Abstract: A catheter includes a shaft having a first lumen inside thereof, an expansion/contraction portion that is disposed on a distal end portion of the shaft and is expandable and contractible in a radial direction, and an actuation portion that expands and contracts the expansion/contraction portion. The expansion/contraction portion has a fixed portion fixed to the shaft, a sliding portion capable of sliding in a longitudinal direction of the shaft on an outer peripheral face of the shaft, and a suspension portion extending in the longitudinal direction of the shaft that connects the fixed portion with the sliding portion. When the sliding portion is slid toward the fixed portion by the actuation portion, the suspension portion expands in a radial direction of the shaft.

Abstract: A catheter includes a shaft having a lumen inside the shaft, and a reinforcing body that is inserted in the shaft and extended along the lumen. The reinforcing body includes a first portion (main body part), and a second portion (distal end portion) that is positioned on the more distal end side than the first portion while being at a distal end portion of the shaft and has larger direct or indirect joining force relative to the shaft than the first portion. Such a catheter is able to increase the breaking strength.

Abstract: A catheter that can have improved strength includes a first tube including a first lumen, and a second tube including a second lumen. The first tube includes an inner layer that is the innermost layer of the first tube, an outer layer surrounding the inner layer, and a reinforcing layer sandwiched between the inner layer and the outer layer.

Abstract: An airbag includes a bag body that includes a first panel and a second panel which are opposed to each other, a partitioning tether that is disposed in such a manner as to partition an interior of the bag body, a communication hole that is formed in the tether for providing gas communication in the interior of the bag body, and first and second joints that respectively join first and second edges of the tether to the first and second panels of the bag body. The communication hole has a generally rectangular contour which has two corners in a vicinity of each of the first and second edges of the tether. In both of the first and second edges of the tether, the corners of the communication hole are disposed closer to the first or second edge of the partitioning tether than a corresponding one of the joints.

Abstract: A catheter includes a shaft having a first lumen inside thereof, an expansion/contraction portion that is disposed on a distal end portion of the shaft and is expandable and contractible in a radial direction, and an actuation portion that expands and contracts the expansion/contraction portion. The expansion/contraction portion has a fixed portion fixed to the shaft, a sliding portion capable of sliding in a longitudinal direction of the shaft on an outer peripheral face of the shaft, and a suspension portion extending in the longitudinal direction of the shaft that connects the fixed portion with the sliding portion. When the sliding portion is slid toward the fixed portion by the actuation portion, the suspension portion expands in a radial direction of the shaft.

Abstract: An airbag includes a bag body that includes a first panel and a second panel which are opposed to each other, a partitioning tether that is disposed in such a manner as to partition an interior of the bag body, a communication hole that is formed in the tether for providing gas communication in the interior of the bag body, and first and second joints that respectively join first and second edges of the tether to the first and second panels of the bag body. The communication hole has a generally rectangular contour which has two corners in a vicinity of each of the first and second edges of the tether. In both of the first and second edges of the tether, the corners of the communication hole are disposed closer to the first or second edge of the partitioning tether than a corresponding one of the joints.

Abstract: A balloon catheter having a distal-end tip which, even if caught in a stenosis, will not break apart from a distal end of an inner shaft of the balloon catheter when the balloon catheter is forcibly rotated or pulled by an operator. The distal-end tip of the balloon catheter is fixed to the distal end of the inner shaft, and a connecting tube covers an outer surface of the distal end of the inner shaft and a proximal end of the distal-end tip. An inwardly protruding portion of the connecting tube is embedded into the distal-end tip. This creates an anchoring effect and increases a welding area between an outer surface of the distal-end tip and an inner surface of the connecting tube, thereby reducing a risk that the distal-end tip will break apart from the distal end of the inner shaft.

Abstract: A balloon catheter includes a balloon. The balloon allows restraint-free arrangement of an irregular region on the balloon for quickly inserting the balloon into a stenosis or stricture or an obstructed part while the balloon is in a contracted state, and allows for securely fixing the balloon within the stenosis or stricture or the obstructed part while the balloon is in an expanded state. The balloon can be easily produced, and can be folded without restraint (without requiring differentiation between the irregular region and the rest of the balloon). The balloon includes a base portion having an irregular region on its surface, and a coating agent coating the surface of the base portion. When the balloon is not expanded, the surface of the balloon is smooth and flat; and while the balloon is in an expanded state, the surface of the balloon is irregular.

Abstract: A balloon catheter having a distal-end tip which, even if caught in a stenosis, will not break apart from a distal end of an inner shaft of the balloon catheter when the balloon catheter is forcibly rotated or pulled by an operator. The distal-end tip of the balloon catheter is fixed to the distal end of the inner shaft, and a connecting tube covers an outer surface of the distal end of the inner shaft and a proximal end of the distal-end tip. An inwardly protruding portion of the connecting tube is embedded into the distal-end tip. This creates an anchoring effect and increases a welding area between an outer surface of the distal-end tip and an inner surface of the connecting tube, thereby reducing a risk that the distal-end tip will break apart from the distal end of the inner shaft.

Abstract: A balloon catheter having a distal-end tip which, even if caught in a stenosis, will not break apart from a distal end of an inner shaft of the balloon catheter when the balloon catheter is forcibly rotated or pulled by an operator. The distal-end tip of the balloon catheter is fixed to the distal end of the inner shaft, and a connecting tube covers an outer surface of the distal end of the inner shaft and a proximal end of the distal-end tip. An inwardly protruding portion of the connecting tube is embedded into the distal-end tip. This creates an anchoring effect and increases a welding area between an outer surface of the distal-end tip and an inner surface of the connecting tube, thereby reducing a risk that the distal-end tip will break apart from the distal end of the inner shaft.

Abstract: A balloon catheter having a distal-end tip which, even if caught in a stenosis, will not break apart from a distal end of an inner shaft of the balloon catheter when the balloon catheter is forcibly rotated or pulled by an operator. The distal-end top of the balloon catheter is fixed to the distal end of the inner shaft, and a connecting tube covers an outer surface of the distal end of the inner shaft and the proximal end of the distal-end tip. An inwardly protruding portion of the connecting tube is embedded into the distal-end tip. This creates an anchoring effect and increases a welding area between the outer surface of the distal-end tip 40 and the inner surface of the connecting tube 80, thereby reducing the risk that the distal-end tip will break apart from the distal end of the inner shaft.