Certain aspects of the present disclosure provide methods and apparatus for managing an esophagus of a subject during a medical procedure, such as cardiac tissue ablation or bronchial tissue ablation. Managing the esophagus may include displacing the esophagus, imaging the esophagus, and/or measuring temperature at one or more locations inside the esophagus. One example esophageal management system generally includes a tube configured for insertion through a mouth and into the esophagus of the subject. The tube generally includes a first port located at a proximal end of the tube and in fluid communication with a distal portion of the tube via a first path, a second port located at the proximal end of the tube, and a third port located between the proximal end of the tube and a distal end of the tube and in fluid communication with the second port via a second path.

Provided in the present invention are a flexible electrochemical electrode, a subcutaneous continuous glucose monitoring sensor equipped with the electrochemical electrode, and a preparation method thereof. The electrode directly uses gold layers on both sides of a chemically plated film, respectively as a working electrode and a reference-counter electrode, so as to form an electrochemical two-electrode system. Petaloid platinum nanoparticles are electrodeposited on a surface of the configured working electrode as a catalytic layer; a carbon nanotube/Nafion mesh layer functions as an anti-interference layer, and is formed thereon with an enzyme biochemical sensitive layer by means of electrostatic adsorption, after crosslinking and curing in glutaraldehyde, polyurethane mass transfer is coated to limit a protection layer, so as to prepare a flexible continuous glucose monitoring sensor. The sensor does not require photolithography, screen printing or other technologies to construct an electrochemical electrode system. The present invention effectively simplifies the processing technology, can easily achieve large-scale production and reduce production costs; and meanwhile, the present invention has characteristics such as a wide linear range, low detection limit, powerful anti-interference capacity, high response sensitivity and long-term stability.

A device comprising a piece of planar substrate embedded with two sensors and two emitters. The substrate has a generally planar surface for application onto the wearer's body part. The emitters and sensors are shown to be arranged in such a way that no subset of any two emitters and one sensor, or subset of any two emitters and one sensor, forms a straight line, which prevents the two sensors from detecting the same noise caused by the same wearer movements.

A bi-directional perfusion cannula is provided that includes an elongate tube for insertion into an artery. The elongate tube has a first aperture at a distal end of the tube which is forward during insertion and configured so that blood can flow into the artery in the direction of insertion, an elbow formed in the elongate tube, and a second aperture formed in or slightly rearward of the elbow and configured for supplying blood into the artery in a second direction which is generally opposite to the insertion direction.

A sensing device according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises: a substrate; a sensor that includes an electrode disposed on the substrate, and a connection terminal disposed on the substrate and connected to the electrode; and a stretchable substrate that is connected to the sensor unit and includes a base and wiring disposed on the base, wherein the connection terminal of the sensor unit is connected to the wiring of the stretchable substrate.

In general, devices, systems, and methods for fiducial identification and tracking are provided.

Devices detect and assist in the avoidance of blood vessels during a surgical procedure—to avoid rupturing these blood vessels. Devices may be any penetration sensor device (such as a dilator sensor device, hollow needle sensor device, or trocar sensor device) that penetrates the skin and subcutaneous layers to reach a target location inside the body. The device includes a sensor probe which can make optical measurements to determine various parameters of the tissue at the tip of the sensor probe. These parameters may include an optical signal level returned from tissue contacting the tip of the sensor probe, an oxygen saturation level of the tissue, a total hemoglobin concentration, a blood flow, and a pulse. Based on these parameters, the presence or absence of a blood vessel at the tip of the device can be determined while the device travels towards the target location for surgery.

A biosensor inserter includes a push member with a push element, a contact member including a latch, a transmitter carrier supporting a transmitter and sensor assembly, and a pivot member having a latch end, the pivot member supporting an insertion device during biosensor insertion. In operation, the push member is telescoped axially by the user relative to the contact member, which is provided in contact with a user's skin. This pushes the push element against the pivot member and translates the transmitter carrier during insertion of the biosensor. During a first portion of a stroke of the insertion device, insertion of the biosensor is accomplished, and the pivot member is prevented from pivoting. In a second portion of the stroke, after latch end moves past the latch, the pivot member is allowed to pivot and the insertion device is retracted. Other system and method embodiments are provided.

A pessary system for providing pelvic floor support for USL and other ligaments. The pessary has an elongated probe with independently inflatable balloons each located substantially the same distance from the insertion end of the probe and which inflate into separate radial sectors. The probe can be inserted into a vaginal cavity and the balloons inflated provide mechanical support to the USLs. Independent inflation of each balloon allows the mechanical USL support provided to be varied on left and right sides to compensate for differences in the degree of degradation and positioning of the USL ligaments on either side.

An elongate multi-core optical fiber instrument for insertion within a patient body includes a set of first optical fiber cores extending along a first sensing region of the multi-core optical fiber instrument, where each first optical fiber core includes a set of first sensors disposed along the first region and a set of second optical fiber cores extending along a second sensing region of the multi-core optical fiber instrument, where each second optical fiber core includes a set of second sensors disposed along the second sensing region. The first sensing region is located distal the second sensing region, and the first optical fiber cores extend along the second sensing region. Also disclosed is a console for providing an incident light signal to the multi-core optical fiber instrument, receiving reflected light signals from the sensors, and determining a parameter experienced by instrument in accordance with the reflected light signals.