Abstract: A suture capturing device configured to attain multiple preset orientations, comprising: a handle; a hollow shaft coupled to said handle; a rigid needle element configured with a hook for catching a suture and where the needle element is operatively coupled to the hollow shaft opposite the handle and configured to be slidable in a first direction to assume an open orientation where the hook is exposed relative to the hollow shaft and in a second direction to assume a closed orientation where the hook is not exposed relative to the hollow shaft.

Abstract: Stent delivery systems as well as methods for making and using stent delivery systems are disclosed. An example stent delivery system may include an elongate shaft including an inner member having a stent receiving region and a deployment sheath slidably disposed along the inner member. A handle may be coupled to the elongate shaft. A rack member may be coupled to the deployment sheath. At least a portion of the rack member may be designed to extend within the handle. The rack member may include a base portion and a displaceable portion that is displaceable relative to the base portion.

Abstract: A clip treatment tool includes: a clip body that has two arm portions and a folded portion, the two arm portions, the folded portion connecting proximal end parts of the two arm portions; a tightening ring that functions to close the two arm portions in accordance with movement of the clip body from a distal end side toward a proximal end side; a pressing tube that has at least one opening formed in an outer surface thereof, and that allows the clip body to be contained therein in accordance with the movement of the clip body; and a coupling member that has a distal end part to which the folded portion is removably connected and a proximal end part to which a distal end part of an operation wire is fixed, the coupling member coupling the clip body and the operation wire to each other.

Abstract: A guide sheath device with an integrated stabilization wire is provided. The guide sheath device includes an elongate member having a proximal and distal end and a lumen there between and a stabilization wire integrated to the elongate member. The guide sheath is configured to access the lower vasculature via a contralateral percutaneous access. The stabilization wire is configured to exit the vasculature at an ipsilateral percutaneous access and be locked in place at the exit. The proximal end of the guide sheath and the distal end of the stabilization wire being accessible outside the vasculature enable stabilization of the stabilization wire and the guide sheath. The stabilization enables stabilization of procedural catheters and instruments as they access the site of a procedure within the lower vasculature.

Abstract: An ophthalmic surgical instrument includes an elongated shaft and a snare configured to transition between an expanded configuration, in which the snare is sized to encircle lenticular tissue, and a contracted configuration. The snare has a section configured to cooperate with a bottom surface of the elongated shaft to sever the lenticular tissue therebetween upon the snare transitioning toward the contracted configuration.

Abstract: Described is an inflatable implant suitable for placement in the human body and left there for an indeterminate and potentially lengthy period of time. The implant includes at least one bladder wall. The bladder wall will define at least one fillable volume and may form more than one independent fillable volumes. The wall and filler material may be selected to deliver treatment materials to the locale of the implant site or to remove amounts of harmful materials from such a region. The implant may, with an appropriate filler material or bladder wall material, be used in cooperation with an appropriate radio frequency (RF) source to cause the increase of a localized internal temperature and a resulting tissue change such as coagulation, ablation, or the like. Methods of using the implant are also described.

Abstract: Tactile sensing devices, systems, and methods to image a target tissue location are disclosed. When force is applied onto a tissue surface using the tactile sensing device, sensors of a sensor array output voltage signals to a computing device and display screen operatively connected to the sensor array. The sensor array relays its output voltage signals to the computing device, the computing device processes the output voltage signals, and an image of the output voltage signals is visualized on the display screen to help identify a target tissue insertion site.

Abstract: An ultrasonic surgical instrument has a shaft and a probe head, the shaft and the probe head have a lumen or channel and a longitudinal axis and the probe head having a distal end face. The probe head has at least one operative surface engageable with organic tissues for the application of ultrasonic vibratory energy to the tissues. The end face is oriented at least partially transversely to the axis. The lumen or channel has a first outlet opening in the end face and at least one second outlet opening in a lateral surface of either the shaft or the probe head at a position spaced from the end face. The probe head has a plurality of teeth extending laterally from the end face, in two rows on opposing side of the end face.

Abstract: Provided are approaches to establish a failsafe barrier to internal bleeding from percutaneous wounds to protect a patient from failed wound closure devices or related complications due to a variety of contributing factors such as state of systemic anticoagulation, errors in surgical procedure, variability in patient anatomy, and the like. Systems include a clotting agent to encase, and thus isolate, substantially the entire wound access area from the rest of the patient and an instrument, such as an intravascular introducer sheath, inserted through a wound at an access site on a vessel, for delivering the clotting agent to the entire enveloping tissue region around the accessed area as a mold cavity to be filled with the clotting agent. With benefits of patient safety, user simplicity, and low healthcare cost driving the effort, autologous whole blood is the preferred injected agent.

Abstract: Patient-specific 3D complex coils and methods of making and using such coils, including custom fixtures for the manufacture of such coils. Such patient-specific 3D complex coils improve treatment outcomes for cerebral aneurysm repair. The aneurysm may be an aneurysm in a specific patient and/or population of patients having a similar aneurysm shape and size.

Abstract: An ultrasonic instrument includes a body and a shaft assembly extending distally from the body. The shaft assembly includes an acoustic waveguide. The instrument further includes an end effector including an ultrasonic blade. The ultrasonic blade is in acoustic communication with the acoustic waveguide. The instrument further includes a sensor configured to sense at least one characteristic of the shaft assembly and/or the end effector. The end effector is configured to be activated at varying power levels based on the at least one characteristic sensed by the sensor.

Abstract: A loading unit assembly for use with a surgical suturing apparatus includes a surgical needle and a support structure configured for releasably securing the surgical needle. The support structure may include a first finger and a second finger adjacent to the first finger. The first and second fingers may define a first channel therebetween. The support structure may also include a third finger defining a seat portion and a back portion. The seat and back portions may be in facing relation with the first and second fingers. The third finger and the first and second fingers may define a second channel therebetween. The surgical needle may be loaded in the second channel and may be in abutment with at least the seat portion.

Abstract: A method of implanting a prosthetic mitral valve includes advancing a delivery apparatus into a left side of a patient's heart and deploying a support structure from the delivery apparatus. The support structure extends around native mitral valve leaflets such that the native leaflets are disposed radially within the support structure. The method also includes advancing a prosthetic heart valve within the native leaflets. The prosthetic heart valve is separate from the support structure and includes an annular frame and a valve structure positioned within the annular frame, and prosthetic heart valve is in a radially collapsed configuration. The method further includes expanding the prosthetic heart valve from the radially collapsed configuration to a radially expanded configuration. In the radially expanded configuration, the annular frame of the prosthetic heart valve engages the native leaflets and is separated from the support structure by the native leaflets.

Abstract: The clipping device includes a connecting portion which is moved while being connected to a wire of the endoscope and has a body broken when tension more than a set value is applied thereto, a body portion which includes a first inside path portion through which the connecting portion moves and has a magnetic force, a cap portion which is located on a side of the body portion, includes a second inside path portion connected to the first inside path portion, and guides movement of the connecting portion, a clipping portion which is connected to the connecting portion protruding through the cap portion and contracts due to movement of the connecting portion to grip body tissue, and a connector which connects the body portion to the cap portion and includes a material biodegradable in a human body.

Abstract: A device for treating tissue includes a capsule extending longitudinally from a proximal end to a distal end and including a lumen extending therein and a clip slidably received within the lumen of the capsule. The clip includes a middle prong, a first outer prong and a second outer prong. The first prong is coupled to the middle prong so that the first prong is movable relative to the middle prong between a first open configuration and a first closed configuration. The second outer prong coupled to the middle prong so that the second prong is movable relative to the middle prong between a second open configuration and a second closed configuration. The first and second outer prongs are independently movable relative to the middle prong to be moved between the first and second open configurations to the first and second open configurations and the first and second closed configurations.

Abstract: A system for forming an anastomosis between first and second sections of a digestive tract includes Optical Scope Device (“OSD”) having a lumen extending therethrough and positioned at a first target site within the first section, OSD including an imaging component at a distal end thereof for viewing the first target site; First Endoscope (“FE”) including a working channel extending therethrough and positioned at a second target site within the second section; Capture Device (“CD”) extending from a proximal end to a distal end including a loop, CD extends through the lumen; First Flexible Element (“FFE”) extends through FE, FFE including a coupling element which passes through the loop to couple FFE to CD, connecting the first and second sections, the coupling element moving between insertion and locking configurations; and Stent having a lumen extending therethrough which provides fluid communication between the first and second sections.

Abstract: A low profiled stent delivery system includes a balloon catheter with a balloon mounted at a first location, and a balloon expandable stent crimped about the balloon catheter at a second location. The stent expands from a crimped state to a less than fully expanded state responsive to movement of an auxiliary expander from a first configuration to a second configuration. An inner diameter of the stent in the less than fully expanded state is greater than an outer diameter of the balloon in a deflated state. After repositioning the balloon within the less than fully expanded state, the balloon is inflated to fully expand the stent.

Abstract: A retrieval method for removing clots is provided using a device that includes a shaft carrying an expandable cage. The expandable cage includes a plurality of struts, each strut including proximal and distal ends coupled to non-expandable sections of the shaft distal end and an intermediate region that expands from a collapsed configuration to an expanded configuration. The struts have radial surfaces extending in a radial direction and outer circumferential surfaces in the collapsed configuration, and the intermediate regions of the struts are configured to twist along their lengths when expanded to the expanded configuration, e.g., such that the radial surfaces become oriented substantially circumferentially and the outer surfaces become oriented substantially radially.

Abstract: A wound closure system and a method of closing a wound are disclosed. The wound closure system includes a plurality of skin anchors mechanically attached to external skin tissue around a periphery of a wound, a line extending between the skin anchors, the line slidably engaged with each skin anchor, a biasing member that provides tension on the line to draw all of the skin anchors toward the wound and a negative pressure wound dressing apparatus adapted to be used in conjunction with the wound closure system. The method of closing a wound includes the steps of attaching a plurality of skin anchors to external skin around a periphery of a wound, extending a line between the skin anchors around substantially the entire periphery of the wound, providing tension to the line to draw the skin anchors toward the wound, and applying a negative pressure to the wound.

Abstract: The disclosure is directed to a continuous stitch wire routing and delivery system. The system includes a transitional stitching on a tube of a stent graft. The transitional stitching includes a distal portion stitching and a proximal portion stitching. A portion of each stitch loop of the stitches of the transitional stitching is disposed outside the tube and having a string passing through the stitch loop. A distal portion of the string passes through stitch loops of the distal portion stitching, a middle portion of the string is circumferentially around the tube, and a proximal portion of the string passes through stitch loops of the proximal portion stitching. The stent graft is in a compressed state when a tension of the string is above a high-tension threshold. The stent graft is in an expanded state when the tension is below a low-tension threshold.