Abstract: An occlusion assembly and its uses in a REBOA procedure is disclosed. The occlusion assembly includes a single elongate shaft having an inflatable balloon, a proximal neck portion, a distal neck portion. The shaft defines a single lumen through which a wire is positioned for support of the shaft and through which an inflation fluid is also passed to inflate the balloon.

Abstract: In some examples, a catheter includes a catheter body including an outer jacket and an inner liner. The inner liner may include a proximal section including a proximal end of the inner liner and a distal section including a distal end of the inner liner. The distal section may include an inner liner defining a plurality of cuts. Each cut may extend at least partially through the liner wall. The one or more cuts defined in the liner wall of the distal section of the inner liner may increase a bending flexibility of the distal section relative to the proximal section of the inner liner, while maintaining a suitable tensile strength of the distal section.

Abstract: The catheter device comprises a drive shaft connected to a motor, and a rotor mounted on the drive shaft at the distal end section. The rotor has a frame structure which is formed by a screw-like boundary frame and rotor struts extending radially inwards from the boundary frame. The rotor struts are fastened to the drive shaft by their ends opposite the boundary frame. Between the boundary frame and the drive shaft extends an elastic covering. The frame structure is made of an elastic material such that, after forced compression, the rotor unfolds automatically.

Abstract: A balloon is provided for selectively moving an esophagus away from an ablation site. The balloon is received through an oral cavity and into the esophagus of a patient. A deflecting member is provided in the tube, the balloon, or both, so as to selectively distort to bend the balloon and/or the tube to move the esophagus away from the ablation site. The deflecting member may comprise at least one of a strip made of a shape memory material that is responsive to the receipt of a stimulus to deflect to a predetermined shape, a strip that is made of or contains a ferrous material and that deflects in response to the presence of a magnetic field, and a selectively tensionable cable, wire, or string. The deflecting member may be supplemented by a stiffening strip that is located in the balloon and that causes the balloon to expand circumferentially and asymmetrically when inflated.

Abstract: Embodiments of negative pressure wound therapy systems and methods for operating the systems are disclosed. In some embodiments, a system includes a pump assembly, canister, and a wound dressing configured to be positioned over a wound. The pump assembly, canister, and the wound dressing can be fluidically connected to facilitate delivery of negative pressure to a wound. The system can additionally include a valve configured to control the introduction of positive pressure to the wound.

Abstract: An implantable aortic blood pump includes a rigid body having wall extending along a long axis and defining an inflation port portion with an inflation aperture therethrough. The aperture is fluid communication with an inner surface of the body and on a fluid supply, the body is preferably independent of an external brace or an external stiffener, yet still has a cantilevered deformation of less than 8 millimeters in response to a 200 gram weight suspended from a front body edge. A deflecting structure of a membrane deflects in response to fluid pressure so as to pump blood when the pump is secured to a subject aorta.

Abstract: A cardiac assist device synchronization system includes a cardiac assist device and an acoustic or accelerometer sensor that provides a signal input to the cardiac assist device indicative of aortic valve closure. The cardiac assist device is coupled to a mammalian aorta and includes an inflatable chamber and a fluid pump. A fluid conduit is in communication between the chamber and the pump to provide for selective inflation of the chamber. A pump controller triggers the pump in counter-pulsation to a mammalian heart upstream from the aorta. A process for synchronizing a cardiac assist device in counter-pulsation with a left ventricle includes locating an acoustic or accelerometer sensor within a thoracic cavity of a mammal having the assist device coupled to the aorta of the mammal.

Abstract: The present invention is an intra-aortic circulatory enhancing apparatus for use in human patients to improve blood flow to other arteries continuous with the aorta of the patient. The apparatus comprises an internal inflation means located within the aorta of the patient and an external inflation means located outside of the patient. The internal inflation means can be an internal balloon coupled to a hollow extent which is operatively coupled to a blood communication means. The blood communication means can be a first hollow catheter tube in one embodiment. The external inflation means can be an external balloon coupled to a hollow extent running through the center of the balloon and continuous with a second hollow catheter tube. The blood communication means is coupled to the internal and external inflation means, allowing blood within the aorta to communicate with the secondary inflation means.

Abstract: A catheter, for example a balloon or treatment catheter, is positioned to prevent hemorrhage during surgery by inserting the catheter in a deflated configuration along a passage such as a blood vessel near to the operative site in a position determined by direct or video-assisted viewing from outside the passage. In the event a blood vessel is cut during surgery, the previously positioned catheter inflates a balloon to occlude the passage and stop blood flow into the injured site. A flow-directed catheter includes an inflatable balloon attached at its distal end and an optical fiber connected to one or more light emitting regions positioned in the vicinity of the balloon. The light is emitted transversely, and preferably omnidirectionally at one or more points with a sufficient brightness to provide beacons that are readily detected through the walls of a blood vessel and permit a direct determination of the exact location of the balloon within the vessel.