Abstract: A tissue anchor includes a driver head associated with a proximal portion of the tissue anchor, a pointed tip portion associated with a distal portion of the tissue anchor, a tissue-engagement portion disposed between the driver head and the pointed tip portion, and a cover configured to cover at least a portion of the tissue-engagement portion.

Abstract: Described herein is a system and method for identifying elastic lamina during interventional procedures, such as atherectomy. Such identification can be used to avoid trauma to the external elastic lamina during the procedure.

Abstract: A junctional tourniquet apparatus and related methods of use. An exemplary tourniquet has an inverted cone shape, wherein a narrower end has a mushroom shaped base that is pressed against a compression target and a broader end has a plurality of pass-through slots for straps. Another exemplary tourniquet has a broad plate component and a handle component. The handle component has a mushroom shaped base on a first end and a handle on a second end. The handle component passes through the center of the plate component with threads that allow the handle component to compress a target by twisting the handle.

Abstract: A surgical device, such as a debrider, can include an elongated inner shaft that is movable within an elongated, hollow outer shaft. An actuator can controllably impart movement to a proximal portion of the inner shaft. A cutting element, located at a distal portion of the inner shaft, can move with the inner shaft. The outer shaft can expose the cutting element as the inner shaft moves. The inner shaft can include a flexible inner shaft portion. A plurality of bearings, located between the inner shaft and the outer shaft along the flexible inner shaft portion, can space the flexible inner shaft portion with respect to the outer shaft as the inner shaft moves. The plurality of bearings can help reduce friction between the inner shaft and the outer shaft and help maintain concentricity of the inner shaft and the outer shaft.

Abstract: A clot removal system comprises a catheter, a vacuum source, and a controller. The catheter comprises a proximal end, a distal end, and controller operating parameters and defines a lumen configured to be filled with a liquid column having a proximal portion. The vacuum source is configured to supply vacuum. The controller is configured to carry out a control pattern of turning on and off the vacuum based upon the controller operating parameters and is configured to receive the controller operating parameters in an automatic response to the catheter being operatively connected to at least one of the vacuum source and the controller and, responsive to the connection, to carry out the control pattern to change a level of vacuum at the distal end of the catheter.

Abstract: A circumcision device and methods for using and manufacturing the same are disclosed. Embodiments of the circumcision device include a connector that permits the circumcision device to be connected by hand to and disconnected by hand from a tissue holding member while the tissue holding member is holding penile tissue. The connector permits the circumcision device to rotate while connected to the tissue holding member. Embodiments include a blade (cutting member) that is bent at an angle that may be oblique, and the blade may include a slot on either side of or across the bend. Further embodiments include at least one gripping member that extends perpendicularly to the axis the device rotates around, while additional embodiments include at least one gripping member that is aligned with the connector to assist in connection and removal of the device from a tissue holding member.

Abstract: A method of using an occlusion clamp, the method comprising: (a) repositioning a tongs so that tissue interposes the tongs, the tongs comprising a first longitudinal segment operatively coupled proximally to a second longitudinal segment, the tongs including a first spring exerting a proximal bias tending to direct a proximal portion of each of the first and second longitudinal segments toward one another, where each of the first and second longitudinal segments includes a distal free end; (b) repositioning a second spring distally along each of the first and second longitudinal segments to exert a bias tending to direct a distal portion of each of the first and second longitudinal segments toward one another, where repositioning of the tongs so that tissue interposes the tongs precedes repositioning the second spring distally along each of the first and second longitudinal segments.

Abstract: An apparatus for neurovascular endoluminal intervention, in particular for the treatment of ischemic stroke, is provided. The apparatus comprises a catheter (2) for insertion into the circulatory system (CS) of a patient, in order to aspirate one or several clots (C) present in the circulatory system (CS). A distal outer section (22) of the catheter (2) comprises an unexpanded state, in which the diameter (D2) of the distal outer section (22) is smaller than the diameter (D1) of a proximal outer section (21) of the catheter (2), in order to facilitate navigation of the catheter through the circulatory system, and a radially expanded state, in order to facilitate aspiration of the one or several clots (C) through the catheter (2). Furthermore, a method for applying such an apparatus is provided.

Abstract: A medical device for retrieval of kidney stone fragments from a urinary tract is provided. The medical device has a plurality of magnets arranged within a flexible sheath forming a flexible wire. The magnets are magnetically attached end-to-end and arranged with their magnetic polarities alternating in direction. The magnetization direction of each of the magnets is orthogonal to the length axis of the flexible wire. A removable inner stylet is situated within the flexible sheath allowing for modifiable flexibility of the wire. The medical device is dimensioned to be introduced into the urinary tract and standard endoscopic devices. The medical device is further dimensioned to allow for the wire with magnetically attached stone fragments to be retrieved from the urinary tract. The magnetic field along the length axis is sufficient to attract to the surface of the flexible wire superparamagnetic nanoparticles which have bound themselves to kidney stone fragments.

Abstract: In some examples, a catheter includes an expandable member configured to expand radially outward from a collapsed configuration to an expanded configuration. The expandable member is configured to be expanded and contracted in a controlled manner, e.g., in response to user actuation or automatically under the control of control circuitry of a device. For example, in some examples, control circuitry of a device can be configured to control the expandable member to expand and contract according to a predetermined expansion frequency or according to an expansion frequency determined based on a cardiac cycle of a patient.

Abstract: The instant disclosure is directed to devices and methods for deploying a biased occlusion clamp. In addition, the present disclosure includes devices and methods for deploying a biased occlusion clamp using robotics. Moreover, the present disclosure includes devices and methods for reducing the force necessary to open an occlusion clamp without permanently compromising the clamping force of the clamp itself.

Abstract: Certain aspects relate to systems and techniques for articulating medical instruments. In one aspect, the instrument includes a wrist having at least one degree of freedom of movement, and an end effector coupled to the wrist. The end effector can include a cartridge for delivering a plurality of clips to tissue. The wrist may include one or more cables capable of moving an actuator with one degree of freedom of movement within the end effector to advance one or more clips through the end effector.

Abstract: A medical instrument system includes a plurality of joints, a plurality of actuators, and a plurality of transmission systems. The transmission systems have proximal ends respectively coupled to the actuators. Each of the transmission systems have a distal end attached to an associated one of the joints to allow the transmission of a force for articulation of the medical instrument system. The system also includes a sensor coupled to measure a configuration of the medical instrument; and a control system coupled to receive configuration data, including a current configuration of a tip of the medical instrument from the sensor and a desired configuration of the tip of the medical instrument. Using the difference between the desired configuration and the current configuration of the tip of the medical instrument, the control system generates control signals for the actuators that cause the actuators to apply a set of tensions to the plurality of transmission systems.

Abstract: A pulmonary access device comprises an elongated shaft having a proximal shaft section, a bendable shaft section, a distal shaft section, and a channel. The pulmonary access device further comprises a profiled stylet configured for being disposed in the working channel of the elongated shaft, the profiled stylet having a proximal stylet section with a first lateral stiffness profile, an intermediate stylet section having a second lateral stiffness profile less than the first lateral stiffness profile, a distal stylet section, wherein, when the profiled stylet is disposed in the working channel of the elongated shaft, the intermediate stylet section axially aligns with the bendable shaft section. The pulmonary access device further comprises a pull wire affixed to the distal shaft section, such that, when the pull wire is tensioned, the bendable shaft section bends, thereby deflecting the distal shaft section relative to the proximal shaft section.

Abstract: An elongate embolectomy device having a radially constrained configuration and a radially expanded configuration, the embolectomy device being formed out of a plurality of elongate clot engaging structures, each clot engaging structure comprising a plurality of interconnected struts forming an open cell pattern, wherein, when the embolectomy device is in the radially expanded configuration, the clot engaging structures each have a semi-tubular arcuate profile, including a convex face and an concave face facing opposite the convex face, extending along a length of the embolectomy device, the clot engaging structures being longitudinally disposed relative to each other such that the concave faces are facing radially outward, and the convex surfaces are facing radially inward, respectively, relative to a longitudinal axis of the embolectomy device.

Abstract: An insertion tool having an insertion guide tube that maintains a perimodiolar or other pre-curved electrode assembly in a substantially straight configuration while preventing the electrode assembly from twisting in response to stresses induced by the bias force which urges the assembly to return to its pre-curved configuration. This generally ensures that when the electrode assembly is deployed from the distal end of the insertion guide tube, the electrode assembly and insertion guide tube have a known relative orientation.

Abstract: Disclosed is a tourniquet, comprising a fixing module, a hemostasis module, and an indication module.

Abstract: A device for removing a clot from a vessel can have dual layers where an inner expandable body runs within an outer expandable body. The device can have a collapsed delivery configuration, an expanded deployed configuration, and a clot pinching configuration. The inner and outer bodies can be a plurality of cells formed by a network of struts. The openings of the cells align when the device is deployed within the clot, where the radial force from the expanding bodies urges portions of the clot through the openings. The inner and outer bodies can be configured to be selectively translatable relative to each other, so that the portions of the clot in the cell openings can be compressed and gripped when the translation transitions the device to the clot pinching configuration. The translation can be maintained to pinch the clot as it is retrieved from the patient.

Abstract: A circumcision device is provided by the present invention. The device comprises two jaws configured to crush a foreskin between them along a crush region transverse to a foreskin and transverse to a general direction in which a penis being circumcised extends. The jaws are movable between an open inoperative position and a closed operative position in which a clamping and crushing force may be exerted to promote hemostasis within the crush region. The device includes a cutting assembly capable of traversing and severing a crushed foreskin within or adjacent the crush region. The invention extends to a glans penis protector comprising a handle separable from a transverse glans penis engaging cover so that the handle can be separated from the glans penis engaging cover during a circumcision procedure.

Abstract: A device may include a flexible tube comprising: a distal end, a proximal tip, the proximal tip comprising a suction line extension being configured for placement in a uterine cavity of a uterus after childbirth, a tube center of the flexible tube; and at least one lumen around the tube center, the at least one lumen comprising a suction line, the suction line being in communication with a source of negative pressure and the suction line extension, the suction line extension being configured for applying the negative pressure to the uterine cavity using the source of the negative pressure thereby causing mechanical hemostasis of bleeding blood vessels of a uterine wall of the uterine cavity. Embodiments include an anchoring mechanism being proximate to the suction line extension along the flexible tube, the anchoring mechanism being configured for maintaining the suction line extension in a desired position within the uterine cavity.