Abstract: An image processing device includes a control unit configured to determine, when an input is received of at least one cross-sectional image obtained using a sensor configured to move in a lumen of a biological tissue, whether a deformation spot that is on an inner surface of the biological tissue and that has been deformed by pressing an elongated medical device inserted into the lumen is included in the at least one cross-sectional image, and specify a position of the medical device based on a position of the deformation spot when it is determined that the deformation spot is included in the at least one cross-sectional image.

Abstract: A connector, comprising: a housing which has a first port, a second port, and a first chamber in communication with the first port and the second port; a cover, which is connected to the housing and which has a second chamber in communication with the first chamber; and a bulging portion, which is disposed in the first chamber and protrudingly extends toward the second chamber. A side groove which obliquely curves and extends towards the second chamber is provided in the first chamber. The groove structure of the connector can guide a portion of fluid which is flowing into the first chamber from the first port towards the second chamber, so as to form a spiral upward vortex, thereby enlarging a flushing region, increasing the flushing efficiency, and reducing the risk of pollution.

Abstract: An infusion cartridge includes: a case provided with a recess; and a film structure that has flexibility, covers an opening of the recess, and, together with the recess, defines a storage space configured to store an infusion solution. The case includes an opening end that defines the opening of the recess, the opening end including: a first side surface facing inside of the recess, a second side surface located on a side opposite to the first side surface, and an end surface connecting the first side surface and the second side surface. The film structure includes: a fixing portion that covers the end surface and is fixed to the end surface, and a cover portion that covers the second side surface and is not fixed to the second side surface.

Abstract: Embodiments are described for separating collecting components from a multi-component fluid such as whole blood. Some embodiments provide for controlling the amount of a component, such as platelets, introduced into a separation chamber to ensure that the density of fluid in the separation chamber does not exceed a particular value. This may provide for collecting purer components. Other embodiments may provide for determining a chamber flow rate based on a concentration of a component in the multi-component fluid, which may then be used to determine a centrifuge speed, to collect purer concentrated components.

Abstract: Provided is a multi-part lyophilization container for lyophilizing a fluid, storing the lyophilizate, reconstituting the lyophilizate, and infusing the reconstituted lyophilizate into a patient, including a method of using same. The container includes a front surface, a back surface, a non-breathable section including a port region, a breathable section including a breathable membrane, and a peelable region including a peelable seal encompassing a boundary between the non-breathable section and the breathable section. The method includes inputting a fluid into a non-breathable section of the container, freezing the fluid, applying, in a lyophilization chamber, vacuum pressure, opening the peelable seal using a pressure differential, applying heat energy, sublimating the fluid and creating a temporary occlusion in a peelable region of the container.

Abstract: A puncture system that is configured to automatically puncture a radial artery of a hand of a patient includes: a grip to be gripped by the hand; a blood vessel detection unit that detects a position of an artery of the hand that grips the grip; an adjustment mechanism that adjusts a relative posture of the grip and a puncture needle a forward mechanism to move the puncture needle forward toward the grip; and a control unit that determines, in accordance with the position of the artery detected by the blood vessel detection unit, a relative posture of the grip and the puncture needle and a forward distance of the puncture needle, and controls operations of the adjustment mechanism and the forward mechanism on the basis of the posture and the forward distance having been determined.

Abstract: This in-vivo indwelling stent has annular bodies constituted by a plurality of annular bodies arranged in the axial direction, and connection portions. The plurality of annular bodies includes first pattern annular bodies and second pattern annular bodies that are alternately arranged. The first pattern annular bodies each have an endless zigzag linear shape including one-end-side apexes, other-end-side apexes, and curved linear bodies that connects the apexes and protrudes in a first circumferential direction. The second pattern annular bodies each have an endless zigzag linear shape including one-end-side apexes, other-end-side apexes, and a plurality of curved linear bodies that connects the apexes and protrudes in a second circumferential direction. The one-end-side apex and the other-end-side apex of adjacent annular bodies are connected to each other with the connection portion.

Abstract: A rapid exchange type medical elongated body is disclosed in which an outer diameter of a distal portion of a tubular member is set smaller than an outer diameter of a proximal portion of the tubular member, which prevents an occurrence of a kink in a physical property change region of the medical elongated body which has a relatively large change in physical property. A tubular member forming a second region of a distal member of a medical elongated body is integrally formed with a shaft portion. The distal member has a reinforcement layer containing a metallic material and formed between an inner layer and an outer layer from a first region to the second region. The reinforcement layer is disposed inside the tubular member in the second region. An outer diameter of the first region is set smaller than an outer diameter of the second region.

Abstract: An oxygenator includes: a housing; a bubble-removing hollow fiber membrane layer removing a bubble; a gas-exchanging hollow fiber membrane layer exchanging a gas with blood; and a discharge port to discharge the bubble removed by the bubble-removing hollow fiber membrane layer to the outside of the housing. The oxygenator further includes a gas permeable portion that is arranged between the discharge port and an end portion of the bubble-removing hollow fiber membrane layer, is formed by a member having gas permeability, and allows passage of the bubble removed by the bubble-removing hollow fiber membrane layer without allowing passage of plasma leaking through the bubble-removing hollow fiber membrane layer. A plasma capture chamber that captures the plasma leaking through the bubble-removing hollow fiber membrane layer is formed between the end portion of the bubble-removing hollow fiber membrane layer and the gas permeable portion.

Abstract: An image diagnosis catheter includes: an outer tube; a first support tube disposed on the radially inner side of the outer tube; a drive shaft disposed on the radially inner side of the first support tube; an inner tube disposed on the radially inner side of the outer tube and radially outer side of the first support tube; and a second support tube disposed on the radially inner side of the inner tube and radially outer side of the drive shaft, being axially movable with the drive shaft and the inner tube and relative to the outer tube and the first support tube.

Abstract: A vessel harvesting apparatus for removing a blood vessel from a patient includes collection and conditioning (i.e., treatment) of expelled insufflation gas prior to releasing the gas into the air of the operating room. An endoscopic instrument has a distal end with a vessel harvesting tip and has a proximal end with a handle. An insufflation channel is configured to convey an insufflation gas subcutaneously into a dissected space within the patient. A removal channel is configured to evacuate fluidic contents from the dissected space, wherein the fluidic contents include insufflation gas and biological impurities. A processor/separator is coupled to the removal channel to process the fluidic contents to retain at least some of the biological impurities and to exhaust the insufflation gas.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a catheter in which a catheter body is formed by fusing a first member and a second member. The method includes irradiating an adjacent portion between the first member and the second member with a laser beam in a close state and in an external force application state to fuse the adjacent portion. In the close state, an elastically deformable elastic body having laser transmission property and having a hollow portion through which the first member and the second member are insertable with a gap at no load is brought into contact with the first member and the second member in the hollow portion due to elastic deformation to bring the first member and the second member close to each other.

Abstract: A measurement probe includes: an elongated body that is insertable into a catheter having a flow path; a sensor fixed to the elongated body and capable of detecting a state of a fluid flowing in the flow path; and a sensor holding portion that holds the sensor at a predetermined position when the elongated body is inserted into the catheter. An output of the sensor changes depending on an oxygen partial pressure in the fluid, a carbon dioxide partial pressure in the fluid, a hydrogen ion index of the fluid, an amount of potassium ions in the fluid, an amount of sodium ions in the fluid, an amount of chlorine ions in the fluid, a temperature of the fluid, or a flow rate of the fluid.

Abstract: A catheter includes: a catheter body wall having an elongated tubular shape; and at least one wire provided in the catheter body wall, the at least one wire having at least one groove.

Abstract: In one embodiment according to the present invention, a stent is described having a generally cylindrical body formed from a single woven nitinol wire. The distal and proximal ends of the stent include a plurality of loops, some of which include marker members used for visualizing the position of the stent. In another embodiment, the previously described stent includes an inner flow diverting layer.

Abstract: Described are embodiments that include methods and devices for separating components from multi-component fluids. Embodiments may involve use of separation vessels and movement of components into and out of separation vessels through ports. Embodiments may involve the separation of plasma from whole blood. Also described are embodiments that include methods and devices for positioning portions, e.g., loops, of disposables in medical devices. Embodiments may involve use of surfaces for automatically guiding loops to position them into a predetermined position.

Abstract: A method includes indwelling a filter inside a body lumen in a living body so that the filter is indwelled at a position downstream from a stenosed site in the body lumen, moving a collection device in a downstream direction within the living body from upstream of the stenosed site to the stenosed site while the filter remains indwelled at the position downstream from the stenosed site, engaging the filter with the collection device while the filter is indwelled at the position downstream from the stenosed site so that the filter is connected to the collection device, and removing the collection device and the filter from the living body by moving both the filter and the collection device in an upstream direction while the filter and the collection device are engaged with one another.

Abstract: A resin syringe includes: a syringe body made of polyolefin, and a printing layer having a shape that extends in a band around an outer surface of the syringe body. The printing layer comprises components including chlorinated polypropylene having a degree of chlorination in a range of 15 to 30%, a colorant, and a filler. A plurality of recessed portions is formed in the outer surface of the syringe body on which the printing layer is printed and the recessed portions form a shape that extends in a band around the outer surface of the syringe body and that is entirely covered by the printing layer. Each of the recessed portions has a depth of 50 nm or more and less than 1 ?m and a width of 50 nm or more and less than 1 ?m and is filled with at least one of the components of the printing layer.

Abstract: A vascular puncture assist device includes a property acquisition unit that acquires a property of a blood vessel; and a control unit that detects a state of hardness of a blood vessel from the property of the blood vessel acquired by the property acquisition unit, and determines availability of puncture and a puncture position or direction based on the detected state of hardness of the blood vessel. The vascular puncture assist device further includes a probe including an imaging unit that acquires a cross-sectional image of a human body, and the control unit detects a state of calcification of a blood vessel from the acquired cross-sectional image using the imaging unit as a property acquisition unit.

Abstract: A vascular puncture device is a vascular puncture device that punctures a blood vessel using an imaging unit that comes into contact with a skin surface and acquires a cross-sectional image of a human body, a puncture unit including a sharp needle tip, and a drive unit moving the puncture unit, and includes a control unit that can receive information on the cross-sectional image and control an operation of the drive unit. The control unit identifies at least one blood vessel from the information on the cross-sectional image, determines whether the blood vessel is an artery or a vein from the information on the cross-sectional image of the identified blood vessel, sets a blood vessel to be punctured from among a plurality of the identified blood vessels, and controls the drive unit to move the puncture unit to puncture the blood vessel set to be punctured with the puncture unit.