A needle bending assembly configured to at least temporarily contain a needle can include a first housing section, a second housing section, and a coupling element coupled between the first housing section and the second housing section. The first housing section defines a first cavity configured to at least temporarily contain a first section of the needle. The second housing section defines a second cavity configured to at least temporarily contain a second section of the needle forming a distal tip. The coupling element is configured such that when the needle is contained within the housing sections, movement of the second housing section relative to the first housing section results in a bending of the needle at a location corresponding to the coupling element.

Provided herein are devices, systems, and methods for bending a needle. More particularly, the present disclosure provides materials and methods relating to bending the distal end of a needle with more precision than conventional means, which improves the performance of various medical procedures and leads to better patient outcomes.

Provided is an epidural device configured to inhibit or substantially or completely prevent further progression of an epidural needle upon entry of the needle into the epidural space. When the needle is inserted into the ligamentum of the patient's back, the device may be pressurized with fluid using the resistance of the dense ligament to maintain pressure. This pressurization may lock a pushing mechanism in place relative to the needle such that the pushing mechanism can be used to advance the needle. Once the epidural space is reached, the fluid (e.g., saline or air) enters the epidural space, and the release of pressure may cause the trigger mechanism to disengage from the sliding pusher, allowing the pusher to slide along the body of the construct. The device thus may provide the ability to detect the epidural space using pressure loss while preventing the needle from advancing into the dura once the space is reached. In a preferred aspect, the device may prevent premature triggering when there is a slow flow of fluid from the epidural needle into the surrounding tissue.

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.

Methods, devices and systems are described for decreasing the activity of the sympathetic nervous innervation to and from the lungs and the vessels supplying the lungs to treat pulmonary medical conditions such as asthma. In one embodiment, the method may involve advancing an intravascular instrument to a target location in a blood vessel within the intercostal vasculature to ablate either or both the sympathetic afferent and efferent nerves lying within the paravertebral gutter including the visceral fibers that travel to the cardiothoracic cavity and abdominopelvic viscera and the T1 to T4/5 sympathetic chain. In another embodiment, an intravascular instrument may be advanced to the bronchial vessels to ablate either or both the sympathetic afferent and efferent nerves in and around the posterior pulmonary plexus. In one embodiment the ablative agent is a neurolytic agent delivered in a gel. This approach may be utilized to treat other cardiac and pulmonary diseases.

A device for drawing spinal fluid from a body part or injecting medication into the body part is disclosed. The device may include one or more measurement features (markings) that indicate the subcutaneous depth of the device as well as confirm placement and orientation of the spinal fluid withdrawing or medication injecting end of the device in the body part. The device may include a trocar and a cannula having a patient end, a non-patient end, an outer surface, and a central passage adapted to receive said trocar. One or more windows may be provided in or on the cannula, said windows extending from the outer surface of the cannula to the central passage. The windows may be spaced from the patient end of the cannula and from each other along a specific longitudinal axis of the cannula by a predetermined distance, such as 10 millimeters.

Described herein are devices, systems and methods for treating target tissue in a patient's spine. In general, the methods include the steps of advancing a wire into the patient from a first location, through a neural foramen, and out of the patient from a second location; connecting a tissue modification device to the wire; positioning the tissue modification device through the neural foramen using the wire; modifying target tissue in the spine by moving the tissue modification device against the target tissue; and delivering an agent to modified target tissue, wherein the agent is configured to inhibit blood flow from the modified target tissue. In some embodiments, the step of modifying target tissue comprises removing target tissue located ventral to the superior articular process while avoiding non-target tissue located lateral to the superior articular process.

Systems and methods to assist a practitioner to confirm location of a distal tip of a needle within a patient include confirming tactile feedback from a needle insertion to a point of loss of resistance of fluid flow and by viewing a display showing color of a tissue plane at the distal tip of the needle at the point of loss of resistance.

A device for drawing spinal fluid from a body part or injecting medication into the body part is disclosed. The device may include one or more measurement features (markings) that indicate the subcutaneous depth of the device as well as confirm placement and orientation of the spinal fluid withdrawing or medication injecting end of the device in the body part. The device may include a trocar and a cannula having a patient end, a non-patient end, an outer surface, and a central passage adapted to receive said trocar. One or more windows may be provided in or on the cannula, said windows extending from the outer surface of the cannula to the central passage. The windows may be spaced from the patient end of the cannula and from each other along a specific longitudinal axis of the cannula by a predetermined distance, such as 10 millimeters.

A needle having a first end, a second end, and a lumen extending within an interior of the needle, between the first end and the second end. A sleeve is engageable within an interior diameter or interior surface of the lumen. The sleeve includes a first end and a second end that are sized to reside within the first end of the lumen and the second end of the lumen, respectively. Ports extend between the first end and the second end of the sleeve. The ports have an inlet and an outlet sized to receive and route stimulator wires to areas within the epidural space of a spine.