Abstract: A robotic instrument driver for elongate members includes a first carriage positionable on a bed and beside a patient access site for manipulating a first elongate member, and a second carriage positionable proximate the bed, the second carriage configured to articulate the first elongate member, wherein the second carriage is movable independent from the first carriage.

Abstract: An injector system for injecting fluid includes a syringe and an injector. The syringe includes a body and a plunger movably disposed within the body. The plunger has at least one flexible leg extending toward the rearward end of the body. The injector has a housing with a front plate, a drive member at least partially disposed within the housing and operable to engage the plunger, and a syringe release assembly operable to release the syringe. The syringe assembly includes a syringe release gear that forms an enclosure for receiving the syringe when the syringe is fully seated within the housing and a plunger release tube surrounding at least a portion of the drive member. The plunger release tube has a first end rotationally engaged with the syringe release gear. Rotation of the syringe release assembly releases the at least one flexible leg from the drive member.

Abstract: A physiological parameter associated with tissue of a host may be monitored in the tissue to confirm subcutaneous delivery of medication to the host. More particularly, such may involve delivering medication subcutaneously to the host with a medical device which includes a sensor used to measure the physiological parameter, particularly within a predetermined time period after delivery of the medication. Such may also or otherwise involve forming a depot in the tissue with the medication, and using the sensor to measure the physiological parameter while the sensor is at least partially within the depot.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for performing a medical procedure within a patient's body that involves a thoracic duct including an ostium communicating with the patient's venous system. A distal end of a catheter is introduced through the patient's venous system into a body lumen adjacent the ostium of the thoracic duct. An expandable member on the distal end of the tubular member may be expanded adjacent the ostium, e.g., within the body lumen or the thoracic duct itself, and used to isolate the thoracic duct from the body lumen, whereupon a medical procedure may be performed via the thoracic duct. For example, lymphatic fluid may be removed from the thoracic duct through a lumen of the tubular member and/or one or more agents may be introduced into the thoracic duct through the tubular member.

Abstract: An apparatus and method are disclosed for providing feedback for a steerable medical device assembly for deflecting a device, the assembly comprising a control handle comprising an actuation mechanism. The assembly additionally comprises a device coupled to the control handle and operable to be deflected upon actuation of the actuation mechanism, and a feedback mechanism for providing an indication of the deflection of the device, wherein the feedback mechanism is associated with the actuation mechanism for deflecting the device.

Abstract: An infusion system to provide concurrent TPN/insulin infusion including: a fluid administration set having a primary line in fluid communication with the TPN source, a secondary line in fluid communication with the insulin source, and a common outlet line; a pump operable to removably receive the fluid administration set, the pump being operable to concurrently move the TPN solution through the primary line in response to a TPN solution flow rate signal and the insulin solution through the secondary line in response to an insulin solution flow rate signal; and a flow controller operable to provide the TPN solution flow rate signal and the insulin solution flow rate signal to the pump. The flow controller is further operable to vary the TPN solution flow rate signal and the insulin solution flow rate signal to vary a ratio of TPN solution to insulin solution provided to the common outlet line.

Abstract: A controller for a body cavity irrigation system, where the system features a reservoir containing an irrigation liquid and a catheter, includes a housing with a dial attached to the housing and movable between positions corresponding to stages of a body cavity irrigation procedure. The controller is in communication with an electromechanical pump and at least one electromechanical valve that are in fluid communication with the reservoir and the catheter so that the electromechanical pump and at least one electromechanical valve are configured to perform a stage of the body cavity irrigation procedure corresponding to the selected dial position.

Abstract: An assembly for nasal irrigation for the handheld irrigation of a user's nasal cavity comprising a housing with a refill chamber containing irrigating fluid, an applicator, an actuator for forcing irrigating fluid from the refill chamber through the applicator into the user's nasal cavity during operation, and a solution port for refilling the refill chamber. Some embodiments of the present invention may further comprise a system for nasal irrigation that includes the assembly for nasal irrigation or handheld irrigator, as well as a solution assembly structured for dispensing irrigating fluid to the handheld irrigator, a docking station for removably housing the handheld irrigator, a solution assembly and a refill control, including a check valve.

Abstract: System and methods are provided for treating a patient that include a delivery device sized for introduction into a target site within a patient's body, a source of one or more therapeutic and/or diagnostic agents coupled to the delivery device, and a tubular member sized for introduction into the patient's vasculature to isolate the thoracic duct. Once the thoracic duct is isolated, fluid may be removed from the thoracic duct, e.g., to prevent the agents that transit from the target site into the thoracic duct from entering the patient's vasculature, and/or to modulate flow through the thoracic duct to modulate concentration and/or resident time of the agents at the target site. The one or more agents may include particles sized for preferential transit into the lymphatic system.

Abstract: An injection analgesia system advantageously numbs a patient's skin around an injection site. An injection window guides a caregiver's injection placement to a relatively small area while allowing standard injection procedures to be followed, such as stretching the skin and puncturing the site with a jabbing motion. The injection analgesia system has a needle shield and an analgesia, which are layered together and applied to a skin surface. A needle shield window and a analgesia window align to form the injection window. Advantageously, the needle shield may fold and/or wrap around the injection needle for sharp object protection during and after needle disposal.

Abstract: Needle assemblies, such as catheter devices, and related methods having a needle hub with a needle, a catheter tube with a catheter hub and having the needle extending through the catheter tube. A valve is positioned in an interior cavity of the catheter hub and a valve actuator having an extension leg with an engagement section for supporting an arm of a needle safety clip when the safety clip is located in the interior cavity of the catheter hub.

Abstract: Delivery pumps for providing a bolus or blenderized diet to enterally fed mammals are provided. A delivery pump according to the present disclosure is manually operated, and does not require mechanically powered operation. A delivery pump according to the present disclosure also has a size sufficient to contain an entire bolus or blenderized diet feeding, and is shaped to allow filling of the reservoir with a bolus or blenderized diet by a user. The present disclosure also includes a method of providing a bolus or blenderized diet to a mammal.

Abstract: A hydraulically driven surgical apparatus may be a tube enclosing a first channel filled with a first fluid. Changing a fluid pressure in the first channel may trigger a deformation of the tube. The deformation of the tube may perform an action associated with a surgical procedure. Related methods for steering a hydraulically driven surgical apparatus are also provided.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for navigating within the heart and attaching to the wall of the heart for performing injection of one or more agents into tissue. The system includes an outer catheter, a mid catheter slidably disposed within a lumen of the outer catheter, and a needle catheter slidably disposed within a lumen of the mid catheter. The mid catheter includes a vacuum hood attached to a mid catheter distal end such that a radiopaque distal tip of the mid catheter extends into the vacuum hood. The vacuum hood includes at least two radiopaque features, the spatial relationship of which visibly changes under fluoroscopy when the vacuum hood is under sealed vacuum.

Abstract: An infusion system includes a double action infusion pump. The pump includes a cylinder and a reciprocating piston received within the cylinder, the reciprocating piston separating a first pump chamber from a second pump chamber of the cylinder. A reciprocating motor is coupled with the reciprocating piston, and the first and second pump chambers alternate between filling and evacuating conditions with reciprocation of the reciprocating piston through operation of the reciprocating motor, and the speed of reciprocation is varied to provide a continuous output of fluid between the first and second pump chambers. A fluid source and a catheter are optionally coupled with the double action infusion pump. The catheter includes one or more infusion ports near a catheter distal portion, and the one or more infusion ports receive and expel the continuous output of fluid from the double action infusion pump.

Abstract: A catheter includes: a catheter shaft; and a hub on a proximal side of the catheter shaft. The catheter shaft includes a shaft inner surface inclined portion at a proximal portion, the diameter of which increases proximally such that the shaft inner surface inclined portion forms an angle with the catheter central axis. The hub includes a first hub inner surface inclined portion continuous from the shaft inner surface inclined portion and inclined at the same inclination angle as the shaft inner surface inclined portion, and a second hub inner surface inclined portion proximal of the first hub inner surface inclined portion. The second hub inner surface inclined portion inclination angle differs from the first hub inner surface inclined portion inclination angle. The hub does not cover an inner peripheral surface of the catheter shaft in an interlock portion in which the catheter shaft and the hub are interlocked together.

Abstract: A method and device for the prevention and treatment of oral mucositis using a combination of an anti-mucositis agent and the device that is held in place for prolonged periods of time within the mouth. Portions of the device overlie and are brought into direct contact with the portions of the oral mucosa that are affected by oral mucositis. The method provides prolonged contact time of the anti-mucositis agents to the areas of the mucosa that are affected by oral mucositis. The combination may be used to treat oral mucositis or, prophylactically, to prevent oral mucositis that may occur in patients that receive chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy.

Abstract: A device and method for intravascular treatment of atherosclerotic plaque prior to balloon angioplasty which microperforates the plaque with small sharp spikes acting as serrations for forming cleavage lines or planes in the plaque. The spikes may also be used to transport medication into the plaque. The plaque preparation treatment enables subsequent angioplasty to be performed at low balloon pressures of about 4 atmospheres or less, reduces dissections, and avoids injury to the arterial wall. The subsequent angioplasty may be performed with a drug-eluting balloon (DEB) or drug-coated balloon (DCB). The pre-angioplasty perforation procedure enables more drug to be absorbed during DEB or DCB angioplasty, and makes the need for a stent less likely. Alternatively, any local incidence of plaque dissection after balloon angioplasty may be treated by applying a thin, ring-shaped tack at the dissection site only, rather than applying a stent over the overall plaque site.

Abstract: A system is disclosed for delivering insufflation gas to a body cavity of a patient during a surgical procedure, which includes an insufflator for delivering a flow of insufflation gas to the body cavity of the patient through a flow path that communicates with a pneumatically sealed trocar, a flow meter for measuring an amount of gas that has been removed from the body cavity by use of a suction device, and a controller operatively connected to the flow meter for receiving a flow measurement from the flow meter to determine when the suction device is in use and an amount of insufflation gas needed to be delivered to the body cavity by the insufflator to compensate for the gas removed from the body cavity by the suction device.

Abstract: A penis erection stimulation system comprises one or more infusion needles disposed within and implanted along with one or more housings adjacent the patient's left and right corpora cavernosa. A reservoir and a pump are also implanted inside the patient's body to supply the infusion needle with infusion liquid. A drive unit also adapted for implantation inside the patient's body is arranged for advancing and retracting the tip end of the infusion needle such that it penetrates the housing at least in two different penetration areas either simultaneously or in immediate time succession, thereby injecting drugs along with the infusion liquid into the patient's body for stimulating penis erection.