body according to the present invention is a wire for removing an intravascular foreign body, including: a long or elongated wire body with flexibility; and a capturing portion including a foreign body capturing space which captures a foreign body in a blood vessel therein, the capturing portion being provided on a distal end of the wire body, in which the capturing portion includes: at least two branch wires branching from the distal end of the wire body; and a plurality of filaments bridged between the two branch wires, and at least one of the filaments includes a plurality of curved projections bent in a direction deviated from an extension line of a central axis of a proximal end of the filament. In accordance with the wire for removing an intravascular foreign body according to the present invention, the foreign body in the blood vessel can be surely captured and removed.

Abstract: A wire to remove an intravascular foreign body includes a flexible long wire body, a foreign body capturing portion to capture a foreign body in a vessel, and an operating wire to deform the foreign body capturing portion. The foreign body capturing portion includes a first capturing part and a second capturing part. The first capturing part is formed from a filament which assumes a helical shape in its natural state and is arranged on the forward end of the wire body. The second capturing part is formed from a filament which assumes a helical shape in its natural state and is arranged on the forward end of the first capturing part. The first and second capturing parts together form a rearwardly open space for capturing the foreign body when the wire is moved rearwardly relative to the foreign body. The second capturing part is deformable such that the distance between its adjacent filaments decreases upon operation of the operating wire.

Abstract: The laser induced liquid jet generating apparatus irradiates a laser beam on a liquid in a main body, guides the generated liquid jet into a catheter via a nozzle, and generates a flow in the direction opposite the liquid jet. Even by the use of a catheter having a small outside diameter, therefore, the apparatus is enabled to effect powerful laser irradiation without being thermally affected by the laser beam and consequently shatter thrombus, for example, and recover by aspiration the shattered thrombus through the distal end of the catheter.

Abstract: A guide wire comprising a super-elastic core member which consists of a proximal section, a distal section smaller in diameter than the proximal section and a intermediate section between the proximal section and the distal section, an X-ray opaque metal coil attached to the distal section of the core member in tight contact with the distal section, a synthetic resin envelope which covers the core member and the X-ray opaque metal coil to form a substantially smooth outside surface, and a hydrophilic lubricative layer which covers the outside surface of the synthetic resin envelope. The distal section of this guide wire can be reshaped repeatedly. The X-ray visibility of the distal section is improved.

Abstract: An ultrasonic imaging catheter includes an outer sheath that is adapted to be inserted into a body cavity, and a drive shaft that is positioned in the outer sheath for transmitting mechanical driving force. The catheter is also provided with first and second elastic members. The first elastic member is disposed at the tip portion of the outer sheath while the second elastic member that is secured to the housing containing a transducer has a free end that is inserted into the first elastic member. The portion of the catheter between the housing and the first elastic member at the free end of the catheter is thus reinforced to improve flexibility and kinking of the catheter. The housing can be made of insulating ceramic material so that the insulation and resistance of the housing is high. Thus, a short between the electrodes of the oscillator does not occur even when the oscillator is in direct contact with the housing.