Abstract: An instrument port includes an elongated shaft, a steerable tip, an offset balloon, and a working tube. The elongated shaft has proximal and distal ends and extending along a shaft axis, the elongated shaft having a fluid port defined in an external surface at the distal end of the elongated shaft. The steerable tip is attached to the distal end of the shaft. The offset balloon is attached to the external surface of the elongated shaft, the offset balloon having an internal volume in fluid communication with the fluid port, the offset balloon having an inflated state and a deflated state, wherein in the inflated state the offset balloon is radially asymmetrically inflated with respect to the shaft axis. The working tube is disposed in the elongated shaft, the working tube forming a working channel to receive a medical instrument.

Abstract: A method for controlling an epicardial ablation procedure comprises (a) inserting an instrument port comprising an ablation tool, an optical camera and an optical light emitter into an epicardial cavity proximal to a target region; (b) providing optical light into said epicardial cavity through said optical light emitter to illuminate said target region; (c) obtaining a first image of said target region using said optical camera; (d) steering a tip of said ablation tool towards said target region; (e) applying an ablation energy to said target region using the ablation tool so as to form a lesion in or on said target region; (f) obtaining a second image of said target region using said optical camera; and (g) processing at least one of said first and second images in an image processor so as to determine a characteristic of said lesion.

Abstract: An instrument port includes an elongated shaft, a flexible shaft, a steerable tip, a handle, and a working tube. The elongated shaft extends along a shaft axis. The flexible shaft is attached to a distal end of the elongated shaft, the flexible shaft configured to bend only within a pivot plane that is defined by the shaft axis and a pivot axis that is orthogonal to the shaft axis. The steerable tip is attached to the distal end of the shaft, the steerable tip extending along a tip axis. The handle is attached to a proximal end of the elongated shaft, the handle including a lever in mechanical communication with the flexible shaft to adjust a customizable angle of the steerable tip measured between the shaft axis and the tip axis. The working tube is disposed in the elongated shaft and flexible shaft.

Abstract: An instrument port includes an elongated shaft, a bendable shaft, a steerable tip, an offset balloon, and a handle. The bendable shaft has a proximal end attached to the distal end of the elongated shaft along a shaft axis, the bendable shaft configured to bend only within a pivot plane that is defined by the shaft axis and a pivot axis that is orthogonal to the shaft axis. The steerable tip is attached to a distal end of the bendable shaft and includes a camera and a light emitter. The offset balloon is attached to the external surface of the elongated shaft and has an internal volume in fluid communication with a fluid port in the elongated shaft. The handle includes at least one lever in mechanical communication with the bendable shaft to adjust a customizable angle of the steerable tip measured between the shaft axis and the tip axis.