A medical instrument that includes a needle and an expandable member located at a distal end of the needle. The expandable member includes a blocking member. The expandable member is configured to move tissue away from a distal end of the needle and/or from a distal end of a tubular member that is in fluid communication with a substance source. A substance is configured to be expelled into the anatomy through the expandable member. The blocking member is configured to restrict or prevent the substance from being expelled through the portion of the expandable member that includes the blocking member.

A surgical needle is configured to detect whether a distal tip of the surgical needle perforates or ends up in an undesirable location, or detect whether the distal tip of the surgical needle has accessed a desired location. The surgical needle includes a hub and a body connected to the hub. The body has a hollow core and includes a sharp-pointed tip at a distal end. A first electrode is formed by the sharp-pointed tip of the body. At least a second electrode is provided around the body. The first and second electrodes are connected to a wired connector that can be plugged into an external sensing system. The external sensing system can monitor impedance, electrical parameters, or other parameters.

A medical device and method for conducting therapeutic and diagnostic interventions in the subarachnoid space of a patient in a minimally-invasive manner are provided. The medical device may be provided in the form of a microcatheter (10) which may be inserted into the subarachnoid space, and then navigated within the subarachnoid space, such as along the spinal canal toward the cisterna magna at the base of the patient's brain or to or form any other location within the subarachnoid space. The microcatheter (10) may include a guidewire (14), a fiber-optic lighting element, and a fiber-optic probe (22) or other micro-camera (36) that enables the contents of the subarachnoid space within cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), which is typically clear, to be viewed in real-time as the microcatheter (10) is navigated within the subarachnoid space.

The present disclosure relates to cannula systems for delivery of a therapeutic agent to parenchymal tissue of a target subject. In certain embodiments, the cannula system is for delivery of a therapeutic agent to parenchymal tissue in the spine of a target subject. In certain embodiments, the cannula system includes a cannula positioning guide (CPG) useful in the delivery of a therapeutic agent to a localized target tissue of a subject. The guide may be used in a surgical suite or during a surgical procedure.

Tactile sensing devices, systems, and methods to image a target tissue location are disclosed. When force is applied to the tactile sensing device, voltage data is detected and visualized on a screen, indicating the target tissue location.

A method for implanting a lead includes inserting a needle into the patient; inserting a lead blank through the needle; steering the lead blank to, or near, a lead implantation site; removing the needle from the patient and leaving the lead blank; advancing a flexible sheath over the lead blank after removing the needle; removing the lead blank from the patient and leaving the flexible sheath; inserting a lead through the flexible sheath, after removing the lead blank, and implanting the lead at the lead implantation site; and removing the flexible sheath. The flexible sheath can also be used for explanting a lead and, optionally, implanting a new lead.

The invention generally relates to a continuous anesthesia nerve conduction apparatus and method thereof, and more particularly to a method and system for use in administering a continuous flow or intermittent bolus of anesthetic agent to facilitate a continuous or prolonged nerve block. In one embodiment, the apparatus includes a sheath having a proximal end, a distal end and at least one lumen extending from the proximal end to the distal end. The sheath also includes an embedded conductive element for transmitting an electrical signal from a proximal portion of the sheath to a distal portion of the sheath. A cannula is arranged in the at least one lumen of the sheath and has a distal end protruding from a distal portion of the sheath. The cannula is electrically coupled to at least a portion of the embedded conductive element and is configured to provide nerve stimulation.

Devices, systems, and methods useful to engage tissue using suction and to perform medical procedures during sectional engagement. The present disclosure includes disclosure of a tension apparatus, comprising an elongated portion; and a head portion at a distal end of the elongated portion, the head portion comprising one or more arms, whereby a suction lumen extending along the elongated portion and the one or more arms terminates at one or more suction openings at each of the one or more arms.

A flexible puncture needle device includes a puncture needle (10). The puncture needle (10) includes an outer tube (11) and a central tube (13). The outer tube (11) includes a puncture needle head (111) and a plurality of segments (112). The puncture needle head (111) includes a needle tip at front end and a pair of notches (1122) or a pair of protrusions (1121) at rear end, and a pair of protrusions (1121) and a pair of notches (1122) are formed at two ends of the segment (112), respectively. A pair of protrusions (1121) or a pair of notches (1122) at an end of the segment (112) are engaged with a pair of notches (1122) or a pair of protrusions (1121) at rear end of the puncture needle head (111) to form a needle head joint. Two adjacent segments (112) are engaged via the notches (1122) and the protrusions (1121) to form a joint, and the needle head joint and a plurality of joints are sequentially engaged with each other from head to tail to form an outer tube (11) with the puncture needle head (111) at tip end and a tube body capable of axially bending. Central tube (13) is inserted into the outer tube (11) from another end of the outer tube (11) away from the puncture needle head (111) to form a central tube vacant portion (114) and central tube insertion portion (115) of the outer tube (11). The central tube vacant portion (114) is capable of bending, and during the forward or backward movement of the central tube (13) in the outer tube (11) along an axis of the outer tube (11). A bendable angle of the central tube vacant portion (114) changes as a length of the central tube vacant portion (114) changes.

A set for peripheral nerve blocking, including a rigid cannula, an outer catheter sleeve which can be slid over the cannula, where the distal tip of the cannula protrudes over the distal end of the catheter sleeve, an inner catheter which can be inserted through the catheter sleeve after removal of the cannula from the catheter sleeve and which has an outlet opening at the distal end, and a first connector piece at the proximal end of the catheter sleeve, where the inner catheter has a second connector piece complementary to the first connector piece, and the inner catheter can be fixed in an axial position by connecting the first connector piece and the second connector piece in the catheter sleeve, in which axial position the distal end of the inner catheter protrudes from the distal end of the catheter sleeve with a pre-defined length which has the outlet opening.