Abstract: An enhanced cross stream mechanical thrombectomy catheter with backloading manifold having a distal end with outflow and inflow orifices at one side for producing concentrated cross stream jet flow for selective and concentrated thrombus ablation during thrombectomy procedures. The invention provides for suitable distancing of high powered ablation or suction forces from the near walls of the vasculature. Cross stream flow emanating from the one side of the distal end of the catheter resultantly urges the distal end of the catheter and thus the opposing non-orif iced side of the distal end of the catheter toward and against the vascular wall to inhibit contact of the inflow orifice with the vascular wall. Features of the invention include a geometrically configured insert to facilitate the backloading or exchange of guidewires.

Abstract: An enhanced cross stream mechanical thrombectomy catheter with backloading manifold having a distal end with outflow and inflow orifices at one side for producing concentrated cross stream jet flow for selective and concentrated thrombus ablation during thrombectomy procedures. The invention provides for suitable distancing of high powered ablation or suction forces from the near walls of the vasculature. Cross stream flow emanating from the one side of the distal end of the catheter resultantly urges the distal end of the catheter and thus the opposing non-orificed side of the distal end of the catheter toward and against the vascular wall to inhibit contact of the inflow orifice with the vascular wall. Features of the invention include a geometrically configured insert to facilitate the backloading or exchange of guidewires.

Abstract: An occlusive guidewire system having an ergonomic handheld control mechanism and torqueable kink-resistant guidewire having a distally located inflatable balloon. The present invention provides convenient structure and overall mechanism for operation of a torqueable kink-resistant guidewire, including evacuation and inflation control of an occlusive balloon, and sealing and severing of a crimpable inflation tube which is in communication with an occlusive balloon. The torqueable kink-resistant guidewire includes a centrally located shaft which imparts robustness to the torqueable kink-resistant guidewire. An inflation lumen aligns within the torqueable kink-resistant guidewire for inflation of the balloon.

Abstract: The present invention pertains to a miniature flexible thrombectomy catheter having one or more flexible miniature noncollapsing tubular portions including pushable and torqueable structure for introduction into the smaller vessels in neurovascular regions. A jet body having an arcuate fluid jet emanator is incorporated in order to minimize size at the distal portion of a minimally sized catheter tube.

Abstract: A catheter includes a pressure actuated seal within a manifold. A catheter body is coupled with the manifold, and a manifold lumen and catheter lumen are configured to receive pressurized fluids. The pressure actuated seal includes a pressure actuated seal element having a seal element lumen. The seal element lumen is in communication with the manifold and catheter lumens. The pressure actuated seal element is deformable between an open configuration and a sealed configuration. In the sealed configuration, the pressurized fluid in the manifold presses on the pressure actuated seal element along a first seal face. The pressure actuated seal element compresses inwardly around the seal element lumen according to the pressure of the pressurized fluid. In the open configuration, the pressure actuated seal element relaxes in the absence of the pressurized fluid, and the seal element lumen is open and configured to allow passage of an instrument.

Abstract: The present invention pertains to a miniature flexible thrombectomy catheter having one or more flexible miniature noncollapsing tubular portions including pushable and torqueable structure for introduction into the smaller vessels in neurovascular regions. A jet body having an arcuate fluid jet emanator is incorporated in order to minimize size at the distal portion of a minimally sized catheter tube.

Abstract: A catheter assembly includes a catheter body having a catheter lumen. A manifold assembly is coupled with a proximal catheter portion. A manifold lumen extends through the manifold assembly, and the manifold lumen includes an assembly cavity extending around the proximal catheter portion. A fluid jet loop is coupled with a high pressure tube at a distal catheter portion. The catheter assembly further includes a composite guide having first and second guide portions. The first guide portion includes a proximal guide insert near the proximal catheter portion, the proximal guide insert is positioned within the assembly cavity, and includes a guide insert surface flush with a catheter body interior wall. The second guide portion includes a distal guide near the distal catheter portion including a tapered loop guide surface and an intermediate guide surface of the catheter lumen flushly engaged with a leading edge of the tapered loop guide surface.

Abstract: A rapid exchange fluid jet thrombectomy device having a streamlined manifold and a catheter having multiple tubular segments where each tubular segment increases in flexibility in a distal direction. Torque response and pushability is enhanced by the arrangement of a proximally located tubular segment composed of a polymer-jacketed spiral metal tube in combination with an intermediate tubular section and a distal tubular section each having different degrees of flexibility. A guidewire tube exit region is provided where the intermediate tubular section joins the distal tubular section for over-the-wire guidewire usage. The polymer-jacketed spiral metal tube can extend along a partial or full length of the catheter and can include a basic continuous spiral cut which has regions of constant pitch or which has progressively increasing pitch, or in the alternative, can include an interlocking spiral cut having constant pitch regions or progressively decreasing pitch.

Abstract: A direct stream hydrodynamic catheter system is provided for the removal of thrombus, lesions and the like including provisions for the infusion of drugs, lysing fluids and the like into a blood vessel. Physician controlled high powered direct fluid jet streams emanate from a fluid jet emanator in the form of robust radially directed fluid jet streams to impinge upon and ablate difficult and strong thrombus or lesions within a blood vessel. Effluent aspiration is controlled by an exhaust regulator in the form of a roller pump, but effluent removal can be assistingly influenced by the fluid pressure associated with the radially directed fluid jet streams.

Abstract: Catheters including guidewire tubes having a limited length and methods of using the catheters are described. The catheters may be delivered over guidewires in procedures that are commonly referred to as rapid-exchange delivery.

Abstract: A guidewire with collapsible filter system where a deployable, collapsible and retrievable filter attached to a guidewire tube is utilized for filtering thrombotic particulate from blood flow in the vascular system during thrombectomy or other interventional vascular procedures.

Abstract: A gas inflation/evacuation system incorporating a multiple element valved guidewire assembly having an occlusive device for use in thrombectomy or other vascular procedures includes a multiple element valved guidewire assembly having an occlusive balloon removably and sealingly connectible to an included manifold assembly where a guidewire tube defines a lumen for inflation or deflation of the occlusive balloon. A first syringe for evacuating the lumen and a second syringe for introducing a biocompatible gas into the lumen to inflate the occlusive balloon that is in fluid communication with the lumen a plurality of times are included. A sealing valve arrangement selectively seals the proximal portion of the guidewire tube to control inflated or deflated states of the occlusive balloon.

Abstract: A miniature cross stream thrombectomy catheter useful in small blood vessel thrombectomy procedures. An annulus near the distal end of the miniature cross stream thrombectomy catheter is formed between a hypo-tube and a proximally directed bore of a concentrically aligned flow director whereby jet orifices in the hypo-tube communicate with the annulus to direct jet flows of saline or other fluid around and about the annulus and to be directed proximally from the annulus to pass through one or more outflow orifices and thence to pass through one or more inflow orifices thereby creating an ablation flow therebetween which loosens and carries away thrombotic materials from the walls of a blood vessel.

Abstract: The present disclosure involves a rheolytic thrombectomy catheter with a self-inflating proximal balloon having drug infusion capabilities. A self-inflating balloon having a plurality of outflow orifices located about the peripheral circumference thereof is located proximal to an inflow gap or orifices and a fluid jet emanator and which balloon is inflated and expanded by internal operating pressures to uniformly space and position the outflow orifices of the self-inflating balloon in close proximity to or in intimate contact with the thrombus or walls of the blood vessel. Devices of the present disclosure can be used for the purposes of thrombectomies, embolectomies, thrombus or vessel dilation and for the delivery of drugs to a thrombus or vessel site.

Abstract: The devices of the present disclosure are rheolytic thrombectomy catheters with a self-inflating distal balloon. A self-inflating balloon is located distal to an inflow gap or orifice and distal to a fluid jet emanator, which self-inflating balloon is inflated and expanded by the utilization of internal operating forces consisting of forwardly directed high velocity fluid jet streams and/or entrained thrombus particulate therein. The self-inflating balloon, when inflated, impinges on the wall of the blood vessel to isolate sections of the blood vessel distal and proximal to the inflated balloon in order to prevent flow of thrombus particulate, fluids and the like distal to the self-inflating balloon and to provide a stagnant nonflow region proximal to the self-inflating balloon. The devices of the present disclosure also provide for a uniform spacing of the catheter tube with respect to the thrombus and/or wall of the blood vessel.

Abstract: An occlusive guidewire system having an ergonomic handheld control mechanism and torqueable kink-resistant guidewire having a distally located inflatable balloon. The present invention provides convenient structure and overall mechanism for operation of a torqueable kink-resistant guidewire, including evacuation and inflation control of an occlusive balloon, and sealing and severing of a crimpable inflation tube which is in communication with an occlusive balloon. The torqueable kink-resistant guidewire includes a centrally located shaft which imparts robustness to the torqueable kink-resistant guidewire. An inflation lumen aligns within the torqueable kink-resistant guidewire for inflation of the balloon.

Abstract: A forwardly directable fluid jet crossing catheter having a positionable jet body which can be longitudinally and rotationally positioned in order to direct a fluid jet stream to impinge, break through, and cross a chronic total occlusion. The distal end of the catheter includes a tip of super-elastic material having a flexible bend aligned within the distal portion of a sheath which tip is directable in response to the longitudinal and rotational orientation of a positionable jet body, whereby a fluid jet stream can be controlled in angular and rotational directions.

Abstract: The general purpose of the present invention is to provide a catheter for removal of an organized embolic thrombus, preferably in conjunction with a distal occlusion balloon guidewire. The present invention consists of three main components including a capture/delivery sheath, a capture sleeve of mesh attached to a tube and a grasping mechanism attached to another tube which is central to the other components. Operative structures in the form of manifolds are connected to such components in order to manipulate and control the relative positions of the capture/delivery sheath, the capture sleeve and the grasping mechanism. An embolic thrombus is engaged by the deployable automatically expanding serrated fingers of a grasping mechanism in combination with a deployable automatically expanding mesh capture sleeve. The capture/delivery sheath is maneuvered to cause compression of the serrated fingers and of the mesh capture sleeve for subsequent removal of the embolic thrombus.

Abstract: An infusion flow guidewire system including a delivery sheath and an infusion flow guidewire. The minimal cross section flexible infusion flow guidewire includes a nitinol hypotube, a flexible tip and distally located rearwardly directed orifices for infusion of fibrinolytics and for introduction of high pressure fluids for maceration and rearwardly directed flow of thrombus debris located in tortuous small sized vessels. Apparatus, some of which is removably attachable, is provided for grasping members of the invention for rotational torquing and for longitudinal actuation along and within the vasculature.

Abstract: The present invention provides a forwardly directed fluid jet crossing catheter having a distally directed cylindrical flow fluid jet stream to cross a chronic total occlusion. The distal end of the device includes a formable catheter tip region having flexible internal components. Low and high pressure cavities are formed substantially by joined proximal and distal catheter tubes having an adhesive plug seal in common therebetween which partially defines one end of each of the low pressure and high pressure cavities. A guidewire tube and a high pressure tube are aligned along and within the low pressure and high pressure cavities and through the adhesive plug seal. The high pressure tube openly terminates in the high pressure cavity, whereby pressurized fluid transfers from the high pressure cavity in the guidewire tube entry hole to subsequently pass along the guidewire lumen and co-located guidewire to exit as a cylindrical fluid jet stream.