Abstract: The present disclosure includes a knotless suture anchoring system for anchoring a suture with respect to a body cavity, including a bone anchor body with at least one rigid anchoring structure to secure the anchor body within the body cavity. The anchor body has a longitudinal bore and cross-pin extending across the bore. A retention member is coupled to the anchor body with a break notch therebetween, which may selectively fracture to separate the body from the retention member. Additionally there is a suture cutout on the retention member and a relief feature positioned along the break notch and approximately diametrically opposed from the suture cutout, the relief feature acting to alter the force dissipation along the break notch during the separation of the retention member from the anchor body.

Abstract: An exemplary surgical device includes an element positionable within a shaft having a lumen defined therethrough with the element movable from a stored position to a deployed position in which a larger portion of the element extends out of the distal end of the lumen. The element forming a closed loop which is positioned around the lens while the lens is within a capsular bag. The closed loop is reduced in size to form a cut in the lens.

Abstract: A sealing device attached to an intragastric balloon device having a at least one flexible membrane aligned with and configured to seal an aspiration port of a lumen when the membrane is in a closed state and further configured to provide access to the lumen when the membrane is in a open state.

Abstract: A method of anchoring soft tissue to a suitable bone site, using a soft suture anchor, includes steps of disposing the soft suture anchor on a shaft of an inserter, and securing a proximal end of a tensioning suture limb, extending proximally from the soft suture anchor, to structure in a handle of the inserter, so that it is maintained in place at a first level of holding tension (Thold). The inserter shaft is inserted into a bone hole at a desired procedural site, so that the soft suture anchor is positioned at a location where it is to be anchored. A further step involves actuating a control mechanism in the inserter handle to move the structure proximally to apply a second level of deployment tension (Tload) to the tensioning suture limb.

Abstract: A fluid ejection device includes: a fluid chamber; a volume varying unit configured to vary the volume of the fluid chamber; a fluid supplying unit configured to supply fluid to the fluid chamber at a predetermined pressure; and an ejection command switching unit configured to switch a fluid ejection between a pulsed flow ejection which ejects the fluid in a pulsed manner by activating the volume varying unit and varying the volume of the fluid chamber and a continuous flow ejection which ejects the fluid with a fluid supply pressure from the fluid supplying unit higher than that in the case of the pulsed flow ejection in a state in which the volume varying unit is stopped.

Abstract: A nerve guidance conduit includes a spiral structured porous sheet decorated with channels on its surface and electrospun nanofibers in a parallel alignment with the channels and an outer tubular structure including randomly-oriented nanofibers. Such a structure provides augmented surface areas for providing directional guidance and augmented surfaces for enhancing and peripheral nerve regeneration. The structure also has the mechanical and nutrient transport requirements required over long regeneration periods. To prepare a nerve guidance conduit, porous polymer sheet is prepared by a solvent casting method while using a template of thin rods to form parallel channels on a surface of the sheet. Aligned nanofibers are deposited on the sheet parallel to the channels. The polymer sheet is then wound to form a spiral structure. A dense layer of randomly-oriented nanofibers may be deposited on the outside of the spiral.

Abstract: A surgical portal apparatus includes a sleeve having a proximal end and a distal end that extends along a longitudinal axis, and a surgical tape. The sleeve includes an inner wall defining an internal longitudinal passageway dimensioned for permitting passage of a surgical object therethrough and an outer wall configured for positioning against tissue. The inner and outer walls define at least a partial annular space therebetween, the annular space being in fluid communication with an opening in the outer wall. The surgical tape includes a body portion retained within the annular space of the sleeve and a leading tab extendable through the opening in the outer wall of the sleeve. The surgical tape has a first surface and a second surface, each of the first and second surfaces having at least one of tissue reactive functional groups and self-reactive functional groups.

Abstract: A cap configured and dimensioned to sweep or fold one or more haptics when removed from an insertion device. The cap may further have a pin, one or more snaps and/or one or more locks. The cap may also have one or more ports and/or one or more windows. An insertion system having a handpiece, a cartridge, and a cap configured and dimensioned to sweep or fold one or more haptics when the cap is removed from the insertion system. The cap is configured and dimensioned to couple with the distal end of the cartridge.

Abstract: A bariatric device for use in inducing weight loss, comprising a cardiac element, a pyloric element, and a connecting element between the two other elements, wherein the connecting element provides structure between the cardiac and pyloric elements, keeping them largely in place and at least intermittently touching and applying pressure to the stomach's cardiac, adjacent fundic and pyloric regions, respectively, which produces a satiety signal to the user, giving the recipient a feeling of fullness and reducing his or her hunger feelings.

Abstract: A system to treat a patient comprises a user interface that allows a physician to view an image of tissue to be treated in order to develop a treatment plan to resect tissue with a predefined removal profile. The image may comprise a plurality of images, and the planned treatment is shown on the images. The treatment probe may comprise an anchor, and the image shown on the screen may have a reference image marker shown on the screen corresponding to the anchor. The planned tissue removal profile can be displayed and scaled to the image of the target tissue of an organ such as the prostate, and the physician can adjust the treatment profile based on the scaled images to provide a treatment profile in three dimensions. The images shown on the display may comprise segmented images of the patient with treatment plan overlaid on the images.

Abstract: A fluid jet device including a fluid chamber with variable capacity and a capacity varying section adapted to vary the capacity of the fluid chamber in response to supply of a drive signal. A drive waveform section making the capacity varying section operate so as to compress the capacity of the fluid chamber and a restoring drive waveform section making the capacity varying section operate to restore the capacity of the fluid chamber before compressing the capacity in a signal waveform. The drive signal supply section controls supply content of the drive signal to provide a restoring period adapted to restore a steady state of the fluid flowing toward an inside of the fluid chamber in a period from when the compressing drive waveform section in the drive signal is supplied to when a subsequent compressing drive waveform section is supplied.

Abstract: A water jet surgical device comprises a fluid feed device, which is controllable by control signals from a control device, for delivering a fluid into a connecting line of a surgical instrument with an outlet nozzle. The fluid feed device includes at least one measuring device, which is configured such that following the connection of the surgical instrument to the fluid feed device, the measuring device generates measuring signals to represent a quantity of fluid delivered. The quantity of fluid delivered may be displayed on a display or recorded in a recording unit. This enables improved monitoring of surgical operations.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are exemplary embodiments of suture securement devices that replace the need to tie knots in sutures. Some embodiments comprise an annular outer body and one or more suture engagement tabs extending inwardly from the outer body. The devices can comprise a superelastic and/or shape-memory material and have a generally in-plane initial configuration. The suture engagement portions are deformable out-of-plane to an active configuration with the outer body compressed and the tabs interlocked with each other. The device can be heat-set in the deformed configuration. The interlocked tabs exert a pinching force on sutures passing between them that restricts the sutures from sliding through the opening in one longitudinal direction.

Abstract: An endoscopic tissue grasper device includes a flexible tubular member, a flexible shaft extending through the tubular member, a proximal handle for moving the shaft and tubular member relative to each other, and a distal helical coil having a sharpened end for engaging tissue. The helical coil has a proximal close wound portion, a distal open wound portion, and an intermediate transition portion between the proximal and distal portions. The flexible shaft extends into the proximal and intermediate portions and is secured thereto, which prevents tissue engaged by the helical coil from becoming wedged in the transition portion and thereby facilitates release of the coil from engaged tissue. In addition, a bearing sheath is provided between the shaft and tubular member to prevent the shaft from binding during operation.

Abstract: Medical devices for closing anatomical apertures, such as atrial or ventricular septal defects, are disclosed. The medical devices can include a plug body having a proximal end, a distal end, and a longitudinal axis. The plug body can include an exterior surface, an interior surface defining an interior lumen, and a seal which can be located within the interior lumen. The medical devices can also include at least one arm member extending through the plug body between the exterior surface and the interior surface of the plug body. In certain embodiments, the medical device can include a distal loop and a proximal loop extending through the plug body. In certain embodiments, the proximal loop can be smaller than the distal loop, such that a top end and a bottom end of the proximal loop can fit within a top end and a bottom end of the distal loop.

Abstract: Intraocular pressure can be reduced by insertion of an intraocular shunt in the eye such that it forms a drainage pathway between the anterior chamber and a region of lower pressure. A hollow shaft can be advanced through the anterior chamber with the hollow shaft (a) having a beveled tip at a distal end of the hollow shaft and (b) holding an intraocular shunt with a proximal end of the shunt within the hollow shaft. The sclera can be penetrated with the hollow shaft. A beveled surface of the beveled tip can be oriented such that the beveled surface faces toward the Tenon's capsule when the beveled tip passes out of the sclera. After the beveled tip passes out of the sclera, at least a portion of the shunt can be advanced from the hollow shaft.