A method for closure of the left atrial appendage (LAA), including: placing an LAA reshaper in contact with an LAA wall or near the LAA wall; invaginating at least a portion of the LAA into the left atrium (LA); reshaping by the LAA reshaper the LAA during the invagination; fastening the invaginated at least a portion of said LAA; and retracting the LAA reshaper from the LAA

A delivery device includes an inner shaft, an outer sheath, a nosecone, and a tether component. The outer sheath is slidably disposed over the inner shaft. The nosecone is removably coupled to the inner shaft. The nosecone includes a delivery configuration for delivery to a treatment site, a radially compressed configuration in which a portion of the nosecone is configured to traverse through a heart wall, and a radially expanded configuration in which an outer surface of the nosecone contacts an outer surface of the heart wall. The tether component includes a first end coupled to the nosecone. The nosecone is configured to plug a piercing in the heart wall when in the radially expanded configuration.

An articulating working channel system for use with a plurality of flexible tools which are adapted to be interleaved in a single surgical procedure, comprising: a working channel subassembly including a hollow flexible shaft; and a surgical tool subassembly including the flexible tool, wherein the flexible tool includes a flexible tube which is adapted to be inserted into the flexible shaft and wherein the flexible shaft is adapted to be articulated and the flexible tube is adapted to be passively articulated therewith.

Systems and methods for planning delivery of an object via a catheter, such as transseptal delivery of a prosthetic mitral valve to a patient's heart are disclosed.

Surgical systems are provided. In one exemplary embodiment, a surgical system includes a first scope device having a first portion within an extraluminal space and a second portion positioned within an intraluminal space. The first scope device transmits image data of a first scene. A second scope device is disposed within the extraluminal space and transmits image data of a second scene. The first portion of the first instrument is present within the field of view of the second scope device to track the first scope device relative to the second scope device. A controller receives the transmitted image data of the first and second scenes, to determine a relative distance from the first scope device to the second scope device within the extraluminal space, and to provide a merged image. At least one of the first and second scope device in the merged image is a representative depiction thereof.

Disclosed are embodiments of a method for occluding a left atrial appendage (LAA) and other cavities or openings within a body. Some embodiments of the method can include an implant configured to be deployed within the LAA or other cavity, configured to be expanded or moved against a wall portion of the LAA or other cavity, and configured to twist at least a portion of the LAA or other cavity when the implant is rotated. Thereafter, one or more securing elements, staples, sutures, or other fasteners can be implanted in the gathered tissue to hold the tissue in the gathered state, thereby occluding the opening of the LAA or other cavity. In some embodiments, the opening of the LAA or other cavity can be occluded by elongating or otherwise reshaping the opening using an implant device, and securing the opening in the occluded state.

Described herein are methods, devices, and support structures for assembling optical fibers in catheter tips and facilitating alignment and structural support. A method for assembling a plurality of optical fibers and lenses in a support structure for an ablation catheter includes providing a support structure with a proximal end, a body, and a distal end, the distal end including a plurality of alignment orifices or slits. A plurality of optical fibers are threaded through the alignment orifices or slits, such that each optical fiber is threaded through a corresponding alignment orifice or slit. An adhesive material is applied at each alignment orifice or slit to secure the optical fibers, and the plurality of optical fibers are then cleaved at the distal end to remove portions of the fibers extending out of the distal end. Finally, a lens is attached to each of the ends of the plurality of optical fibers.

Medical devices that include a trigger assembly for a rotatable catheter and methods of use are described. An example medical device includes a housing, a catheter, a drive assembly, and a trigger assembly. The trigger assembly is partially disposed within the housing and includes a trigger, a drive initiator, a drive member, a flip drive, and a biasing member. The trigger is moveable between a first position and a second position relative to the housing. The flip drive is moveable between a neutral position, a first drive position, and a second drive position. The drive assembly moves relative to the housing when the flip drive is in the first drive position and the trigger is moved from its first position to its second position.

A medical device system may include a sheath, a pusher wire, and a locking element. The sheath may have a first outer diameter adjacent to the proximal end and an enlarged outer diameter region having a second outer diameter greater than the first adjacent to the intermediate region. The pusher wire may be slidably disposed within a lumen of the sheath. The locking element may have a lumen extending therethrough. The locking element may have a first inner diameter adjacent to the distal end and a second inner diameter smaller than the first adjacent to the intermediate region. The locking element may configured to freely slide over a region of the sheath having the first diameter. When the locking element is disposed over the enlarged outer diameter region of the sheath having the second outer diameter, the locking element may be configured to depress the sheath radially inwards.

Inverting tube apparatuses and methods of using same for removing large amounts of material from a body lumen. The apparatuses and methods described herein may use a depot for holding, in a compressed configuration, a length of the flexible tube configured to invert over the distal end of an inversion support catheter to capture material within a body lumen. The depot is configured to facilitate the release of the flexible tube with a low release force, and in a manner that prevents snagging or binding of the flexible tube either on the body of the catheter or when rolling and inverting into the inversion support catheter.