Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a bronchoscope facilitating observation of a peripheral bronchus, and a method of using the same. The bronchoscope includes: a sheath having a longitudinal axis direction, the sheath having a first lumen and a second lumen each extending in the longitudinal axis direction; an endoscopic camera disposed in the first lumen; and a balloon catheter including a shaft inserted to the second lumen to be shiftable in the longitudinal axis direction and a balloon provided at a distal portion of the shaft, wherein the balloon has a pressurization lumen to be provided with fluid to receive positive pressure, and the second lumen is configured to receive negative pressure to cause a distal end of the sheath to stick to an inner wall of a bronchus.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a medical instrument set facilitating safe observation of a peripheral bronchus portion, and a method of using the same. The medical instrument set includes a bronchoscope including a sheath having a longitudinal axis direction, the sheath having a first lumen and a second lumen each extending in the longitudinal axis direction, an endoscopic camera disposed in the first lumen, and a balloon catheter including a shaft inserted to the second lumen to be shiftable in the longitudinal axis direction and a balloon provided at a distal portion of the shaft; and a probe having a distal end positioned distally beyond a distal end of the balloon, the probe configured to detect a peripheral bronchus portion.

Abstract: A balloon catheter (1) comprising: a first shaft (10) having a first lumen (11) and a second lumen (12); a second shaft (20) located distal to the first shaft (10); a balloon (30) located distal to the second shaft (20); and an optical fiber (40) disposed inside the balloon (30); wherein: the first shaft (10) is made of a resin; a cross-sectional area of the resin forming the first shaft (10) is larger than a cross-sectional area of either the first lumen (11) or the second lumen (12), which has a larger cross-sectional area, in a cross section perpendicular to a longitudinal direction; the optical fiber (40) is joined to a distal end (11d) of the first lumen (11); a proximal end (30p) of the balloon (30) is joined to the second shaft (20); and a distal end (30d) of the balloon (30) is joined to the optical fiber (40).

Abstract: A balloon catheter comprising: a first shaft having a first lumen and a second lumen; a second shaft located distal to the first shaft; a balloon located distal to the second shaft; and a tubular member that is disposed inside the balloon and has a light transmittance of 90% or more; wherein: the first shaft is made of a resin; a cross-sectional area of the resin forming the first shaft is larger than a cross-sectional area of either the first lumen or the second lumen, which has a larger cross-sectional area, in a cross section perpendicular to a longitudinal direction; a proximal end of the tubular member is joined to a distal end of the first lumen; a proximal end of the balloon is joined to the second shaft; and a distal end of the balloon is joined to the tubular member.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a balloon catheter including preparing a tubular parison (20) made of a resin and a mold (30) that has an inner cavity into which the parison (20) is to be inserted and that has a first groove (41) formed on an inner wall surface forming the inner cavity; inserting the parison (20) into the inner cavity of the mold (30); allowing the resin to enter the first groove (41) by introducing a fluid into a lumen (23) of the parison (20) to expand the parison (20); and removing the parison (20) from the mold (30) before the resin reaches a bottom (41a) of the first groove (41).

Abstract: Provided is a balloon catheter wherein a balloon is less likely to swell in the protective tube during an air leak test of the balloon in a state where the balloon having projecting portions is housed in a lumen of the protective tube. A balloon catheter contains: a shaft extending in a distal-proximal direction; a balloon having wing-shaped portions; projecting portions disposed on an outer surface of the balloon; and a protective tube in which the balloon is disposed, wherein, in a cross section perpendicular to the distal-proximal direction at a midpoint of a length in the distal-proximal direction of the protective tube, a distance from a centroid of the protective tube through an apex of each projecting portion to an inner surface of the protective tube is longer than a distance from the centroid through none of the projecting portions to the inner surface of the protective tube.

Abstract: A method for producing a balloon catheter including preparing a balloon producing device (1), the device including a mold (10) into which a parison (50) is inserted, and a fixing member (30) for fixing the parison (50) outside the mold (10), the mold (10) provided with a rotation preventing portion (20) abutting the parison (50) so as to prevent rotation of the parison (50), disposing a part of the parison (50) in the mold (10), fixing a portion outside the mold (10) of the parison (50) with the fixing member (30), expanding the parison (50), removing the parison (50) from the mold (10), and cutting the parison (50).

Abstract: Provided is a balloon catheter wherein a balloon is less likely to swell in the protective tube during an air leak test of the balloon in a state where the balloon having projecting portions is housed in a lumen of the protective tube. A balloon catheter comprising: a shaft extending in a distal-proximal direction; a balloon disposed on a distal side of the shaft and having, in a contracted state, a plurality of wing-shaped portions; projecting portions each disposed on a portion, of an outer surface of the balloon, that is none of the wing-shaped portions; and a protective tube having a lumen in which the balloon is disposed, wherein none of the wing-shaped portions is present between an apex of each projecting portion and a point, on an inner surface of the protective tube, that is at a shortest distance from the apex of the projecting portion.

Abstract: The present invention is a production method for an expansion balloon (2) for use in a balloon catheter (1), including the steps of; forming a balloon tube (8) by extrusion molding so as to have a cross section orthogonal to an axial direction with the shape of a circle on the outside and the shape of a polygon having a circumcircle on the inside; and placing the balloon tube (8) in a mold to perform biaxially-stretched blow molding to obtain the balloon, whereby it is possible to produce the expansion balloon (2) that has no unevenness in film thickness of a straight pipe part (4) and allows stable folding control by simple processes with favorable molding yields.

Abstract: The present invention is a production method for an expansion balloon (2) for use in a balloon catheter (1), including the steps of; forming a balloon tube (8) by extrusion molding so as to have a cross section orthogonal to an axial direction with the shape of a circle on the outside and the shape of a polygon having a circumcircle on the inside; and placing the balloon tube (8) in a mold to perform biaxially-stretched blow molding to obtain the balloon, whereby it is possible to produce the expansion balloon (2) that has no unevenness in film thickness of a straight pipe part (4) and allows stable folding control by simple processes with favorable molding yields.