This invention relates to tissue and needle forceps. More specifically, this invention relates to tissue and needle forceps, and components therefore, that utilize a magnetic force to retrieve or manipulate a suture needle and optionally possess an improved user grip and dexterity. The improved forceps comprises a housing located on at least one elongated member of the pair or elongated members proximal to at least one tip of the opposing tips and a magnet affixed to the housing, with the magnet defining both a resting surface configured for operable engagement with the suturing needle and a magnetic pull force to attract the needle to the resting surface. In another embodiment, a magnet is affixed to a housing for removable attachment with an elongated member of the forceps comprising a resting surface defined by the magnet and configured for operable engagement with a suturing needle of a suturing needle and thread assembly, and having a predetermined magnetic pull force defined by the magnet to attract the needle to the resting surface.

This invention relates to tissue and needle forceps. More specifically, this invention relates to tissue and needle forceps, and components therefore, that utilize a magnetic force to retrieve or manipulate a suture needle and optionally possess an improved user grip and dexterity. The improved forceps comprises a housing located on at least one elongated member of the pair or elongated members proximal to at least one tip of the opposing tips and a magnet affixed to the housing, with the magnet defining both a resting surface configured for operable engagement with the suturing needle and a magnetic pull force to attract the needle to the resting surface. In another embodiment, a magnet is affixed to a housing for removable attachment with an elongated member of the forceps comprising a resting surface defined by the magnet and configured for operable engagement with a suturing needle of a suturing needle and thread assembly, and having a predetermined magnetic pull force defined by the magnet to attract the needle to the resting surface.

A medical instrument and procedure for removing a food mass lodged in the esophagus of a patient. First, the food mass is magnetized. Thereafter, a medical instrument that includes a magnetic retriever is inserted into an endoscope, for example, into the esophagus. The magnetic retriever includes a magnet that applies a drawing force to the lodged magnetized food mass, causing the magnetized food mass to become dislodged. Once dislodged, the food mass is retrieved and removed from the esophagus.

A medical instrument and procedure for removing a food mass lodged in the esophagus of a patient. First, the food mass is magnetized. Thereafter, a medical instrument that includes a magnetic retriever is inserted into an endoscope, for example, into the esophagus. The magnetic retriever includes a magnet that applies a drawing force to the lodged magnetized food mass, causing the magnetized food mass to become dislodged. Once dislodged, the food mass is retrieved and removed from the esophagus.

A pressure bearing appliance for treating an auricular hematoma is taught which incorporates an anterior magnetic disc having a protected permanent magnet, enclosed with an outer soft covering and antimicrobial outside veneer layer placed on a human auricle anterior directly over a hematoma. A posterior magnetic disc protected permanent magnet, enclosed with an outer soft covering and an antimicrobial outside veneer layer is centered on a posterior side of an auricle. Magnetic attraction applies compression therebetween eliminating potential separation between the auricle perichondrium and cartilage during healing.

A removal tool uses magnetic attraction to guide the removal tool toward an implantable device subcutaneously implanted in subcutaneous tissue of a host and to remove the implantable device from the host. The removal tool may include first and second lever members that are pivotably connected together, and the first and second lever members include a pair of jaw members configured to move between open and closed positions to grasp the implantable device. The first jaw member may include a magnet to magnetically attract and couple to an implantable device implanted subcutaneously below a skin surface of a host.

A removal tool uses magnetic attraction to guide the removal tool toward an implantable device subcutaneously implanted in subcutaneous tissue of a host and to remove the implantable device from the host. The removal tool may include first and second lever members that are pivotably connected together, and the first and second lever members include a pair of jaw members configured to move between open and closed positions to grasp the implantable device. The first jaw member may include a magnet to magnetically attract and couple to an implantable device implanted subcutaneously below a skin surface of a host.

A medical device and method for detection, retrieval or elimination of disease-associated toxins and biomarkers is provided. A plurality of magnets is arranged within a flexible sheath forming a flexible wire. The magnets are magnetically attached to each other, end-to-end, and arranged with their magnetic polarities alternating in direction. The magnetization direction of each of the magnets is orthogonal to the length axis of the flexible wire. The medical device is completely self-contained and does not require a bulky external field source able to maintain strong magnetic field gradients (100-10,000 T/m) along the wire, and at a radial distance (1 mm) to attract magnetic particles throughout the entire vein diameter at a range of physiologic velocities (1-10 cm/sec). This technology is a major step forward for the clinical relevance of CTC analysis to personalized medicine and introduces a powerful generalizable strategy for enrichment of other rare blood biomarkers.

A medical device and method for detection, retrieval or elimination of disease-associated toxins and biomarkers is provided. A plurality of magnets is arranged within a flexible sheath forming a flexible wire. The magnets are magnetically attached to each other, end-to-end, and arranged with their magnetic polarities alternating in direction. The magnetization direction of each of the magnets is orthogonal to the length axis of the flexible wire. The medical device is completely self-contained and does not require a bulky external field source able to maintain strong magnetic field gradients (100-10,000 T/m) along the wire, and at a radial distance (1 mm) to attract magnetic particles throughout the entire vein diameter at a range of physiologic velocities (1-10 cm/sec). This technology is a major step forward for the clinical relevance of CTC analysis to personalized medicine and introduces a powerful generalizable strategy for enrichment of other rare blood biomarkers.

A method of retrieving a pair of previously implanted magnets from a patient's body includes maneuvering a guide catheter, which includes a guide magnet affixed to its distal end, toward the implantation site of the implanted magnets. The guide magnet is magnetically coupled to one of the implanted magnets in an orientation in which a through hole of the guide magnet is in register with through holes of the first and second implant magnets. An elongate capture member is slid through the lumen of the guide catheter until one of a proximal segment and a distal segment extends through the through holes of the guide magnet and the implanted magnets. An abutment segment of the elongate capture member, which separates the proximal segment and the distal segment is maneuvered into contact with the magnets. Then, the abutment segment, the guide magnet and the implanted magnets are moved as a group away from the implantation site.