Provided is a guide device for puncturing with a puncture needle from a puncture point A provided at a vicinity of a first point B on a waist of a patient to a target point D inside a patient's body, the target point D corresponding to a second point C different from the first point B on the waist. The guide device includes a guide part for guiding the puncturing with the puncture needle, and a support base for supporting the guide part and abutting on the waist. A portion of the support base is configured to define a first angle with respect to a straight line connecting the puncture point A and the second point C, and the guide part is provided at a second angle with respect to a line perpendicular to the support base. The first angle is defined by the puncture point A, the second point C and the first point B, and the second angle is defined by the puncture point A, the target point D and the second point C. Accordingly, it is possible to provide a guide device capable of easily and accurately puncturing a target point with a puncture needle regardless of a patient or an operator.

An access device used with an endoscope includes an access pipe configured to be inserted into a sheath of the endoscope, a piercer disposed on a distal end portion of the access pipe and configured to pierce into a hollow organ through a digestive tract of a patient, and a treatment tool configured to be inserted into the access pipe and to be introduced into the hollow organ by the piercer. The access device is switchable between a first configuration and a second configuration. In the first configuration, a piercing function of the piercer is switched on, so that the piercer pierces the digestive tract and the hollow organ to enter into an interior of the hollow organ, and in the second configuration, the piercing function of the piercer is switched off, the piercer is kept connected to the interior of the hollow organ.

A method for treating glaucoma with an implantable glaucoma device includes inserting a hollow elongated needle into the eye between the cornea and iris and into the anterior chamber of the eye to form a needle tract in the eye, introducing a distal end of a guidewire through the needle and into the anterior chamber, introducing a snare through a corneal incision into the anterior chamber. The snare has a sheath and a hook or loop inside the sheath and extendible therefrom. The method includes capturing a segment of the guidewire proximate the distal end of the guidewire with the snare within the anterior chamber, removing the needle from over the guidewire outside of the eye, coupling a glaucoma drainage device to a proximal end of the guidewire that extends outside of the eye, and pulling on the captured guidewire segment with the snare to pull the glaucoma drainage device into the needle tract and into the anterior chamber of the eye until the glaucoma device is located in an implanted position in the eye. The method can also possibly involve removing the snare from the eye, cutting a distal end of the glaucoma device (possibly within the anterior chamber), and removing the cut distal end of the glaucoma drainage device from the eye. An improved glaucoma drainage device and other deployment systems and methods are also described and claimed.

An optically transparent actuator apparatus is provided that includes an optically transparent bi-stable member including an optically transparent liquid crystalline polymer layer. The bi-stable member is structured to move from a first state to a second state in response to a first stimulus and from the second state to the first state in response to a second stimulus. Also, a display apparatus includes a plate member and an actuator assembly coupled to the plate member. The actuator assembly includes a number of optically transparent liquid crystalline polymer layers, wherein each of the optically transparent liquid crystalline polymer layers is structured to move from a first state to a second state in response to a first stimulus.

A surgical sheath adapted for use in the nasal cavity has an elongated hollow body made of a braided material having interstitial spaces with a dimension of 0.25 mm to 1.50 mm. The interstitial spaces filled with a filling material, such as silicone. The sheath has a low profile configuration during placement into the naris, and may be stretched into an expanded configuration. In methods of placing the sheath in the naris, the sheath is folded and then pulled into the naris using a surgical tool.

Devices and methods for body conduit lengthening and anastomosis creation can be used to treat patients with a variety of health conditions. For example, among other uses, this document describes esophageal lengthening and anastomosis devices that can be used to remedy esophageal atresia in neonatal patients.

Systems and methods are disclosed that include a guide catheter apparatus insertable through an external body passage of a subject. The guide catheter apparatus includes a substantially rigid shaft and a handle. The shaft has a proximal opening, a distal opening, and a lumen extending between the proximal opening and the distal opening. The handle has a structure to allow a position of the guide catheter to be controlled by some or all of three fingers of one hand of an operator of the handle. The structure of the handle is adapted to permit the operator to position a thumb and index finger of the hand to manipulate a working device inserted into the lumen of the guide catheter, where the working device is manipulable via a portion of the working device immediately adjacent to the handle.

A guide catheter for use in treating sinuses, the catheter including a catheter shaft configured to provide suction about a balloon catheter and a distal portion shaped for navigating body anatomy. In one embodiment, the guide catheter includes a valve for sealing the balloon catheter and a vent for controlling suction.

Systems, apparatus, and methods are described for forming an incision in tissue for receiving a surgical instrument. A cutting device for forming the incision can be reversibly coupleable to an instrument, e.g., a dilator. The instrument may define a lumen configured to receive a wire that extends or is otherwise extendable through a puncture site. The cutting device can include a cutting element configured to be actuated to form the incision such that the incision extends form the puncture site and is sized to receive the instrument.

An implant device to facilitate access across pleura layers includes a tube having a side wall, a lumen, a proximal end portion, a distal end portion, and a central portion interposed between the proximal end portion and the distal end portion. The tube has a longitudinal extent, wherein each of the proximal end portion and the distal end portion extends outwardly from the central portion, and wherein the side wall has a longitudinal split to define a first lateral edge surface and a second lateral edge surface. Each of the first lateral edge surface and the second lateral edge surface longitudinally extends through each of the proximal end portion, the central portion, and the distal end portion.