Disclosed embodiments include devices and methods for shaping, bending, and/or volumetrically reducing rigid cartilaginous structures, such as hyaline cartilage in the septum. In the case of septal cartilage, shaping, bending, or reducing the cartilage would be useful for reducing nasal obstruction or to improve the cosmetic appearance of the nose.

Provided in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure is a microwave ablation system including an introducer having a lumen therethrough, a stylus configured for slidable engagement within the lumen of the introducer, and a microwave ablation antenna configured to deliver energy to a target during an ablation procedure, wherein the microwave ablation antenna is configured for slidable engagement within the lumen of the introducer.

An instrument capable of being repeatedly sterilized. The instrument has handle pieces that are configured as a housing. The housing includes housing shells that are joined to one another at butt joints without a gap. The interior of the butt joints may be completely filled with a casting compound.

An implant or endoprosthesis suitable to be implanted in human or animal tissue includes two (or more than two) parts to be joined in situ. Each one of the parts includes a joining location, the two joining locations facing each other when the device parts are positioned for being joined together, wherein one of the joining locations includes a material which is liquefiable by mechanical vibration and the other one of the joining locations includes a material which is not liquefiable by mechanical vibration and a structure (e.g. undercut cavities or protrusions) suitable for forming a positive fit connection with the liquefiable material. The joining process is effected by pressing the two device parts against each other and by applying ultrasonic vibration to one of the device parts when the two parts are positioned relative to each other such that the two joining locations are in contact with each other.

For fixedly implanting a device for material or signal delivery or acquisition or a part of such a device in a human or animal body, an opening is provided in hard tissue of the body, the opening reaching through a hard tissue layer, e.g. through a cortical bone layer into cancellous bone underneath. The device includes a plug portion and/or a cover portion which includes a ring of a material having thermoplastic properties extending around the plug portion or on a tissue facing surface of the cover portion. The opening provided in the hard tissue has a cross section at least in the area of its mouth that is adapted to the plug or cover portion such that the plug portion can be introduced through the mouth of the opening or the cover portion can be positioned over the mouth of the opening such that the ring extends around the opening, along its wall and/or on the hard tissue surface around its mouth.

A device and a method for keeping the sternal edges apart for the procedure of delayed sternal closure is disclosed in which one or more, specifically shaped struts or stents are insinuated horizontally between the edges of the open sternum, keeping the two edges of the divided sternum apart by a distance determined by the length of the middle bar of the device. The disclosed device has lateral ends which are manually engaged to the medial ends of the sternal edges, by an insinuating movement while the said lateral ends of the apparatus hold onto the medial portion of the sternal edges by a passive, cupping grip which can be further secured by anchoring sutures. The whole of the disclosed device is in the form of a single piece, without any moving parts, joints, screws or nuts & bolts. The present device provides a method and an instrument which occupies minimum inter-sternal space and provides maximum sub-sternal space for accommodating cardiac oedema.

A cannula supporting a percutaneous pump can include a proximal section with a first flexural modulus. The cannula can include one or more distal sections with a flexural modulus that is different than the first flexural modulus. The material and its arrangement along the length of the cannula can be selected so as to influence bending properties. This can, for example, allow efficient positioning of the cannula in a desired location without displacing the guidewire.

A hemostatic device is disclosed, which capable of favorably maintaining strength of an inflatable portion and reducing a pressing force acting on a site where bleeding is to be stopped over time to such an extent that vascular occlusion can be prevented without operation by a doctor or a nurse. The hemostatic device includes a band for wrapping around a wrist, a fastener or means for securing the band to the wrist in a wrapped state, and an inflatable portion connected to the band and inflated by being injected with a gas, in which the inflatable portion includes a resin layer made of a resin material, a particulate portion dispersed in the resin layer, and a space portion formed around the particulate portion. The space portion contains gas dispersed in the resin layer so as not to communicate between an inner surface and an outer surface of the resin layer.

A medical grade thermoplastic or polymer implant with an osteoconductive coating is provided, specifically for corrections of the distal and proximal interphalangeal toe joints of the foot. The implant can be either straight or angled, and can be either solid or cannulated for insertion. The implant is sized and shaped depending on the specific anatomy and desired correction. End portions of the implant may be coated with an osteoconductive coating that promotes bone growth, but may reduce radiolucency. Thus, a central portion of the implant may remain uncoated to increase radiolucency of the implant at the region where two bones come together.

A catheter includes an elongated body, a distal assembly with a shape-memory member defining a generally helical form, and a control handle. The control handle may be adapted to actuate a deflection puller wire for deflecting a portion of the elongated body and a contraction wire for contracting the generally helical form. The generally helical form carries irrigated ablation ring electrodes. A nitinol support member with shape memory extends through the distal assembly and into the elongated body to provide the helical form. The support member may have a varying stiffness along its length, for example, a decreasing stiffness toward a distal end of the support member. The support member can also be hollow so that it can receive a mandrel whose stiffness is greater than that of the support member.