Abstract: Apparatus for generating a supply of air at positive pressure for the amelioration or treatment of a respiratory disorder comprising a housing, a blower structured and configured to produce a flow of air at positive pressure, a flexible connector electrically and physically connected to the blower; and a blower rotation limitation structure configured to reduce rotation of the blower during use. The apparatus may comprise first and second blower suspensions for holding opposite ends of the blower. The blower suspension(s) may be flexible and in tension. The apparatus may comprise one or more connector anchors for anchoring a longitudinal middle section of the flexible connector to another part of the apparatus.

Abstract: Catheters, sheaths, or other tubular devices are provided that include a proximal end, a distal end sized for introduction into a patient's body, and a steerable distal portion. The tubular device includes a primary lumen extending between the proximal and distal ends; an auxiliary lumen adjacent the primary lumen; and one or more reinforcement members including windings extending helically along at least the distal portion, at least some of the windings passing between the primary and steering element lumens and at least some of the windings surrounding both the primary and steering element lumens. In one embodiment, a steering element is slidably disposed within the auxiliary lumen. Apparatus and methods for making such tubular devices are also provided.

Abstract: A drug injection device (10) including a housing (12) for holding a container (20) having a needle (24) for penetrating skin and a plunger (42) for expelling a drug stored in the container. The device includes visual and/or audible indicators for indicating that the correct depth of needle penetration has been achieved and that drug injection/extrusion has been started and/or completed. The device may further include a label (140) for visually confirming the quality of the drug contained therein. Alternatively, a tray (110) may be provided for receiving the drug injection device, which allows the quality of the drug contained therein to be visually confirmed.

Abstract: A drive mechanism of a drug delivery device and a respective drug delivery device for setting and dispensing of a dose of a medicament are presented, where the drive mechanism has an elongated housing extending in an axial direction, a piston rod to operably engage with a piston of a cartridge containing the medicament, a dosing arrangement manually and axially displaceable relative to the housing for setting and dispensing of the dose, and an accessory drive operably engaged with the piston rod to support a manually operated dose dispensing displacement of the dosing arrangement.

Abstract: Materials and methods of using the same to improve structural integrity of a wall of a mammalian luminal organ. In an exemplary method of method for reinforcing a wall of a luminal organ, the method comprises the steps of inserting at least part of a needle into a blood vessel of a patient, advancing a distal end of the needle within the blood vessel to a location adjacent to a wall of a luminal organ of interest, piercing the wall of the luminal organ using the needle so that a tip of the needle is present within the wall of the luminal organ, injecting a substance through the needle and out of a distal portion of the needle so that at least some of the substance is present outside of the needle and inside of the wall of the luminal organ to reinforce the wall of the luminal organ.

Abstract: A system for performing a surgical procedure includes an OCT unit for scanning an object region volume with an OCT scanning beam and a control unit for setting the position of the object region volume. A surgical instrument having an effective section is arrangeable in an object region of the object region volume and is localizable in the object region volume with the OCT unit. A computer unit has a first computer program for determining the position of the effective section by processing scan information obtained by scanning the object region volume and a second computer program compares the scan information to reference data and provides a set value for the position of the effective section. The second computer program determines deviation information as to the spatial deviation of the effective section from the set value.

Abstract: Apparatus and associated methods relate to a catheter manipulation handle with user interface controls for steering a catheter in situ while providing an augmented (e.g., motorized, powered and tunable precision steering, and perforation safeguards) control and feedback user experience. In an illustrative example, the catheter manipulation handle may provide motor assisted operation to automatically rotate and/or deflect a distal tip of the catheter to steer and guide the distal tip to a target location in the patient's vasculature system. The augmented feedback may include, for example, haptic feedback via the handle. Haptic, audible, and/or visual feedback via the handle may indicate, for example, proximity or engagement of the distal tip with sensitive tissue. In some examples, the handle's augmented operation may advantageously amplify feedback signals to enhance the user's perception of the patient's safety with respect to the safe passage of the distal tip through the patient's vasculature.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a medical device comprising an actuator restraining assembly configured to assist in restraining a catheter shaft in a deflected configuration. The actuator restraining assembly may include a brake element, a release element, a connecting sheath, and a connecting rod disposed in a catheter handle, wherein the connecting sheath and connecting rod are attached to an actuator mechanism, and wherein the at brake element is attached to the connecting sheath and the release element is attached to the connecting rod. The brake element is sized and configured to contact an inner wall of the handle to thereby provide resistance to movement of actuator mechanism in a proximal direction with respect to the handle. In one embodiment, the actuator restraining assembly is configured to allow for temporary, i.e., reversible, restraining of the catheter shaft in the deflected configuration.

Abstract: The invention concerns a device for the atraumatic transfer of a material or substance with a reproductive, therapeutic or diagnostic purpose into a female mammal, comprising a body assembly, an outer sheath suitable for being inserted as far as the start of one of the uterine horns, an inner sheath inside the outer sheath and capable of being extended into the uterine horn, and a piston inserted into the inner sheath order to push the material or substance up to the distal end of the inner sheath. The body assembly comprises a rod extending away from the outer sheath, and on which a shuttle assembly is slidingly mounted, comprising a primary shuttle, mounted sliding on said rod and to which the piston is attached, and a secondary shuttle, mounted sliding on said primary shuttle and to which the inner sheath is attached.

Abstract: A method of performing a power injection procedure, including taking an x-ray of a subcutaneously implanted access port in a patient to determine whether the access port includes a radiographic feature indicating that the access port is suitable for flowing fluid at a rate of at least about 1 milliliter per second through the access port. The access port defines one or more fluid reservoirs, each fluid reservoir accessible through a cannula-penetrable septum. The method further includes identifying the indicating radiographic feature on the x-ray, and in accordance with the presence of the indicating feature on the x-ray, flowing a fluid through the access port at a rate of at least about 1 milliliter per second.

Abstract: The described technology relates to a needleless syringe for injecting an injection objective substance into an injection target area. The needleless syringe includes a protruding member which is provided movably from a first position to a second position at which 1) a protruding length of a forward end of the protruding member from an end surface of a housing is shorter than a protruding length of the forward end at the first position and 2) the forward end and a discharge port can be brought in contact with the injection target area. The needleless syringe also includes a maintaining mechanism which maintains the protruding member at the first position and a power source circuit which applies a voltage to a driving unit when the protruding member having been maintained at the first position is moved to the second position. Accordingly, the unintended discharge from the syringe is appropriately avoided.

Abstract: A drug delivery system is disclosed that includes a drug delivery device having a reservoir, a delivery cannula having a proximal end in fluid communication with the reservoir and a distal end to be received within a patient, and one or more controllable elements. The drug delivery system may further include one or more sensors coupled to the drug delivery device, and a controller coupled to the one or more sensors and the one or more controllable elements. The controller may be configured to use the one or more sensors to determine a condition or an operational state of the drug delivery device. Furthermore, the controller may be configured to control the controllable element based on the condition or the operational state of the drug delivery device and/or identity information stored in a memory onboard the device. A method for use with a drug delivery device is also disclosed.

Abstract: A device for expressing human breast milk has a breast shield for bearing against a mother's breast, a vacuum pump for generating a vacuum, a line which connects the vacuum pump to the breast shield and is intended for transmitting the vacuum generated to the breast shield, and a chamber. The line ends on the pump side in a first port of the chamber. The chamber has a second port for connection to a milk collecting container. The two ports in the chamber are connected to each other in terms of fluid communication. During the expressing operation, the line forms a milk line for transporting breast milk expressed in the breast shield to the chamber and from the chamber to the milk collecting container. The pump can be designed to be quiet and small.

Abstract: A surgical gas delivery system is disclosed that includes a device housing supporting a control unit and a filter interface having a seat for receiving a filter cartridge, the filter cartridge having a filter housing defining an interior reservoir, wherein sensors are coupled to the control unit for sensing a level of liquid within the reservoir of the filter cartridge to prevent contamination of the device, and wherein a set of blocking valves are provided in the device housing for interacting with the filter cartridge when it is received in the filter interface to control flow through suction and pressure lines of the device, and wherein the control unit is adapted to recognize a characteristic of the filter cartridge received in the filter interface.

Abstract: A pharmaceutical device for electric-field assisted administration of Tapentadol and/or of a physiologically acceptable salt thereof, the device comprising at least one pair of electrodes consisting of an active electrode and a counter electrode (1a and 2a and/or 1b and 2b), optionally at least one additional electrode as an auxiliary electrode, at least one drug reservoir (3) containing at least a portion of the Tapentadol and/or a physiologically acceptable salt thereof, and means (4) for applying the device to skin (5).

Abstract: Systems and methods discussed herein relate to surgical systems including tissue resecting devices where the handset has a disposable portion detachably coupled to a reusable portion. The reusable portion may be a housing where a motor and electronics are stored that may be used to drive a shaft inserted into the disposable portion. The shaft may be coupled to a fluid pathway through the disposable portion that is fluidly isolated from the reusable section. After use, the disposable section is detached from the reusable section and disposed, and the reusable section may be cleaned and sterilized, or may be cleaned only.

Abstract: Some embodiments of a wearable infusion pump system can include a pump device having a drive system to dispense a medicine to a user, an activity sensor that detects a possible change in an activity level of the user, and a controller to activate the drive system to dispense the medicine to the user. The controller device can query the user to indicate whether a detected activity level of the user represents an actual change in the activity level of the user. The controller device can alter the medicine dispensing schedule based on the user indicated changes in activity level.

Abstract: The invention relates to a carpoule holder (8) for receiving a carpoule (10) and for fastening to a drive mechanism and/or to a dosing mechanism and/or to a housing (6) of an injection device, with a holding element (9, 9?, 9?) for fastening the carpoule (10) to or in the carpoule holder (8), wherein the holding element (9, 9?, 9?) is designed in such a way that it can be connected to the carpoule holder (8) and can be received completely by the carpoule holder (8).

Abstract: A method of using a power-injectable port includes obtaining the power-injectable access port, attaching a catheter to an outlet stem of the power-injectable access port, and implanting the power-injectable access port and the catheter into a patient. The method further includes identifying the power-injectable access port following the implanting, inserting a distal end of a needle through the septum and into the reservoir, and injecting contrast media through the needle at a rate of at least one milliliter per second. The power-injectable access port includes a housing, a septum, a reservoir, and an outlet stem in fluid communication with the reservoir. The power-injectable access port is rated for injection of contrast media at a flow rate of at least 1 milliliter per second. The power-injectable access port is structured for operation at a pressure in the reservoir of at least 35 psi.

Abstract: A medical elongated body or a balloon catheter that include a catheter main body, a tubular body, and a distal member at a distal end of the tubular body. The distal member is more flexible than the tubular body. The distal end of the tubular body is joined to the distal member at a joint portion. The tubular body includes an outer layer and an inner layer disposed inside of the outer layer in the radial direction of the tubular body. The material of the inner layer possesses better fusing properties with respect to the distal member than the fusing properties of the outer layer material with respect to the distal member material. The inner layer is interposed between the distal member and the outer layer by extending between the distal member and the outer layer at the joint portion.