Abstract: Dislodging an anchor sleeve from an implanted device may be accomplished with a tool that includes a support portion and a sleeve dislodging element, wherein a collar of the support portion engages a distal end of the anchor sleeve while the dislodging element, positioned at a proximal end of the sleeve, is moved toward the collar to dislodge the anchor sleeve. The tool preferably includes a handle member held in sliding engagement with a base member, for example, by a snap-fit, wherein the support portion is part of the handle member, and a distal segment of the base member is terminated by the dislodging element. A tool kit may include a plurality of base members, each one including a different type of dislodging element, from which an operator may select for snap-fitting to a handle member of the kit.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus employed to locate body vessels and occlusions in body vessels finding particular utility in cardiac surgery, particularly minimally invasive cardiac surgery to locate cardiac arteries and occlusions in cardiac arteries are disclosed. An elongated vessel lumen probe incorporating a lumen probe element at or near the elongated vessel lumen probe distal end is advanced into the vessel lumen. A vessel surface probe manipulated by the surgeon and having a surface probe element sensor is employed to detect the lumen probe element and to follow the progress of the vessel lumen probe element as it approaches and is advanced through or is blocked by an occlusion. In the location of a coronary artery, the surface probe element sensor is moved about against the epicardium over the suspected location of the artery of interest until a surface probe element sensor of the present invention at the surface probe distal end interacts with the lumen probe element of the vessel lumen probe.