An apparatus and method use a catheter for specific and discriminate treatment of central nervous system disease. With the catheter, selective hypothermia to the brain and/or the spinal cord for injury protection can be achieved without the need for systemic cooling. The catheter is also capable of draining excess cerebrospinal fluid.

One larger [1] and one smaller tube [2], forming a functional unit with the smaller tube [2] positioned within the larger tube [1], both tubes are relocatable and demountable, both tubes with an aperture [3 and 4] at both ends, at least one aperture [5] being provided in the wall of the outer tube located at a distance of about between 1 mm and 10 cm from the tip [6], or several apertures positioned in a segment of 1-250 mm from the tip, wherein the diameter of the single aperture is between 70% and 120% of the inner diameter of the outer tube [1], or in case of several apertures, for each aperture 30-60% of the inner diameter of the outer tube, wherein the outer diameter of the inner tube is between 0.6 mm and 2.0 mm (F2 to F6), the outer diameter of the outer tube is between 1.3 mm and 3.6 mm (F4 to F11), and the distance between the outer wall of the inner tube and the inner wall of the outer tube is between 0.1 mm to 3.0 mm.

Dressings and kits for use in wound therapy and negative-pressure therapy comprising a manifold layer comprising porous open-cell liquid permeable foam and a polymer composition The polymer composition comprises a polymer and an active agent, such as collagen and oxidized regenerated cellulose. The foam may be felted. Methods of making and using the dressings are also provided.

A therapeutic device (1) has a stem (3) having a distal end (60) configured for insertion in a patient's ear canal with latching by suction to the tympanic membrane so that there is no relative movement despite patient head movement. A needle (63) punctures the membrane after suction is applied by negative pressure via a lumen (66). The needle tip is located within a suction cup which grips the membrane. A hand-held control device (2) is coupled to the stem and has a user-actuated controller (8) for controlling application of negative pressure (7) to the suction lumen.

Systems and methods are provided for performing a medical procedure within a patient's body that involves a thoracic duct including an ostium communicating with the patient's venous system. A distal end of a catheter is introduced through the patient's venous system into a body lumen adjacent the ostium of the thoracic duct. An expandable member on the distal end of the tubular member may be expanded adjacent the ostium, e.g., within the body lumen or the thoracic duct itself, and used to isolate the thoracic duct from the body lumen, whereupon a medical procedure may be performed via the thoracic duct. For example, lymphatic fluid may be removed from the thoracic duct through a lumen of the tubular member and/or one or more agents may be introduced into the thoracic duct through the tubular member.

A bridge for facilitating delivery of reduced pressure to a wound site includes a reduced pressure lumen configured to be fluidly coupled to a reduced pressure source, a secondary pressure lumen configured to be fluidly coupled to a secondary pressure source, and one or more fluid adapters operable to be connected to a wound dressing disposed at the wound site. The one or more fluid adapters are positioned and configured with respect to the reduced pressure lumen to apply reduced pressure from the reduced pressure lumen to the wound site through the wound dressing and deliver exudate removed from the wound site through the reduced pressure lumen to the reduced pressure tubing. The secondary pressure lumen is fluidly coupled to the reduced pressure lumen to facilitate flow of the exudate removed from the wound site by the reduced pressure source using the secondary pressure source.

Aspects are directed to an improved suction catheter that increases the effectiveness of clearing the airway, reducing the need for separate suctioning and foreign body grasping instruments. The embodiments described herein provide medical personnel the ability to use one hand and catheter to selectively grasp an anatomically lodged foreign body while reducing the likelihood of lumen blockage and interruption of suction. The embodiments described herein further provide an auxiliary access port that allows insertion of a bougie instrument into a suction catheter. The suction catheter may be a Yankauer device or improved suction catheter with grasping housing. The bougie instrument may extend through the access port and a lumen of the catheter while still providing suction via the lumen. Due to the small size of the suction catheter, the bougie instrument may extend from the catheter's distal end when placed in close proximity to a patient's vocal cords.

A method for aspirating thrombus in a subject, the method including providing an aspiration catheter having a supply lumen, an aspiration lumen, and a first connector hydraulically coupled to the aspiration lumen. The method further includes providing a pressure sensor having an internal passageway and having a distal connector configured to hydraulically couple to the first connector, a proximal connector configured to couple to a vacuum source, and a valve disposed between the distal connector and the proximal connector, the valve having an open state and a closed state. Following inserting at least a distal portion of the aspiration catheter into the vasculature of a subject, changing the valve from one of the open state and closed state to the other of the open state and closed state such that a change in pressure may be detected by the control circuitry.

An extension conduit for use with a system for aspirating thrombus includes a passageway extending between a distal end and a proximal end of the extension conduit, and a combined hydraulic and electrical control carried on the extension conduit and configured to be activated by a user to activate an electric switch while opening a valve to allow flow through the passageway.

Fecal management methods and apparatuses (e.g., devices, systems, etc.) are described herein. The fecal management apparatuses may apply one or more fecal removal cycles of suction and irrigation (and in some examples air) to actively remove fecal material. The apparatus may control the timing of delivery of the fecal removal cycles as well as the parameters of the applied suction, irrigation and/or air within and between fecal removal cycles. The invention additionally provides methods, and computer program products for controlling an apparatus or system that is configured for removal of fecal material from a patient's rectum.