Abstract: A guide wire installation device for a catheter includes a pair of elongated main sections arranged to face each other. Each main section includes a gripping portion at one side, and a holding portion at the other side thereof. The holding portion has first and second grooves communicating with each other. The first groove has a size greater than that of the second groove. When the holding portions abut against each other, a hollow portion is formed by the first grooves, and a receiving hole communicating with the hollow portion is formed by the second grooves. The catheter can be held at the receiving hole, so that the guide wire or syringe for saline can be inserted through the hollow portion.

Abstract: A guide wire installation device for a catheter includes a pair of elongated main sections arranged to face each other. Each main section includes a gripping portion at one side, and a holding portion at the other side thereof. The holding portion has first and second grooves communicating with each other. The first groove has a size greater than that of the second groove. When the holding portions abut against each other, a hollow portion is formed by the first grooves, and a receiving hole communicating with the hollow portion is formed by the second grooves. The catheter can be held at the receiving hole, so that the guide wire or syringe for saline can be inserted through the hollow portion.

Abstract: A stent is formed of a body member arranged in a cylindrical shape for forming the stent to be placed in a body lumen, at least one hollow portion with at least one open surface formed in the body member, and a medically treating material disposed in the hollow portion. The medically treating material held in the hollow portion is gradually released through the open surface to treat a portion where the stent is disposed for a desired term.

Abstract: A closure device for a puncture in a blood vessel is formed of a needle holder having a pair of first needle passages at a front side, and a needle catcher located at the front side of the needle holder to be movable thereto and having a pair of second needle passages aligned with the first needle passages. A pair of needle pushers is slidably located in the first needle passages, and a needle handle is attached to the needle pushers. A pair of needles joined with a suture is disposed in the first needle passages at a side close to the needle catcher. When the needle handle is actuated, the needles in the first needle passages are pushed by the needle pushers and transferred to the second needle passages. Thus, when wall portions are held between the needle holder and the needle catcher, the wall portions are sutured by the needles with the suture.

Abstract: A body filling agent is formed of a collagen in the form of powder, fiber or gel, and at least one kind of implantable particles selected from a group consisting of implantable polymer and pericardium. A mixture of the collagen and the implantable particles forming the body filling agent is deposited in a body. The collagen is absorbed into the body, but the implantable particles remain in the body as a part of the body.

Abstract: A vascular therapy device is used for treatment, such as injecting or applying medicine, to a lumen or body cavity without surgical treatment. The vascular therapy device includes an elongated shaft, an inflatable balloon attached to a side portion of a distal end portion of the shaft, a first path provided in the shaft and communicating with an inside of the balloon to inflate and deflate the balloon, and a second path provided inside the shaft and extending from a proximal end portion to the distal end portion of the shaft. The second path has an outlet at the distal end portion. When the balloon is inflated, a part of the distal end portion is biased to contact a wall where the shaft is inserted. Thus, when the balloon is inflated, the outlet faces and substantially contacts the wall to thereby provide a treatment through the second path and outlet.

Abstract: A closure device for a puncture in a blood vessel is formed of a needle holder having a pair of first needle passages at a front side, and a needle catcher located at the front side of the needle holder to be movable thereto and having a pair of second needle passages aligned with the first needle passages. A pair of needle pushers is slidably located in the first needle passages, and a needle handle is attached to the needle pushers. A pair of needles joined with a suture is disposed in the first needle passages at a side close to the needle catcher. When the needle handle is actuated, the needles in the first needle passages are pushed by the needle pushers and transferred to the second needle passages. Thus, when wall portions are held between the needle holder and the needle catcher, the wall portions are sutured by the needles with the suture.

Abstract: A vascular filtering device is formed of a flexible shaft having a passageway extending inside the shaft, an inflatable member communicating with the passageway and having a spiral form, and a filter member fixed to the distal end portion of the shaft. The inflatable member is attached at an inner side thereof to a distal end portion of the shaft. The filter member is attached to the shaft and fixed onto the outer side surface of the inflatable member along the entire length thereof. When the inflatable member is inflated, the filter member is enlarged to allow a blood containing debris or blood clots to flow through the filter member. Thus, the debris or blood clots are captured by the filter member. When the inflatable member is deflated, the filter member is disposed close to the side surface of the shaft. Thus, the filter member with the debris or clots can be easily removed from the blood vessel.

Abstract: A balloon having a predetermined maximum expandable size is combined with a stent having a predetermined maximum expandable size, which is equal to the maximum expandable size of the balloon. The stent is formed of a plurality of rows of cylindrical strut sections situated side by side in a longitudinal direction, and a plurality of connecting members for connecting two rows of the struts adjacent to each other. The strut section includes struts, and bending portions located at ends of the struts. A strut angle is defined by the strut and a line parallel to a central axis of the stent and extending through the bending portion. The strut angle is at least 75 degrees and less than 90 degrees when the stent is fully expanded. Thus, the stent fully expanded by the balloon is not easily collapsed.

Abstract: A balloon catheter is formed by a heat shrinkable tube. In the method, a rod member is inserted into the shrinkable tube, and parts of the shrinkable tube are heated so that the parts of the shrinkable tube shrink to thereby form end portions of at least one balloon portion while a portion away from the end portions does not shrink. Two end portions of the balloon portion are processed to have a small diameter. Then, the rod member is removed from the shrinkable tube, and a catheter shaft is inserted into the balloon portion to completely pass therethrough. Finally, the two end portions of the balloon portion are fixed onto the catheter shaft. Since the heat shrinkable tube with the constant thickness is used, high quality catheter can be formed without fail.

Abstract: A connector of the invention is used to easily connect small conduits, such as blood vessel. The connector is formed of an elongated hollow support member to be located inside the small conduits, and a holding device disposed outside the support member for holding the small conduits together with the support member. The holding device includes cylindrical portions, which are disposed outside the support member and shrinkable when a radially inward force is applied, and a plurality of connecting portions situated between the cylindrical portions and extending radially outwardly from the cylindrical portions. The connecting portions are bent and disposed over one of the cylindrical portions when the holding device holds the small conduits at the cylindrical portions.

Abstract: A vascular filtering device is formed of a flexible shaft having a passageway extending inside the shaft, an inflatable member communicating with the passageway and having a spiral form, and a filter member fixed to the distal end portion of the shaft. The inflatable member is attached at an inner side thereof to a distal end portion of the shaft. The filter member is attached to the shaft and fixed onto the outer side surface of the inflatable member along the entire length thereof. When the inflatable member is inflated, the filter member is enlarged to allow a blood containing debris or blood clots to flow through the filter member. Thus, the debris or blood clots are captured by the filter member. When the inflatable member is deflated, the filter member is disposed close to the side surface of the shaft. Thus, the filter member with the debris or clots can be easily removed from the blood vessel.

Abstract: A radiation device is used in a body lumen for treatment. The radiation device is formed of a sheath to be disposed in the body lumen, and an elongated radiation member. The sheath includes a guide wire passageway to allow a guide wire to pass therethrough, and a sheath passageway extending throughout a substantial portion thereof. The radiation member includes an outer member having a shield portion at a front part thereof, and an inner member slidably situated in the outer member and having a radiation portion at a front part thereof. When the radiation device is used, the sheath is introduced into a body lumen by sliding over the guide wire preliminary placed in the body lumen. Then, the radiation member is inserted into the sheath passageway in a condition such that the radiation portion is located inside the shielding portion. When radiation is required, the radiation portion is disposed outside the shield portion.

Abstract: An expandable reinforcing member or stent of the invention is used inside a body lumen, especially, in patient's artery for opening and holding a lesion or stenosis with a branch. The expandable reinforcing member is formed of at least two hollow mesh portions situated away from each other along an axial direction of the reinforcing member, and a connecting portion situated between the two hollow mesh porions for connecting the same. The connecting portion has a plurality of tortuous lines to define hollow areas therein, and a marker. Each hollow area is greater than a mesh size of the hollow mesh portions, and the marker is formed in one of the tortuous lines. Thus, a position of the connecting portion is realized at a time of installation of the reinforcing member. After the expandable reinforcing member is expanded, the reinforcing member can be slightly moved to relocate the position.

Abstract: An expandable stent is formed of a plurality of rows of circularly arranged annular members situated side by side in one direction, and connecting rods for connecting the annular members together. The annular members in one row is formed substantially independently, preferably spaced apart from each other. The stent is delivered in a compressed condition in a hole, such as blood vessel, and the compressed stent is substantially fully returned to the original shape when the compressed condition is removed. The stent withstand a high compression force.

Abstract: An expandable reinforcing member with different mesh patterns of the invention is used inside a body lumen, especially, in patient's artery for opening and holding a lesion or stenosis. The stent of the invention includes at least one large mesh portion, and a small mesh portion connected to the large mesh portion. The small mesh portion has a mesh size smaller than that of the large mesh portion. When the stent is delivered into the artery, the small mesh portion is positioned at the lesion or the stenosis, and the large mesh portion is positioned at healthy tissues of the artery. Therefore, the small mesh portion has enough strength to open and hold the lesion or stenosis in the artery, and the large mesh portion does not hurt the healthy tissues of the artery.

Abstract: A catheter with a locking device is formed of a catheter and a locking device attached to a proximal end of the catheter. The locking device is formed of a cylindrical portion fixed to the proximal end of the catheter and having a dent at one side thereof, and a movable ring rotatably attached to the cylindrical portion and having a slit. The movable ring is rotatable to open and close the dent, so that when a portion of the catheter is placed in the dent through the slit, the movable ring is rotated to close the dent to securely hold the portion of the catheter in the slot. Accordingly, the catheter can be locked in the looped condition.

Abstract: A stent for the reinforcement of a blood vessel which comprises a plurality of circularly arranged elongated struts inclined in the same direction relative to an imaginary line on the outer surface of the circularly dimensioned stent. The struts include joint members for joining adjacent elongated struts within the same circular row in a continuous manner. Connector members are formed to the joint members and include a verticle, relative to the longitudinal axis of the stent, portion to which oppositely extending end portions connect to adjacent rows of the joint members of the circumferentially arranged joint members of the elongated members so that the connectors provide flexibility along the longitudinal axis and reduce longitudinal movement of the stent when the stent is expanded.

Abstract: An expandable tubular reinforcing member of the invention is used for a body lumen, such as a blood vessel for reinforcement. The reinforcing member is formed of a tortuous section having a plurality of laterally extending elongated members, and a plurality of vertically extending end members situated between two adjacent elongated members for connecting the same. The tortuous section is arranged diagonally to form a cylindrical shape with a first diameter extending in a spiral form. The elongated members generally extend parallel to a central axis of the cylindrical shape. A plurality of joint members is situated between two end members arranged in the cylindrical shape to keep the shape. When a radial force is applied from an inside of the reinforcing member, the elongated members are bent relative to the end members to thereby allow the tubular reinforcing member to have a second diameter larger than the first diameter to thereby hold the body lumen.

Abstract: An expandable tubular reinforcing member of the invention is used for a body lumen. The reinforcing member is basically formed of a plurality of rows of expandable joint members and a plurality of rows of flexible elongated members. The joint members in one row are arranged in a circular form and are spaced apart from each other. The elongated members in one row are arranged in a circular form, and each flexible elongated member extends diagonally to a central axis of the reinforcing member and connects two of the joint members situated in adjacent two rows. When a radial force is applied from an inside of the reinforcing member, the elongated members are bent relative to the joint members to have a larger diameter.