Abstract: A hernia repair device is provided which may include a soft tissue repair prosthesis and an expandable device configured to be removably connected with the soft tissue repair prosthesis. When expanded, the expandable device may be configured to position the soft tissue repair prosthesis adjacent a hernia defect. The soft tissue repair prosthesis may include at least one loop or slit configured to receive a portion of the expandable device. The prosthesis may include a tether to hoist, locate or position the soft tissue repair prosthesis. The expandable device may include indicia for positioning the prosthesis relative to the edge of the hernia defect.

Abstract: A guidance system for assisting with the insertion of a needle into a patient body is disclosed. The guidance system utilizes ultrasound imaging or other suitable imaging technology. In one embodiment, the guidance system comprises an imaging device including a probe for producing an image of an internal body portion target, such as a vessel. One or more sensors are included with the probe. The sensors sense a detectable characteristic related to the needle, such as a magnetic field of a magnet included with the needle. The system includes a processor that uses data relating to the sensed characteristic to determine a 3-D position of the needle. The system includes a display for depicting the position of the needle. The needle can include a donut-shaped magnet disposed about the needle cannula, or a removable stylet with a magnetic element and a strain gauge for detection of the needle distal tip.

Abstract: A septum for use in sealably covering a fluid cavity of an implantable medical device, such as an access port, is disclosed. The septum is resilient and includes a reinforcement structure that bolsters septum placement over the fluid cavity so as to inhibit unintended separation of the septum from the medical device when the fluid cavity is under pressure, such as during power injection of fluid into the fluid cavity. In one embodiment the septum comprises a resilient septum body that includes a flange disposed about a perimeter thereof. A reinforcement component is disposed in the flange for reinforcing engagement of the flange with a corresponding groove defined about an opening to the fluid cavity of the medical device so as to inhibit unintended detachment of the septum from the medical device. The reinforcement component in one embodiment includes an annular cord disposed in the flange.

Abstract: A catheter securement device 100 holds a medical article such as a catheter in position upon the body of a patient and at least inhibits longitudinal movement of the medical article. The securement device 100 includes a retainer 102 and a clamp 104. The retainer 102 and clamp 104 include interengaging structure. The interengaging structure may be a ratchet mechanism by which a medical provider tightens the clamp against the retainer. The ratchet mechanism allows a single securement system to be used with medical articles that have different longitudinal lengths as well as medical articles that have distally located contact surfaces. The retainer forms a channel 106 into which at least a portion of the medical article is inserted. Each of the retainer 102 and the clamp 104 include at least one abutment surface that can abut against a contact point or surface on the medical article.

Abstract: A guidance system for assisting with the insertion of a needle or other medical component into the body of a patient is disclosed. The guidance system utilizes ultrasound imaging or other suitable imaging technology. In one embodiment, the guidance system comprises an imaging device including a probe for producing an image of an internal body portion target, such as a vessel. One or more sensors are included with the probe. The sensors sense a detectable characteristic related to the needle, such as a magnetic field of a magnet included with the needle. The system includes a processor that uses data relating to the detectable characteristic sensed by the sensors to determine a position and/or orientation of the needle in three spatial dimensions. The system includes a display for depicting the position and/or orientation of the needle together with the image of the target.

Abstract: A patient delivery tube for the delivery of a heated, humidified gas. The patient delivery tube includes an elongated tubing member molded from a flexible polymer, said elongated tubing member comprising a first end, a second end and an axially aligned passageway extending therethrough and an electric heater comprising a conductive material, said electric heater arranged along said axially aligned passageway for perimetrically heating said axially aligned passageway. A method of delivering a heated, humidified gas to a patient is also provided.

Abstract: An integrated endoscope and accessory treatment device is provided. The device employs a medical treatment device at its distal end that is combined with the endoscope as a complete system. The treatment device is controlled by integrated elements at the proximal end of the endoscope. The treatment devices may include tissue apposition devices, tissue cutting devices, forceps and others.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses for manipulating an elongated flexible shaft of a catheter provide ease and reliability of positioning electrodes against or near tissue. Dual-bend flexible distal tips may be used in combination with flat wires. In some embodiments, flat wires which are free to rotate upon initial bending of shaft segments are employed. In some embodiments, one or more transition segments are used to relocate the satellite lumen-to-main lumen transition of pull wires away from a change in shaft stiffness.

Abstract: A safety needle device and method of supplying fluid to a vascular access port is described. The device may include a base member, a handle member, and a compressible member positioned between the handle member and a compression plate. The compressible member is coupled to a proximal end of a needle. Following the delivery of fluid to a vascular access port, the needle is removed by moving the handle member away from the base member, which collapses the compressible member, flushing fluid into the vascular access port to substantially replace a volume of the needle.

Abstract: A stent includes a central portion of helically wound undulations formed of struts, cylindrical end portions, and transition zones between the helical portion and the cylindrical portions. According to a first aspect of the invention, the torsional flexibility of the stent is maximized by having bridges connecting adjacent winding be interrupted by the maximum possible number of undulations. In a preferred design, each winding includes nineteen undulations around the circumference, bridges are provided every five undulations. According to a second aspect of the invention, uniform, opening of the transition zone is achieved by altering the width, and thereby the flexibility, of a series of struts in accordance with their lengths. Specifically, the long transition zone struts are made wider.

Abstract: An endoscopic vacuum controller may include a housing having a vacuum inlet, a vacuum outlet configured to be coupled to a vacuum source, and a vacuum passage fluidly coupling the vacuum inlet to the vacuum outlet. The vacuum controller may also include an actuator supported by the housing and configured to control the flow of fluid through the vacuum passage. An indicator may be supported by the housing to provide an indication that a predetermined vacuum level is being drawn at the vacuum inlet. The vacuum controller may include a connector to detachably couple the housing to an endoscope shaft. The connector may be configured to slidably couple the housing to the endoscope shaft to allow adjustment of the controller along the length of the shaft while the housing remains coupled to the shaft.

Abstract: A fluid collection assembly including a container having an interior chamber for collecting fluid, and a quick connect device coupled to the top of the container to couple to a mated connection device on a drainage tube. The quick connect device and the mated connection device may be in an open configuration to permit fluid flow when engaged and in a closed configuration to prevent fluid flow when disengaged. An adjustable hanger may be attached to the container, including an adjustable member that vertically repositions the container.

Abstract: The present invention relates to antimicrobial compositions, methods for the production of these compositions, and use of these compositions with medical devices, such as catheters, and implants. The compositions of the present invention advantageously provide varying release kinetics for the active ions in the compositions due to the different water solubilities of the ions, allowing antimicrobial release profiles to be tailored for a given application and providing for sustained antimicrobial activity over time. More particularly, the invention relates to polymer compositions containing colloids comprised of salts of one or more oligodynamic metals, such as silver. The process of the invention includes mixing a solution of one or more oligodynamic metal salts with a polymer solution or dispersion and precipitating a colloid of the salts by addition of other salts to the solution which react with some or all of the first metal salts.

Abstract: Provided herein are suture clips that include a plug, a ring, and a shaft. Also provided is a catheter that includes a collet cage with a plurality of flexible collet fingers that engage a suture clip ring and a suture clip plug for assembly with a suture. The catheter is designed to hold and assemble the suture clip in a first position and release the suture clip and sever the suture ends proximal to the suture clip in a second position.

Abstract: A sacrificial catheter assembly and method of use for placing a functional catheter within the body of a patient, such as into the patient's vasculature, is disclosed. In one embodiment, the sacrificial catheter assembly comprises a sacrificial catheter including an elongate body that defines a longitudinally extending lumen. A stylet is removably received within the lumen of the sacrificial catheter such that the catheter and stylet can be advanced together to a target destination within the body of the patient. The sacrificial catheter is configured so as to then be proximally slid over the stylet to remove the sacrificial catheter from the body while the stylet remains in place at the target destination. A functional catheter can then be distally slid over the stylet to place the functional catheter at the target destination. The stylet can then be removed from the body of the patient.

Abstract: Preferred embodiments of a stent with a high degree of flexibility are shown and described. The stent can include a continuous helical winding having interconnected struts joined at vertices, and having bridges connecting sections of the helical winding to each other. An annular ring can be provided at one or both ends of the helical winding, and the annular ring can have extensions extending to connect to the helical winding. One of the extensions can connect to a bridge and another extension can connect to a vertex. The struts at the ends of the helical winding can have strut lengths that differ from the strut lengths of the struts Po. in a central portion of the winding between the ends of the winding.

Abstract: In one aspect, a method for displaying closely proximate cardiac signals is provided and can include the steps of: (a) identifying one or more overlapping portions of a template signal and a data signal; (b) processing the overlapping portion so as to have a first color when displayed on a display; (c) processing the non-overlapping portion of the template signal to have a second color; (d) processing the non-overlapping portion of the data signal to have a third color; and (e) displaying the processed signals.

Abstract: A biopsy apparatus includes a cannula having a closed distal end. An orifice is located on a circumferential surface of the cannula. The orifice is configured to receive a tissue sample into a lumen of the cannula. A cutting sheath is slidably and coaxially disposed over the cannula. The cutting sheath is adapted to seal the opening of the orifice. A pressure generating device is connected to a proximal portion of the cannula for altering a pressure in the lumen of the cannula. A valve is positioned between the cannula and the pressure generating device for controlling a flow of a fluid between the lumen of the cannula and the pressure generating device.

Abstract: Described herein are coatings containing water-soluble oligodynamic metal salts that are formulated and applied from hydrophobic solvents. In particular, articles of manufacture comprising polymer coatings containing oligodynamic metal salts can include hydrophobic polymer coatings made from water-reactive monomers and hydrophilic polymers compounded in hydrophobic solvents which contain a small amount of water that aids in the solubilization and suspension of the oligodynamic metal salts. Methods of preparing these antimicrobial polymer coatings, and methods of coating a substrate to produce an article of manufacture having an antimicrobial polymer coating are also described.

Abstract: A novel device and method for performing cardiac ablations includes a therapeutic instrument, for example, an ablation catheter, to which is mounted a flexible, braided electrode. The electrode configuration is selected so that it has a desired surface area for proper heat convection properties. RF energy is delivered to the electrode to heat and thereby ablate local heart tissue, with the electrode having good convection abilities to protect against coagulation, embolisms, and other undesirable effects of ablation procedures.