Abstract: A device to change the temperature of a localized volume of material. A workable device includes at least one heat transfer mechanism having an external surface for direct contact with an exposed surface of the material. A working fluid is directed by input and output conduits to contact an internal surface of the heat transfer mechanism. The heat transfer mechanism exchanges heat between the working fluid and the material. Temperature of the working fluid may be regulated by a thermal system disposed at a remote location. An optional temperature sensing element may monitor a local temperature of the heat transfer mechanism or otherwise infer a temperature of a portion of the material. Sometimes, a device includes a cooperating anchoring arrangement to facilitate holding the heat transfer mechanism in a desired spot. Certain devices may be plastically deformed to a desired device shape.

Abstract: A control system and method for automatically adjusting the height of an external ventricular drain from a patient. The height of a pole supporting the bag into which the fluid is drained can be varied, increased or decreased, as driven by a motor. A drip chamber and collection bag that receive the fluid from the patient are attached to the height variable pole. An external fluid pressure tube is coupled to the patient at one end and to a pressure sensor at the other. The pressure sensor is coupled to the height variable pole. The system includes a feedback loop that adjusts the height of the external ventricular drain (EVD) to match the height of the patient's head. As the patient's head moves up or down, the variable height pole moves up and down a corresponding distance to maintain the patient's intracranial or intraspinal pressure, and therefore the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) drainage rate, at a preset value.

Abstract: Some medical procedures may be assisted by an electromagnetic fiducial element assembly that is affixed to the body of a patient. The electromagnetic fiducial element assembly has a flexible substrate and an affixation mechanism such as an adhesive arranged to removably affix the electromagnetic fiducial element assembly to the body of a patient. The assembly also includes a housing coupled to the flexible substrate that partially or fully contains a first trackable electromagnetic element. A medically imagable structure is integrated with the electromagnetic fiducial element assembly. In the medical procedures, a medical image of a portion of the patient's body is captured, and a representation of the medically imagable structure is visually apparent in the medical image.

Abstract: A medical system tracks the position of a portion of a medical instrument within a body of a patient. In some embodiments, the medical instrument includes a needle, a syringe, and a needle-position-tracking element positioned between the needle and the syringe and in fluid communication with both. The needle-position-tracking element includes an electromagnet structure that includes a core, a conductive coil wrapped around the core, and ancillary circuitry configured to pass a current through the conductive coil to thereby generate a magnetic field. A sensor device senses the magnetic field and generates corresponding sensor signals. A control circuit calculates the position of a portion of the medical instrument based on the sensor signals.

Abstract: A device to change the temperature of a localized volume of material. A workable device includes at least one heat transfer mechanism having an external surface for direct contact with an exposed surface of the material. A working fluid is directed by input and output conduits to contact an internal surface of the heat transfer mechanism. The heat transfer mechanism exchanges heat between the working fluid and the material. Temperature of the working fluid may be regulated by a thermal system disposed at a remote location. An optional temperature sensing element may monitor a local temperature of the heat transfer mechanism or otherwise infer a temperature of a portion of the material. Sometimes, a device includes a cooperating anchoring arrangement to facilitate holding the heat transfer mechanism in a desired spot. Certain devices may be plastically deformed to a desired device shape.

Abstract: A medical system tracks the position of a medical instrument within a body of a patient. The medical instrument includes an elongated flexible printed circuit and an electromagnet structure having a conductive coil wound around a core. A control circuit applies an excitation signal across the conductive coil. Electrical current running through the conductive coil (wound around the core) generates a magnetic field. A plurality of sensors sense parameters of the magnetic field and output sensor signals. The control circuit calculates the position of the medical instrument based on the sensor signals.

Abstract: A medical system tracks the position of a medical instrument within a body of a patient. The medical instrument includes an electromagnet structure having an inductor coil wound around a core. A control circuit applies a low frequency excitation signal across the inductor coil. The inductor coil and the core generate a magnetic field. A plurality of sensors sense parameters of the generated magnetic field and produce sensor signals. The control circuit calculates the position of the medical instrument based on the produced sensor signals.

Abstract: A support structure device is configured to assist a human patient to rise. The support structure includes a tube bent into a shape described by way of a reference frustum such as a four-sided truncated pyramid. Each side of a top rectangular perimeter of the frustum is shorter than a corresponding side of the bottom rectangular perimeter, and each parallel side of a first trapezoidal perimeter of the frustum is shorter than a corresponding parallel side of a second trapezoidal perimeter. The reference frustum has a height between 10 and 18 inches, the top rectangular perimeter has a length between 10 and 16 inches and a width between 6 and 14 inches, and the bottom rectangular perimeter has a length between 12 and 18 inches and a width between 8 and 16 inches.

Abstract: Therapeutic application of mild to moderate hypothermia in a medical procedure has been found to provide benefits to patients. For example, application of mild hypothermia in the auditory pathway can prevent functional hearing loss post cochlear implant surgery. Devices have been conceived and reduced to practice that apply localized cooling to a small area such as the basal or middle turn of the cochlea. The devices include a cooling tip with at least one thermo-conductive surface. A heat-transporting fluid is circulated through the cooling tip. After absorbing heat, the heat-transporting fluid may be controllably cooled with a thermoelectric cooling device.

Abstract: A medical system tracks the position of a medical instrument within a body of a patient. The medical instrument includes an electromagnet structure having an inductor coil wound around a core. A control circuit applies a low frequency excitation signal across the inductor coil. The inductor coil and the core generate a magnetic field. A plurality of sensors sense parameters of the generated magnetic field and produce sensor signals. The control circuit calculates the position of the medical instrument based on the produced sensor signals.

Abstract: A medical instrument guiding device includes a body base component, and a guide body upper component assembled to the body base component. The guide body upper component has a substantially semi-spherical shape to house a medical instrument guide ball resting on a friction surface located within the body base component. The surface of the guide body upper component includes a cut out working area, and a surface of the medical instrument guide ball is exposed by the cut out working area. A medical instrument port is arranged on a truncated surface of the medical instrument guide ball, and a medical instrument may be passed through the medical instrument port. The medical instrument guide ball permits the medical instrument to be moved in three dimensions. The medical instrument port permits the medical instrument to be advanced into a patient.

Abstract: An endoscopic device having a one-handed, either-handed steering mechanism is presented. The endoscopic device includes some components that are sterile and used on only a single patient. The single-use components are medically disposed of after exposure to a non-sterile environment such as an internal body cavity of a patient. The endoscopic device also includes some reusable components that are not exposed to a non-sterile environment.

Abstract: An endoscopic device has a tubular body with a retention channel substantially extending axially along the tube body. A medical tube is removably arranged in the retention channel and held in place by friction. A cable assembly is arranged between the medical tube and the surface of the retention channel. The cable assembly includes a shaped end fixture that is drawn between the medical tube and the retention channel when the cable is pulled, thereby releasing the medical tube from the tube body.

Abstract: A medical instrument guiding device includes a body base component, and a guide body upper component assembled to the body base component. The guide body upper component has a substantially semi-spherical shape to house a medical instrument guide ball resting on a friction surface located within the body base component. The surface of the guide body upper component includes a cut out working area, and a surface of the medical instrument guide ball is exposed by the cut out working area. A medical instrument port is arranged on a truncated surface of the medical instrument guide ball, and a medical instrument may be passed through the medical instrument port. The medical instrument guide ball permits the medical instrument to be moved in three dimensions. The medical instrument port permits the medical instrument to be advanced into a patient.

Abstract: A system and method places a percutaneous gastrostomy device into a body cavity of a patient using a magnetic gastrostomy tube and a medical detection sensing device. The magnetic gastrostomy tube has a ferromagnetic element attached to its distal end. Various embodiments allow a needle to be passed from the magnetic detection sensing device outside the patient toward a magnetic gastrostomy tube inside the patient or, alternatively, from the magnetic gastrostomy tube inside the patient toward the magnetic detection sensing device outside the patient. After a needle makes a hole between the outside of the patient and the body cavity, a medical wire may be passed through the hole, and the medical wire can then be used to place the percutaneous gastrostomy device.

Abstract: A technique for detecting and indicating an internal anatomical obstacle encountered during insertion of a medical device into the body of a patient, comprising an elongated member such as a tube, catheter, guidewire, or other device, having a location indicating element, such as a permanent magnet, flexibly coupled to its distal end, and an external detector that tracks and displays the location and orientation of the location indicating element. The flexible coupling has sufficient stiffness to maintain the orientation of the location indicating element against the forces from both gravity and flowing blood within a patient's vasculature, but allows the location indicating element to change orientation if it encounters an obstacle during insertion. The medical caregiver monitors the detector's display and determines encounters with obstacles by observing changes in the orientation of the location indicating element.

Abstract: A device to detect the location of a plurality of magnets uses a plurality of magnetic sensors, having sensor elements arranged in a known fashion. Each sensor element senses the magnetic field strength generated by each of the plurality of magnets and provides data indicative of the direction of the magnets in a three-dimensional space. The device uses fundamental equations for electricity and magnetism that relate the measured magnetic field strength to the location and strength of the magnetic dipole for each of the plurality of magnets. The device may use an iterative process to determine the actual location and orientation of each magnet. An initial estimation of the location and orientation of each magnet results in the generation of predicted magnetic field values. The predicted magnetic field values are compared with the actual measured values provided by the magnetic sensors.

Abstract: A device to detect the location of a magnet coupled to an indwelling medical device within a patient uses three or more sets of magnetic sensors each having sensor elements arranged in a known fashion. Each sensor element senses the magnetic field strength generated by the magnet and provides data indicative of the direction of the magnet in a three-dimensional space. The device uses findamental equations for electricity and magnetism that relate measured magnetic field strength and magnetic field gradient to the location and strength of a magnetic dipole. The device uses an iterative process to determine the actual location and orientation of the magnet. An initial estimate of the location and orientation of the magnet results in the generation of predicted magnetic field values. The predicted magnetic field values are compared with the actual measured values provided by the magnetic sensors.

Abstract: An anatomical marker uses a permanent magnet to indicate a selected location within a patient. The magnet is enclosed within a non-degradable envelope and is coupled to a retention member that is preferably manufactured from a biodegradable material, such as a polyglucuronic acid based material. The retention member may include one or more barbs to retain the anatomical marker in the selected location. An insertion tool, usable with an endoscope, can insert the anatomical marker. A retention magnet is fixedly attached to the insertion tool and holds the anatomical marker in place due to the attractive magnetic forces between the retention magnet and the marker magnet in the non-biodegradable envelope.

Abstract: A device to detect the location of a magnet coupled to an indwelling medical device within a patient uses three or more sets of magnetic sensors each having sensor elements arranged in a known fashion. Each sensor element senses the magnetic field strength generated by the magnet and provides data indicative of the direction of the magnet in a three-dimensional space. The device uses fundamental equations for electricity and magnetism that relate measured magnetic field strength and magnetic field gradient to the location and strength of a magnetic dipole. The device uses an iterative process to determine the actual location and orientation of the magnet. An initial estimate of the location and orientation of the magnet results in the generation of predicted magnetic field values. The predicted magnetic field values are compared with the actual measured values provided by the magnetic sensors.