Inflating and deflating device adapted to be used by a human hand. It comprises a housing and a syringe carried by the housing. The syringe comprises a syringe body having an outlet through which liquid can pass and a piston slidably mounted in the syringe body and forming a sealing engagement with the body. A piston rod is secured to the piston and extends out of the body. A tubular member is provided. A connector means connects the tubular member to the outlet of the syringe body. A handle is ...

Guiding catheter assembly having a first tubular member formed of a material which has a low coefficient of friction and a second tubular member encasing said first tubular member so that the first tubular member fits tightly within said second tubular member. The second tubular member is formed of an irradiated modified polyolefin which is flexible but which has a greater rigidity than the said first tubular member so as to provide the guiding catheter assembly with the desired rigidity to perm...

Catheter for insertion into the cardiovascular system, and method of manufacturing the same. A helically wound ribbon of flexible material is imbedded in the wall of the catheter to provide a torsional rigidity which facilitates steering and turning of the catheter during emplacement. The stiffness of the catheter is controlled by varying the pitch of the helically wound ribbon.

Guide wire comprising an elongate flexible cylindrical element formed of metallic material having high torsional capability and having a proximal portion ranging from 0.008 to 0.020 inches and a distal portion having a diameter of less than 0.007 inches. It also comprises a coil formed of metallic material and secured to the distal portion and an additional coil formed of a material which is different from the material of which the first named coil is formed and which is substantially radiopaque...

A kit of instruments for percutaneous introduction of a catheter into a major blood vessel of a human patient, including a hollow needle assembly having a proximal end adapted to be inserted through the skin of a patient into the blood vessel, a guide wire adapted to be inserted through the needle into the blood vessel, and a catheter having a proximal end adapted to be inserted into the blood vessel over the guide wire after said needle is withdrawn over said guide wire. The hollow needle assem...

The invention is directed to a very low-profile dilatation catheter having an inner tubular member with an inner lumen with a diameter of not more than 0.003 inch (0.076 mm) greater than the diameter of a guidewire disposed therein. Preferably, the inner diameter of the tubular member is less than 0.015 inch (0.381 mm). The inner member may be formed of a thin-walled tubing such as polyimide tubing having a wall thickness less than 0.003 inch (0.076 mm). Polyimide tubing is also preferably emplo...

A guiding member for use as an independent guidewire or as an integral part of a low-profile steerable dilatation catheter. The guiding member has an elongated main hollow tubular member, a tubular extension preferably made of polyimide secured to the distal end of the tubular member, a core member which is secured by the proximal end thereof within the inner lumen of the main tubular member and which extends through and out the distal end of the tubular extension and a flexible body, such as a ...

An extendable guidewire system for introducing a dilatation catheter into the arterial system of a patient. The guidewire system has guidewire and extension sections with a connection therebetween which permits the two sections to be joined together and separated simply by twisting the two sections to effect a threaded connection. One of the sections can be used for positioning the catheter within the cardiovascular system, and the other section an be employed to extend the wire to change cathet...

A guidewire or guiding element for vascular catheters, particularly balloon dilatation catheters having an elongated core member with a tapered distal portion with a flexible length of interfitting links on the tapered distal portion. The individual links generally comprise a base with an aperture therein and a plurality of upwardly extending arms with the ends of the arms bent inwardly toward the longitudinal axis of the flexible length to engage the base of an adjacent link. Improved flexibili...

A steerable dilatation catheter which is particularly adapted for angioplasty procedures having a concentric construction of thin-walled inner and outer tubular members of high strength plastic, such as polyimide, which provide diametric rigidity but longitudinal flexibility. At least the distal portion of the inner and outer tubular members which will extend out of the guiding catheter during angioplasty procedures have wall thicknesses of less than 0.002 inch, preferably less than 0.0015 inch....