Abstract: A drug delivery needle includes a body portion from which extends a penetration end that includes at least two sharp distal tips, the sharp distal tips being separated from each other by an arcuate trough that includes a cutting edge at least at a middle portion of the arcuate trough. At least the two sharp tips are made of a drug or include a drug therein or are coated with a drug. The drug is biodegradable.

Abstract: An add-on for a self-injector is described. The add-on includes an adaptor having at a rigid and a bent fluid path. The adaptor is sized and fitted to sterilely couple the bent fluid path to a tip of a fluid reservoir. The add-on also includes a fastener sized and fitted to couple a body of the fluid reservoir to the self-injector. The internal diameter of the fastener is adjustable. The adaptor and the fastener couple to the self-injector to at least one of a plurality of reservoirs having different sizes and tip types. The self-injector can include a support plate with a plurality of attachment points. The fastener can be sized and fitted to couple to the body of the fluid reservoir and to at least one of the attachment points. A retention cantilever can releasably couple the at least one fastener to the support plate.

Abstract: A ventricular assist device (VAD) for use with a heart includes a housing, an upper membrane pump including a pumping chamber coupled to one-way upper inlet and outlet valves, a lower membrane pump including a pumping chamber coupled to one-way lower inlet and outlet valves, and an actuator that causes the upper membrane pump and the lower membrane pump to alternately draw blood into and pump blood out of their respective pumping chambers, and a control module in operative communication with the actuator, wherein the actuator operates with a pumping frequency which is greater than a pulse frequency of the heart.

Abstract: A ventricular assist device (VAD) for use with a heart includes a housing, an upper membrane pump including a pumping chamber coupled to one-way upper inlet and outlet valves, a lower membrane pump including a pumping chamber coupled to one-way lower inlet and outlet valves, and an actuator that causes the upper membrane pump and the lower membrane pump to alternately draw blood into and pump blood out of their respective pumping chambers, and a control module in operative communication with the actuator, wherein the actuator operates with a pumping frequency which is greater than a pulse frequency of the heart.

Abstract: An injector device for medical use includes a needle, a barrel in fluid communication with the needle, and a plunger sealing the barrel's proximal end. The injector device further includes a needle cover, a housing with a channel, and an adhesive base for securing the injector to a patient's skin. The housing channel has openings for the barrel and needle. A handle and coupler mechanism facilitate the removal of the needle cover and adhesive cover from the adhesive base. An assembly method involves installing the barrel into the distal housing channel, ensuring fluid communication with the needle, sealing the barrel's proximal end with a plunger, and coupling the distal housing to a proximal housing. The handle is then pulled to remove the adhesive cover and needle cover from the adhesive base, preparing the injector for use.

Abstract: A wearable pharmaceutical delivery device is disclosed including a compressed elastic power source and a cylindrical pharmaceutical reservoir. Optionally, the compressed power source is positioned along a bent path. Alternatively or additionally, the compressed power source may power discharge of the pharmaceutical. Alternatively or additionally, the compressed power source may power extension of an injection needle. In some embodiments, a tensile element may activate an indicator when delivery of the pharmaceutical is complete.

Abstract: A method for assembling a liner in a tube includes placing a liner in a tube, and heating a portion of the liner, called a heated portion, with a local heat source. The heated portion is not more than a third of a total length of the liner. The heated portion is expanded radially outwards so that the heated portion abuts against an inner wall of the tube. The local heat source is repeatedly advanced longitudinally along a desired length of the liner to expand the heated portion radially outwards so that the heated portion abuts against the inner wall of the tube for the desired length.

Abstract: An annuloplasty implant comprises a flexible member, helical anchors, and non-compressible portions. The helical anchors are configured to anchor the flexible member at least partway around the valve by being screwed into tissue of the heart of a subject. Each of the non-compressible portions comprises a helical coil having a plurality of turns, and at rest has a helix pitch that contacts each turn of the coil with an adjacent turn of the coil. The flexible member extends through the non-compressible portions. The implant is configured such that applying tension to the flexible member from one end thereof contracts the implant, thereby drawing the anchors closer to each other, the helical coil of each of the non-compressible portions inhibiting contraction of the implant at the non-compressible portion.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a cartridge is described. An injection needle is inserted into a mold that forms a barrel. The barrel defines an open proximal end, an opposing distal end, an internal reservoir therebetween, and an arm projecting distally from the distal end of the barrel and having a portion bent at a fixed angle. The injection needle is positioned within a portion of the mold configured to form the arm of the barrel, and a terminal needle tip is oriented such that a beveled opening of the needle tip is distally facing. The injection needle is stabilized against movement with a gripping device. The mold is filled with resin to form the barrel around the injection needle. The gripping device is separated from the injection needle upon hardening of the resin.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide solid con-trolled-release penetrating member for exposure to the intestinal lumen environment and delivery of an active agent across or within the small intestine lumen wall and having a tissue penetrating tip, especially ad-vantageous for active agents typically administered by injection. Optionally, the penetrating members include a tip coat or water insoluble extension of the controlled release formulation and/or an intestine environment protective component. Methods of using the penetrating members and arrays thereof are also provided.

Abstract: A system for medicament delivery includes a cartridge containing a medicament and in fluid communication with a needle, where the needle is enveloped by a needle cap, a housing for containing the cartridge and having an orifice for allowing access to said needle cap and its associated needle, and a needle cap remover device.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing an autoinjector includes supplying a preloaded syringe including a sterile needle and a needle cover, a preassembled distal housing portion including an adhesive base on a distal end thereof and a channel for insertion of the preloaded syringe, and a proximal housing portion including a motor and a transmission. An activation device is supplied and the preloaded syringe is slid longitudinally through an opening in a proximal end of the distal housing portion into the channel. A distal end of the proximal housing portion is joined to a proximal end of the distal housing portion.

Abstract: An anchor of an implant is transluminally advanced to a heart of a subject, the anchor including a distal helical element, and a post extending proximally from the distal helical element. The implant is anchored to tissue of the heart by driving the distal helical element into tissue of the heart, and compressing a fabric tube against the tissue by moving an annular member, coupled to the post, toward the tissue such that the fabric tube becomes sandwiched between the annular member and the tissue. Other embodiments are also described.

Abstract: A cartridge for positioning within a pharmaceutical delivery device is described. The cartridge has a housing with a light pipe section which acts as a light pipe having an input location, and a light diffusing section optically coupled to the light pipe. The light diffusing section extends beyond a plane defined by the housing.

Abstract: A system for medicament delivery includes a cartridge containing a medicament and in fluid communication with a needle, where the needle is enveloped by a needle cap, a housing for containing the cartridge and having an orifice for allowing access to said needle cap and its associated needle, and a needle cap remover device.

Abstract: An extender for filling a syringe cartridge at a filling station having an elevating bar has a connector portion connecting a proximal portion of the extender to a distal portion of the syringe cartridge. A head on a distal portion of the extender is sized and shaped to engage the elevating bar of the filling station. The syringe cartridge having the extender may be provided to a filling station that is configured for filling a long syringe cartridge having a long syringe-cartridge length greater than a length of the syringe cartridge. The syringe cartridge and extender may be supported on a syringe support of the filling station and passed through the filling station to fill the syringe cartridge.

Abstract: A pharmaceutical delivery device includes a cartridge containing a fluid. The cartridge includes a light pipe section having an input location and a light diffusing section optically coupled to the light pipe. A light source is optically coupled to the cartridge at the input location to the light pipe, such that at least some light from the light source entering at the input location is diffused at the light diffusing section.

Abstract: A steering tool includes an internal tube disposed inside an external tube. The internal and external tubes are arranged for longitudinal axial movement relative to one another. A distal end of the internal tube is fixedly joined to a distal end of the external tube. At least one of the internal and external tubes is slotted near the distal end thereof, and the longitudinal axial movement causes bending of the distal ends of the tubes.

Abstract: A first part of an annuloplasty structure is anchored to an annulus of a valve of a heart by using a driver to screw a tissue-coupling element of a first anchor into a first site of the annulus, such that the tissue-coupling element enters cardiac tissue in a direction parallel to a central longitudinal axis of the driver through the distal end of the anchor driver. The same is subsequently done for second and third parts of the annuloplasty structure using second and third anchors at second and third sites of the annulus, mutatis mutandis. Between anchors, the driver is retracted out of the heart. Subsequently, the valve is treated by reducing a distance between the first site and the second site, and a distance between the second site and the third site, by tightening a flexible and elongate contracting member of the annuloplasty structure.

Abstract: An add-on for a self-injector is described. The add-on includes an adaptor having at a rigid and a bent fluid path. The adaptor is sized and fitted to sterilely couple the bent fluid path to a tip of a fluid reservoir. The add-on also includes a fastener sized and fitted to couple a body of the fluid reservoir to the self-injector. The internal diameter of the fastener is adjustable. The adaptor and the fastener couple to the self-injector to at least one of a plurality of reservoirs having different sizes and tip types. The self-injector can include a support plate with a plurality of attachment points. The fastener can be sized and fitted to couple to the body of the fluid reservoir and to at least one of the attachment points. A retention cantilever can releasably couple the at least one fastener to the support plate.