A device for regulating blood pressure between a patient's left atrium and right atrium, and apparatus for delivery the device, are provided. The delivery apparatus may include one or more latching legs, a release ring, a pull chord, and a catheter wherein the latching legs are configured to engage the device for delivery. The inventive devices may reduce left atrial pressure and left ventricular end diastolic pressure, and may increase cardiac output, increase ejection fraction, relieve pulmonary congestion, and lower pulmonary artery pressure, among other benefits. The inventive devices may be used, for example, to treat subjects having heart failure, pulmonary congestion, or myocardial infarction, among other pathologies.

A method of inducing retrograde blood flow may include extending a sheath through opposite walls of one of an artery and a vein of a subject and through a wall of the other of the artery and the vein such that a distal end of the sheath may be positioned within one of the artery and the vein. The method may include inducing retrograde blood flow in the artery and delivering the induced retrograde blood flow into the vein of the subject via the sheath.

A user-controllable urinary catheter prosthesis (20) is provided for minimally-invasive insertion into a subject. The prosthesis (20) includes a proximal intra-urethral assembly (22), configured to be inserted entirely within a urethra (102) via a meatus (104). A user-activatable hydraulic activator (50) is disposed along a flexible intra-urethral catheter (30, 430), which is shaped so as to define a urinary outlet (40, 440) at a proximal end (41, 441) thereof. A distal bladder assembly (32, 132, 232, 332) is configured to be disposed in a bladder of the subject, and includes a bladder anchor (48). A hydraulic valve (60, 160, 260, 360) is configured to assume an open state, in which urine flow is allowed between the distal bladder assembly (32, 132, 232, 332) and the urinary outlet (40, 440); and a closed resting state, in which urine is entirely blocked from entering the distal bladder assembly (32, 132, 232, 332) and exiting the urinary outlet (40, 440). Application of pressure to the hydraulic activator (50) transitions the hydraulic valve (60, 160, 260, 360) from the closed resting state to the open state. Other embodiments are also described.

A method for monitoring a flowrate of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in a ventriculo-peritoneal (VP) shunt implanted in a human patient includes: (i) receiving, at a device external to the human patient, data sensed by a plurality of sensors within the device and positioned relative to the VP shunt to drain excess cerebrospinal fluid from the human patient's brain; (2) determining, by the device and based on the sensed data, a rate of flow of the CSF in the VP shunt; and (3) transmitting (e.g., wirelessly), by the device, data indicating the rate of flow to a computing server.

A delivery system for delivering an implant to a first space within a body of a patient including an elongate delivery member having a proximal portion, a distal portion, a lumen and a receiving area, the receiving area dimensioned for receipt of the implant. A deforming member is movable with respect to the delivery member from a first position to a second position to apply a force to the implant to deform the implant positioned in the receiving area of the delivery member.

Described herein is the use of CSF, more particularly external CSF or CSF-like compositions for the treatment and prevention of different diseases. More particularly, the application provides for the administration of CSF to the intrathecal space or the cerebral ventricles of a patient to increase intracranial pressure and/or CSF flow.

A coated urinary catheter or urinary stent device includes a urinary catheter or stent which, in a deployed position, includes or defines a protective surface area and a protected surface area and a coating upon at least a portion of the protective surface area. The coating includes a lubricant and an antimicrobial and/or pH buffering material. The device is configured such that, upon application of negative pressure to the catheter or stent, tissue of a urinary tract of a patient conforms or collapses onto the protective surface area and is thereby prevented or inhibited from occluding one or more protected drainage holes, ports or perforations of the catheter or stent.

A coated urinary catheter or urinary stent device includes a urinary catheter or stent which, in a deployed position, includes or defines a protective surface area and a protected surface area and a coating upon at least a portion of the protective surface area. The coating includes a lubricant and an antimicrobial and/or pH buffering material. The device is configured such that, upon application of negative pressure to the catheter or stent, tissue of a urinary tract of a patient conforms or collapses onto the protective surface area and is thereby prevented or inhibited from occluding one or more protected drainage holes, ports or perforations of the catheter or stent.

A medical treatment system for determining administration of medications to a patient is disclosed. The system uses a plurality of sensors to perform a first set of physiologic measurements in a right side of the heart and a second set of physiologic measurements in a left side of the heart. The system also includes a receiver configured to receive measurement data regarding the first and second sets of physiologic measurements and output to a display device the received measurement data.

A urinary catheter insertion alignment device for use by a female patient is disclosed. The urinary catheter insertion alignment device is molded to the patient's vaginal anatomy using impression material while an intermittent urinary catheter is inserted into the urethral orifice. Once the urinary catheter insertion alignment device has hardened, the intermittent urinary catheter is removed therefrom. Thereafter, the urinary catheter insertion alignment device may be fitted to the vaginal anatomy by the patient, which positions the passageway therethrough (formerly occupied by the urinary catheter in place during the molding operation) directly over the urethral orifice. The patient may then easily insert an intermittent urinary catheter (of a size smaller than that used during the molding operation) through the passageway, into the urethral orifice, and into the bladder for drainage of the bladder.