Abstract: Methods, apparatuses and systems are described for stent delivery and positioning to cover an access site. The method may include delivering the stent through an access site in a wall of the body lumen. In some cases, the method may include repositioning the stent within the body lumen to at least partially cover the access site with the stent. The stent may be repositioned within the body lumen by retracting the stent towards the access site such that a proximal portion of the stent at least partially covers the access site. The stent may then expand within the body lumen. In some cases, the stent may expand within the body lumen by releasing a primary constrainment member from the stent by pulling the primary constrainment member in a proximal direction away from the stent.

Abstract: Methods, apparatuses and systems are described for stent delivery and positioning to cover an access site. A stent delivery system may include a tubular member configured to advance through an access site and a primary constrainment member configured to releasably couple the stent to the tubular member. The stent delivery system may further include a secondary constrainment member at least partially disposed around the primary constrainment member, the stent, and the tubular member. In some cases, the tubular member and the primary constrainment member may be configured to reposition the stent within the body lumen after removal of the secondary constrainment member such that at least a portion of the stent covers the access site after withdrawal of the tubular member, the primary constrainment member, and the secondary constrainment member from the body lumen through the access site.

Abstract: Methods, apparatuses and systems are described for expandable stent delivery apparatus to cover an access site. The method may include delivering the stent through an access site and deploying a distal portion of the stent from within an outer sheath. In some cases, the method may further include pushing a proximal portion of the stent from the outer sheath such that upon fully exiting the outer sheath, the proximal portion extends proximally to at least partially cover the access site with the stent. The system for delivering the stent into the body lumen may include a stent, a stent delivery apparatus, and an outer sheath. The system may further include an internal pusher configured to push a proximal portion of the stent from the outer sheath and axially compress the stent such that upon fully exiting the outer sheath, the proximal portion extends proximally to cover the access site.

Abstract: Methods, apparatuses and systems are described for expandable stent delivery apparatus to cover an access site. The method may include delivering a stent delivery system through an access site, where the stent delivery system comprises a positioning member with a first portion that is rotatable with respect to a second portion, and where the stent is releasably coupled with the first portion of the positioning member. In some cases, the method may further include withdrawing an outer constrainment member from the stent to deploy a proximal portion of the stent within the body lumen and rotating the proximal portion of the stent away from the access site by withdrawing the positioning member proximally and back through the access site. The method may further include covering the access site with the proximal portion of the stent upon fully deploying the proximal portion from the outer constrainment member.

Abstract: Methods, apparatuses and systems are described for delivering a stent through an access hole of a body lumen and covering up the access hole after deploying the stent. Stents are described that include a stent body defining a body lumen contact surface area and a deployable member configured to deploy from the stent body and increase the body lumen contact surface area of the stent. Deployable members that hinge, unroll, extend, expand, and coaxially translate with respect to the stent body are described. A system for delivering a stent into a body lumen are described that may include a coverage member configured to at least partially cover the hole in the wall of the stent upon withdrawing a tubular member through the hole in the wall of the stent. Coverage members may include a self-sealing membrane, a flap valve, or a hinged valve.

Abstract: Methods, apparatuses and systems are described for administering a swallowable cell collection device to a patient. Methods include releasing a swallowable bundle of string of the cell collection device from a bundling apparatus, maintaining the string in a swallowable bundle while releasing the swallowable bundle from the bundling apparatus, and placing the swallowable bundle on the tongue of the patient. Methods also include constraining a retrieval string of the cell collection device in a swallowable bundle with a dissolvable band and placing the swallowable bundle on the tongue of the patient.

Abstract: Systems, devices and methods for securing tissue including the annulus of a mitral valve. The systems, devices and methods may employ catheter based techniques and devices to plicate tissue and perform an annuloplasty.

Abstract: Methods, apparatuses and systems are described for providing access to a body lumen. The access system may include an access catheter with a lumen extending from a proximal end to a distal end of the access catheter and a stylet configured to fit within the lumen of the access catheter. The stylet may include a lumen extending from a proximal end to a distal end of the stylet and a piercing tip at the distal end of the stylet configured to protrude from the distal end of the access catheter. The access system may be advanced adjacent to the body lumen and the piercing tip of the stylet may pierce the wall of the body lumen by advancing the stylet and the access catheter together.

Abstract: Methods, apparatuses and systems are described for administering a swallowable cell collection device to a patient. Methods include releasing a swallowable bundle of string of the cell collection device from a bundling apparatus, maintaining the string in a swallowable bundle while releasing the swallowable bundle from the bundling apparatus, and placing the swallowable bundle on the tongue of the patient. Methods also include constraining a retrieval string of the cell collection device in a swallowable bundle with a dissolvable band and placing the swallowable bundle on the tongue of the patient.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and devices are described for treating diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, including ulcerative colitis, by delivering ablative energy to a tissue surface of the gastrointestinal tract and ablating the tissue to a controlled depth. Ablating the tissue may include removing a biofilm layer or coagulating tissue.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and devices are described for treating diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, including ulcerative colitis, by delivering ablative energy to a tissue surface of the gastrointestinal tract and ablating the tissue to a controlled depth. Ablating the tissue may include removing a biofilm layer or coagulating tissue.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and devices for providing treatment to a tissue in body lumens are described. The system may include a catheter, an expansion member coupled with a distal portion of the catheter, an ablation structure including one or more longitudinal electrode segments, and an ablation structure support coupled to the ablation structure configured to at least partially unfurl as the expansion member expands and furl as the expansion member contracts. The ablation structure may include multiple separately wired and/or separately controlled longitudinal electrodes, longitudinal electrode zones, or both, such that each longitudinal electrode or longitudinal electrode zone may be selectively enabled or selectively disabled. In some instances, one or more springs are coupled to the ablation structure configured to promote unfurl or furl around the expansion member. In some instances, one or more protection elements are be positioned along the catheter.

Abstract: Catheter based systems and methods for securing tissue including the annulus of a mitral valve. The systems and methods employ catheter based techniques and devices to plicate tissue and perform an annuloplasty.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and devices for providing treatment to a tissue in body lumens are described. The system may include a catheter, an expansion member coupled with a distal portion of the catheter, an ablation structure including one or more longitudinal electrode segments, and an ablation structure support coupled to the ablation structure configured to at least partially unfurl as the expansion member expands and furl as the expansion member contracts. The ablation structure may include multiple separately wired and/or separately controlled longitudinal electrodes, longitudinal electrode zones, or both, such that each longitudinal electrode or longitudinal electrode zone may be selectively enabled or selectively disabled. In some instances, one or more springs are coupled to the ablation structure configured to promote unfurl or furl around the expansion member. In some instances, one or more protection elements are be positioned along the catheter.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and devices for providing treatment to a tissue in body lumens are described. The system may include a catheter, an expansion member coupled with a distal portion of the catheter, an ablation structure including one or more longitudinal electrode segments, and an ablation structure support coupled to the ablation structure configured to at least partially unfurl as the expansion member expands and furl as the expansion member contracts. The ablation structure may include multiple separately wired and/or separately controlled longitudinal electrodes, longitudinal electrode zones, or both, such that each longitudinal electrode or longitudinal electrode zone may be selectively enabled or selectively disabled. In some instances, one or more springs are coupled to the ablation structure configured to promote unfurl or furl around the expansion member. In some instances, one or more protection elements are be positioned along the catheter.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and devices for providing treatment to a tissue in body lumens are described. The system may include a catheter, an expansion member coupled with a distal portion of the catheter, an ablation structure including one or more longitudinal electrode segments, and an ablation structure support coupled to the ablation structure configured to at least partially unfurl as the expansion member expands and furl as the expansion member contracts. The ablation structure may include multiple separately wired and/or separately controlled longitudinal electrodes, longitudinal electrode zones, or both, such that each longitudinal electrode or longitudinal electrode zone may be selectively enabled or selectively disabled. In some instances, one or more springs are coupled to the ablation structure configured to promote unfurl or furl around the expansion member. In some instances, one or more protection elements are be positioned along the catheter.

Abstract: Methods, apparatuses, and systems are described for accessing a body lumen for subsequent treatment thereof. Systems include a cannula configured to penetrate a wall of a body lumen and to passively transition to a nonlinear shape within the body lumen as an elongate member is withdrawn from the distal section of the cannula. Other embodiments include a handle, a cannula removably disposed within a lumen of the handle, and a penetration member sized to advance through a lumen of the cannula, the cannula configured to passively transition to a nonlinear shape as the penetration member is withdrawn from a distal section of the cannula, and a cannula hub configured to selectively engage with a proximal end of the handle to selectively lock rotational movement of the cannula with respect to the handle.

Abstract: Systems, devices and methods for securing tissue including the annulus of a mitral valve. The systems, devices and methods may employ catheter based techniques and devices to plicate tissue and perform an annuloplasty.

Abstract: Systems, devices and methods for securing tissue including the annulus of a mitral valve. The systems, devices and methods may employ catheter based techniques and devices to plicate tissue and perform an annuloplasty. One of the methods includes positioning at least two discrete, flat first anchor elements along a first side of a tissue of the mitral valve annulus in stacked relationship and at least two other discrete, flat first anchor elements along the second side of the tissue of the mitral valve annulus in stacked relationship.

Abstract: Methods, apparatuses and systems for collecting cells from a body lumen are described. The system may include a cell collection device and a capsule configured to releasably retain the cell collection device. The cell collection device may comprise a plurality of distinct regions, each region comprising one or more material properties. In some instances, at least one material property of at least one distinct region differs from at least one material property of at least one other distinct region. The distinct regions may comprise different materials or may comprise the same material where at least one of the distinct regions is mechanically or chemically altered to yield the at least one differing material property.