Abstract: This disclosure is directed to extra, intra, and transvascular medical lead placement techniques for arranging medical leads and electrical stimulation and/or sensing electrodes proximate nerve tissue within a patient.

Abstract: A method of treating a sinus cavity of a subject includes advancing a distal portion of a light source through a drainage pathway of a sinus cavity and into the sinus cavity and visually observing a transdermal light emitted from the light source. A distal portion of a substantially rigid inner guide member of a balloon dilation catheter is advanced into the drainage pathway, the balloon dilation catheter including a movable shaft including a balloon that is slidably mounted on the substantially rigid inner guide member. The movable shaft and balloon are advanced distally over the substantially rigid inner guide member to place a portion of the balloon in the drainage pathway whereby the balloon is inflated.

Abstract: A system for the delivery, repositioning, and removal of a stent is provided that utilizes inherent properties of stents, such as wire woven helical stents, including foreshortening. The stent can be radially constrained to reduce its diameter by applying a tensile force along its proximal and distal ends to collapse the stent permitting the delivery, repositioning, and removal of the stent.

Abstract: A stent graft (1) including a tubular wall (3) with at least one fenestration (40) including a peripheral (37) reinforcement around at least part of the fenestration. There can also be a tubular extension (15). The side arm includes a stent (19) and a cover (17) and extends from and is in fluid communication with the fenestration and the stent graft. The stent may be a self expanding stent. The ring and/or tubular extension provides better support and sealing for an extension arm. The fenestration (40) can be circular or if towards the ends of the stent graft may be in the form of a U-shape (50) with an open end.

Abstract: A balloon dilation catheter includes a substantially rigid inner guide member and a movable shaft coupled to a balloon that is slidably mounted on the substantially rigid inner guide member. To treat a sinus cavity of a subject using the balloon dilation the substantially rigid inner guide member is advanced into a drainage pathway of the sinus (e.g., frontal recess or maxillary sinus) of the subject via a nasal passageway. The shaft and balloon are advanced in a distal direction over the substantially rigid inner guide member to place the balloon in the drainage pathway. The balloon is inflated to expand or otherwise remodel the drainage pathway.

Abstract: Everting filter devices and methods for using the devices, including using the devices as intra-vascular filters to filter thrombus, emboli, and plaque fragments from blood vessels. The filter devices include a filter body nominally tubular in shape and having a large proximal opening. The filter body can extend from a proximal first end region distally over the non-everted exterior surface of the filter, further extending distally to a distal-most region, then converging inwardly and extending proximally toward the filter second end region, forming a distal everted cavity. The degree of eversion of the filter can be controlled by varying the distance between the filter first end region near the proximal opening and the closed second end region. Bringing the filter first and second end regions closer together can bring filter material previously on the non-everted filter exterior to occupy the distal-most region.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a minimally invasive surgical procedure device including a set for forming a modular surgical tool, the set including a carrier shaft and a plurality of functional modules, in which the each functional module has means for rigid connection to the carrier shaft and/or to another functional module and has dimensions suitable for insertion into the body of a patient through a trocar, wherein the device is characterized in that: —each functional module has at least one degree of rotational or translational freedom and/or a functional end-piece such as a forceps, hook or a scalpel, —the carrier shaft and/or the functional modules include means for actuating the functional modules according to the respective degree of freedom thereof and/or the respective function thereof, and in that the device includes an electromechanical interface capable of controlling the actuating of the assembled functional modules forming the tool.

Abstract: Delivery tools of interventional medical systems facilitate deployment of relatively compact implantable medical devices that include sensing extensions, for example, right ventricular cardiac pacing devices that include a sensing extension for atrial sensing. An entirety of such a device is contained within a delivery tool while a distal-most portion of the tool is navigated to a target implant site; the tool is configured to expose, out from a distal opening thereof, a distal portion of the device for initial deployment, after which sensing, via a sense electrode of the aforementioned sensing extension of the device, can be evaluated without withdrawing the tool from over the remainder of the device that includes the sensing extension.

Abstract: An improved device for the management of a patient's uterine hemorrhage has improvements that include: (a) an inlet valve for controlling the flow of fluid into an expandable vessel, (b) an adapter having a free end and a connection end that connects to the third opening in a tube that has openings at each of its ends, (d) a pressure release component that connects to the adapter's free end and provides for the automatic release of a quantity of fluid sufficient to maintain an approximate, steady state, uniform operating pressure within the device, and (e) an attachment means that affixes the free end of the expandable vessel to the tube at a point that is distal from a tube end so that a portion of the tube extends into the expandable vessel and can be used as a core to assist with the placement of the vessel into the patient's uterine cavity prior to its inflation.

Abstract: A suture anchor assembly includes a length of suture having an anchor attached to an end thereof. A releasable suture clamp is disposed in a clamped configuration about the suture. The releasable suture clamp includes a plurality of independent stackable components rotatable about a common axis, which is transverse to opposing faces of the stackable components. Each of the stackable components has a first opening passing through the opposing faces, spaced from the common axis, and sized for receiving the suture therethrough. The releasable suture clamp has an unclamped configuration in which the first openings are aligned relative to an alignment axis and the clamped configuration in which the first openings are misaligned relative to the alignment axis, wherein the alignment axis is parallel to the common axis.

Abstract: An expandable and retrievable device for treatment of a stenotic lesion in a body vessel is disclosed. The device comprises a tubular portion including a proximal end and a distal end extending from the proximal end. The tubular portion has a lumen formed therethrough between the proximal and distal ends. The device further comprises an expandable member formed helically about the tubular portion. The expandable member is configured to helically close, defining a collapsed state for delivery of the device. The expandable member is configured to helically open, defining an expanded state for treatment of the stenotic lesion in the body vessel. The expandable member has at least one filter portion that helically extends from the tubular portion at a predetermined angle. This defines a proximally faced opening when the expandable member is in the expanded state.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure comprise compression devices and methods for applying intermittent and localized vessel compression. The compression devices and methods as described herein can improve fistula circuit maturity rates by promoting vein dilation. An aspect of the present disclosure is directed toward depressor designs actuated using actuator wire(s).

Abstract: A vascular filter system and method are disclosed. In one embodiment, the filter system comprises a dispensing needle releasably attached to a filter dispenser which stores a length of filter wire. The filter wire dispenser has a guide tube which guides the filter wire into the needle and then into a vein during surgical implantation. The filter wire is configured to coil into a predetermined shape as it is deployed from the needle. The shape of the filter wire captures blood clots in the blood stream. Once the filter wire is deployed, the needle may be removed and a portion of the filter wire may be left protruding from the patient's skin surface to allow the filter wire to be secured by a fixation device. A syringe may be used to draw blood to confirm that the needle is properly positioned within a vein before the filter wire is deployed.

Abstract: A method of treating a sinus cavity of a subject includes advancing a distal portion of a light source through a drainage pathway of a sinus cavity and into the sinus cavity and visually observing a transdermal light emitted from the light source. A distal portion of a substantially rigid inner guide member of a balloon dilation catheter is advanced into the drainage pathway, the balloon dilation catheter including a movable shaft including a balloon that is slidably mounted on the substantially rigid inner guide member. The movable shaft and balloon are advanced distally over the substantially rigid inner guide member to place a portion of the balloon in the drainage pathway whereby the balloon is inflated.

Abstract: A sonotrode for an ultrasonic surgical instrument has a shaft and an instrument head at a distal end of the shaft. The instrument head is equipped with a cutting structure for the treatment of bones. The shaft has a helical cut-out. The helical cut-out is provided with a transversely running shoulder. A method produces a sonotrode and a surgical instrument having such a sonotrode. As a result of the shoulder in the helical cut-out, the torsional vibration of the instrument head is amplified such that bone material can be ablated in a particularly effective fashion.

Abstract: Described herein are vascular remodeling devices that include a proximal section, an intermediate section, and a distal section. During deployment, the proximal section can expand from a compressed delivery state to an expanded state and anchors the device in an afferent vessel of a bifurcation. The distal section expands from the compressed delivery state to an expanded state that may be substantially planar, approximately semi-spherical, umbrella shaped, or reverse umbrella shaped. The distal section is positioned in a bifurcation junction across the neck of an aneurysm or within an aneurysm. The intermediate section allows perfusion to efferent vessels. Before or after the device is in position, embolic material may be used to treat the aneurysm. The distal section can act as a scaffolding to prevent herniation of the embolic material. The device can be used for clot retrieval with integral distal embolic protection.

Abstract: This patent document discloses assemblies and methods for removing obstructive material from a body vessel or other cavity. An assembly can include an elongate inner member, an elongate outer member, an aspirator, one or more valves, and a waste collection reservoir. Each of the elongate members can extend from a proximal end portion to a distal end portion and can include a lumen therethrough. The elongate inner member can be partially disposed in the lumen of the elongate outer member and can be moveable along its longitudinal axis relative to the elongate outer member. The aspirator can be in flow communication with the proximal end portion of the elongate inner member for drawing the obstructive material into or through its lumen. The one or more valves can be configured and positioned to allow obstructive material removed from the body vessel or cavity to be urged toward the waste collection reservoir.

Abstract: A catheter for delivering a prosthesis to a treatment site in a body lumen comprises an elongate flexible member and a sheath slidably disposed thereover. A plurality of self-expanding tubular prostheses are carried in axially spaced apart locations along the elongate member, within the sheath. The prostheses may be selectively interlocked with one another and are constrained by the sheath in a radially contracted configuration. The prostheses are separately releasable from the sheath when the sheath is retracted relative to the elongate member. The catheter also has a pusher member slidably disposed along the elongate member within the sheath. The pusher is adapted to move past the prostheses in a first direction without displacing the prostheses, while in a second direction the pusher engages a selected prosthesis so as to move the prosthesis with the pusher to interlock the selected prosthesis with a second prosthesis.

Abstract: A balloon dilation catheter includes a substantially rigid inner guide member and a movable shaft coupled to a balloon that is slidably mounted on the substantially rigid inner guide member. To treat a sinus cavity of a subject using the balloon dilation the substantially rigid inner guide member is advanced into a drainage pathway of the sinus (e.g., frontal recess) of the subject via a nasal passageway. The shaft and balloon are advanced in a distal direction over the substantially rigid inner guide member to place the balloon in the drainage pathway. The balloon is inflated to expand or otherwise remodel the drainage pathway.

Abstract: To provide simple yet accurate stent graft fenestration, a patient-specific fenestration template is used as a guide for graft fenestration. To generate the fenestration template, a patient's medical imaging data such as CT scan data may be used to generate a 3-D digital model of an aorta lumen of the patient. The aorta lumen may encompass one or more branch vessels, which may be indicated on the 3-D digital model. Based on the 3-D digital model or a segment thereof, the fenestration template may be generated, for example, using 3-D printing technology. The fenestration template may include one or more holes or openings that correspond to the one or more branch vessels. To fenestrate a stent graft, the fenestration template is coupled to the stent graft so that the holes or openings on the fenestration template indicate the fenestration locations.