Abstract: A brachytherapy positioning apparatus and a method of positioning a radiation source within a passageway of a patient's body are disclosed. The apparatus is configured to position a radioactive source in the center of the passageway being treated so that all regions of the passageway wall receive the same dosage of radiation. The brachytherapy positioning apparatus may include an elongated member, a distal end cap, a reconfigurable positioning element, and a control member. The positioning element may be positioned between the distal end cap and the elongated member about a portion of the control member and may be selectively changed between a radially expanded state and a retracted state with the control member. In one embodiment, the positioning element includes a plurality of generally parallel wires that each expand and retract along a different radius originating from a centerline axis of the control member.

Abstract: A surgical instrument for extracting tissue ingrowth from a permeable member of a catheter implanted in a patient is disclosed. The surgical instrument includes a first extracting component and a second extracting component pivotally coupled to the first extracting component. Both extracting components include a wedge having a blunted leading edge sized and shaped to be lodged adjacent an adhesion interface between the permeable member and tissue of a patient when the extracting components are pivoted to a closed position. The extracting components can then be pivoted to an open position to forcibly pull the tissue ingrowth out of the permeable member. Each wedge further has a concave surface sized and shaped such that, after the complete extraction of the tissue ingrowth from the permeable member, the wedges can clench the permeable member when the first extracting component and the second extracting component are pivoted to a closed position.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for marking the location for excising a bone lesion by surgery. A localizing needle containing radioactive source of radiation at its tip, is received in a guide needle, with sharp ends of both needles juxtaposed. A cable extends from the opposite end of the localizing needle through the guide needle lumen and out the proximal end of the guide needle. With the bone lesion visualized on a monitor in real time, the needle combination is inserted, tip-first, through the skin and advanced toward the lesion. The radiation from the localizing needle tip assists the surgeon to manipulate the guide needle tip to a marker site on the bone immediately adjacent the lesion. The guide needle tip is pushed into and securely held in the bone. In one embodiment, a handle secured to the cable outside the proximal end of the guide needle is rotated a quarter turn to anchor hooked tips of the localizing needle in the bone.

Abstract: A lesion localization device and method for localizing lesions are disclosed herein. In the disclosed device, a pair of small diameter shape memory wires are twisted about each other to form an elongate guiding portion extending along a longitudinal axis to an anchoring portion at the distal end of the device. The anchoring portion, which is formed by the distal end portions of the pair of shape memory wires, includes a plurality of loops which radially extend in multiple separate directions away from the longitudinal axis of the device.

Abstract: A percutaneous filter system for providing temporary filtering of emboli from the blood is disclosed, the filter system including a delivery catheter having a first working access lumen and a second filter deployment/retrieval lumen containing a filtering device which is deployable therefrom. The filtering device includes a deployment/retrieval wire section and a filtering element formed at the distal end of said deployment/retrieval wire section. The filtering element is made of shape memory/superelastic material and is formed to have a distally expanding frustoconical pre-disposed shape which, when the filtering element is deployed by being extended distally from the delivery catheter through the filter deployment/retrieval lumen thereof, defines a filtering channel that is offset from said deployment/retrieval axis and extends about the extended axis of the working access lumen of the delivery catheter.