Techniques for aligning a medical instrument for percutaneous access to a location within the human anatomy can include determining an orientation of the medical instrument, determining a target location within the human anatomy, and determining a target trajectory for percutaneous access of the target location. Further, the techniques can include causing display of an interface that includes an instrument-alignment element indicative of an alignment of the orientation of the medical instrument to the target trajectory.

Introduced here is an ingestible device comprising a capsule, a camera, an antenna, and a propulsion component. The camera can capture images of various in vivo environments as the ingestible device traverses the gastrointestinal tract, and these images can be wirelessly transmitted to an electronic device located outside of the living body. The images may be transmitted to the electronic device for review by an operator responsible for controlling the ingestible device.

Devices and methods are described for accessing the mediastinum without an intercostal incision and without deflating the lungs. In some embodiments, the devices and methods facilitate mediastinal access via a single percutaneous needle puncture. In some embodiments, a first puncture below the ribs or sternum, and a second puncture that is intercostal are used. Devices and methods to facilitate concurrent access to the pericardial and mediastinal spaces are also described. Multiple minimally invasive procedures are described that advantageously utilize the pericardial and mediastinal space access procedures.

Disclosed embodiments include apparatuses, systems, and methods for sampling a targeted region of tissue in a body using a flexible needle including a plurality of interrupted cuts and an uninterrupted cut extending continuously from the uninterrupted cuts to reduce localized strain on the flexible needle. In an illustrative embodiment, an apparatus includes a flexible needle, where the flexible needle includes: a proximal end; a distal end including a needle tip; and a shaft extending between the proximal end and the distal end and including a flexible portion, where the flexible portion includes; an interrupted cut section including a plurality of interrupted cuts in the shaft following a first helical pattern; and an uninterrupted cut section including an uninterrupted cut in the shaft following a second helical pattern where the uninterrupted cut extends continuously from an end of a first terminal cut at a first end of the interrupted cut section.

An endoluminal traversing system and tissue crossing system are described wherein the access systems are controlled by actuators that allow for robotic control of system functions. The robotic system can be configured for full manual control over the actuators, full computerized control, or a combination of human and computer (AI, neural net, rule set) guidance.

A system and method for providing relative positional information of a therapeutic or diagnostic device during the treatment of urinary tract diseases and conditions.

An apparatus for forming a passageway through tissue includes a dilator mounted to a shaft, wherein the dilator includes a first portion, which has an increasing taper from a first outer diameter to a larger second outer diameter, and a second portion, which has a decreasing taper from the first portion to a distal end of the dilator, and which includes an external non-cutting thread formed along the decreasing taper. Lumens of the dilator and shaft provide a conduit for means to pierce through the tissue, for example, an elongate wire that includes a piercing tip. In some cases, the dilator first portion is expandable to, and contractible from, the larger second outer diameter, wherein the apparatus may include a spreading member configured to slide between the shaft and the first portion. The apparatus may be included in a system with an introducer sheath.

A method and apparatus are disclosed for an optimized transseptal procedure for providing left heart access, that reduces the number of devices that are used in order to minimize procedural time, complexity and cost. The apparatus comprises a reshapeable hybrid dilator that comprises the combined functionality of a transseptal sheath and dilator assembly. The hybrid dilator comprises: a dilator shaft defining a lumen for receiving a crossing device therethrough, the dilator shaft comprising a stiffening member and a deflectable portion, being structured to provide support for the crossing device when the crossing device is used to create a puncture in a tissue; and a distal tip having an outer diameter which tapers down to an outer diameter of the crossing device for providing a smooth transition between the crossing device and the distal tip when the crossing device is inserted through the lumen and protrudes beyond the distal tip.

A magnet-assisted suture grasper for grasping a magnetic suture is provided. The magnet-assisted suture grasper includes a suture retrieval needle, a retriever body, a grasper wire, a grasper arm, and a grasper magnet. Translation of the retriever body within a needle lumen of the suture retrieval needle in a first direction causes the grasper arm to move from a first position to a second position, thereby exposing the grasper magnet from the needle lumen and allowing contact between the grasper magnet and a magnetic suture attracted thereto. Translation of the retriever body within the needle lumen in a second direction opposite the first direction causes the grasper arm to move from the second position to the first position, thereby sequestering the grasper magnet and grasping the magnetic suture within the needle lumen.

The invention discloses a three-dimensional atrial septal puncture method including positioning the heart from a body surface by a three-dimensional projection positioning method and displaying interventional instruments by the three-dimensional system and guiding the same into a heart cavity. The method also includes constructing a right atrium three-dimensional model by delivering a catheter with a positioning device to the right atrium and reconstructing and fusing pre-operative image data by the three-dimensional system. The method also includes setting parameters, connecting an interventional operating device with a pressure sensor tail wire and an electrode tail wire, and displaying a guidewire or a puncture needle. The method includes delivering and positioning the long sheath, analyzing and marking the fossa ovalis position by a structure and potential method. The method also includes analyzing the pressure difference between the left atrium and the right atrium, and judging whether the puncture is successful.