Abstract: A minimally invasive surgical procedure is disclosed which includes the steps forming a fold of tissue, extending one or more needles through the fold of tissue, deploying a tissue fastener from an interior lumen of each of the needles, and retracting each of the needles from the fold of tissue such that the tissue fasteners remain deployed in the fold of tissue.

Abstract: Sanitary coupling for needle and mechanized punch for micropigmentation and tattooing, having a threaded bolt that can perform shuttle micromovements of the protruding sheaf of the casing of the mechanized punch to which the base of a needle is coupled. The bolt passes through the casing of the mechanized punch through an orifice located in a prolongation and/or sleeve thereof. The base of the needle consists of a disc-like body which on one of its faces presents a threaded orifice for coupling to the thread of the bolt, and its edge is extended to form a complementary overlapping skirt around the form of the prolongation of the sleeve of the casing. On the other face of the disc-like body a protruding portion is centered where the non-dismountable body of the needle is attached. The edges of the disc-like body extend to form a housing for fluid collection.

Abstract: A device for automatically providing needles to a sealing apparatus for sealing a puncture in an anatomical structure, the sealing apparatus including a needle insertion lumen and a needle pusher channel having a needle pusher disposed therein. The device may include a housing coupled to the sealing apparatus and a cartridge disposed in the housing. The cartridge has a first and a second needle slot extending from a distal end of the cartridge to a proximal end of the cartridge. The first and second needle slots have first and second needles disposed, e.g., pre-loaded, therein, respectively. The cartridge is moveable, such as by a biasing element, relative to the housing between a first position in which the first needle slot is aligned with the needle insertion lumen and the needle pushing channel, and a second position in which the second needle slot is aligned with the needle insertion lumen and the needle pushing channel.

Abstract: For suture tying in a medical procedure including the use of an anchor that includes a suture locking device that includes a sliding pin guided by axial side slots formed in the locking device that forces the suture where the two ends thereof are inserted into the interior of the suture locking mechanism to drive the captured suture and pin to fit into a recess on the top of the suture locking mechanism such that the top of the pin binds the suture against the upper inner surface of the recess. The recess can be serrated to enhance the locking capability and the pin is polygonal shaped to provide side surfaces that run parallel to the wall of the recess to assure that the side portion of the pin does not fracture the suture and cause it to weaken. The locking of the suture is automatic upon the deployment of the anchor which actuates the pin into the locking position, thus eliminating the necessity of manually knotting the suture and improving the cinching of the tissue to the bone.

Abstract: An improved method is provided to enhance skin appearance and health, in which skin is cleaned (or exfoliated) and conditioned by use of microelements affixed to a base element or hand-held patch. For the microstructure used in the improved method, the dimensions of the microelements are controlled so as to remove a certain number of layers of skin cells and to accumulate and retain those skin cells, along with other foreign substances, into areas between the microelements. In another embodiment of the improved method, a conditioning compound or therapeutic active can be applied to the exfoliated skin to enhance the skin. Moreover, the amount of skin cells accumulated using the improved method represents a self-limiting maximum quantity that cannot be substantially exceeded regardless of the number of attempts by a user to re-use the microstructure apparatus associated with the improved method.

Abstract: A vascular suturing device is disclosed which includes an elongated tubular body defining opposed proximal and distal end portions and having a longitudinal axis extending therethrough, the body including an inner tubular member, an outer tubular member and a central tubular member disposed between the inner and outer tubular members. The inner tubular member and the central tubular member are mounted for movement relative to the outer tubular member about the longitudinal axis of the body for sequentially driving a pair of suture needles through the wall of a blood vessel to close an incision formed therein. A vascular dilator having a tapered distal tip portion is supported within the inner tubular member and is dimensioned to extend beyond the distal end of the inner tubular member for positioning the suturing device at the incision in the wall of the blood vessel.

Abstract: A prepared kit according to the invention includes a plurality of pre-cut tape strips for securing a medical device such as a catheter, an intravenous needle, tubing, or a similar device to a patient's skin or to a support. Once a medical attendant has inserted a medical device into a patient's skin at an insertion site, the attendant secures the medical device to the patient's skin or to a support at a point spaced from the insertion site by engaging the medical device with a portion of each of the strips. Each of the strips has a biocompatible adhesive on one surface and a non-adhesive portion on the opposite surface, such that medical personnel are able to rapidly and effectively secure the medical device when putting the device into use. The kit can further include the following: a sterilized pad to provide protective padding for the patient's skin; an alcohol wipe for sterilizing the patient's skin prior to inserting the medical device; and a medical device such as an intravenous needle.

Abstract: A prefilled syringe is capable of separate storage of different substances before use. It includes a tubular body having an injection needle at one end and a plunger at the other end, and a partition axially slidable in the tubular body. The partition includes a front part and a rear part independent of each other, and as a whole divides the interior space of the tubular body into a front compartment and a rear compartment in a sealing manner for storing mutually different substances. A bypass is disposed generally between the front and rear compartments to introduce the substance in the rear compartment into the front compartment when the partition is slid under pressure provided by the plunger to be adjacent to the bypass to thereby mix the substances immediately prior to injection.