An implantable vital sign sensor including a housing including a first portion, the first portion defining a first open end, a second open end opposite the first end, and a lumen there through, the first portion being sized to be implanted substantially entirely within the blood vessel wall of the patient. A sensor module configured to measure a blood vessel blood pressure waveform is included, the sensor module having a proximal portion and a distal portion, the distal portion being insertable within the lumen and the proximal portion extending outward from the first open end.

An esophageal deflection device includes an elongate outer tube that has a natural curved deflection at a position that corresponds to a targeted esophagus region for deflection. The outer diameter of the outer tube is substantially matched to an inner diameter of the esophagus to closely contact the esophagus wall, or is at least half of the inner diameter, or is smaller and includes suction ports for drawing the esophagus wall inward. An insertion rod or tube includes a portion that is stiffer than the curved deflection, and slides into the elongate outer tube to straighten the tube and can serve to guide the deflection device into an esophagus. Subsequent withdrawal of the insertion tube or rod will allow the curved deflection to return to its natural shape and deflect the targeted region of the esophagus.

A system for analyzing a patient using a transcutaneous sensor, having a base unit for attaching to the patient, an injector, releasably connectable to the base unit, for the transcutaneous insertion of the sensor into the patient, and a detection unit, releasably connectable to the base unit, for generating measurement data by the sensor. The base unit has a holding device which is configured to cooperate with the injector and detection unit such that, in a detection configuration with the detection unit arranged on the base unit, a contact pressure is applied to the sensor by the holding device for frictional fixing, and in an injection configuration with the injector arranged on the base unit, a lower contact pressure than in the detection configuration is applied to the sensor by the holding device.

Electrical sensing/stimulation apparatuses for positioning at least one electrode within body tissue are provided. An electrical sensing/stimulation apparatus may comprise an elongate lead body having at least one internal lumen, at least one sensing/stimulation electrode, a deployable/retractable displacement member that moves or biases at least one electrode towards a prescribed direction by the user, a tissue attachment mechanism for affixing the distal segment of the device to body tissue, and an atraumatic distal lead body termination. In a retracted configuration, the attachment mechanism is positioned substantially within the distal segment of the lead body, and in the deployed configuration, the attachment mechanism extends from the axis of the lead body to engage body tissue.

An implantable vital sign sensor including a housing including a first portion, the first portion defining a first open end, a second open end opposite the first end, and a lumen there through, the first portion being sized to be implanted substantially entirely within the blood vessel wall of the patient. A sensor module configured to measure a blood vessel blood pressure waveform is included, the sensor module having a proximal portion and a distal portion, the distal portion being insertable within the lumen and the proximal portion extending outward from the first open end.

A magnetically held diaper monitor comprises a power supply part and a control part. The power supply part comprises a lower shell, and a battery and a power circuit board embedded in the lower shell. The power circuit board is provided with a plurality of lower magnetic electrodes and two lower magnetic terminals. The control part comprises an upper shell and a control circuit board embedded in the upper shell. The control circuit board is provided with upper magnetic electrodes which are in one-to-one correspondence to the lower magnetic electrodes, and upper magnetic terminals which correspond to the lower magnetic terminals. A diaper sensor is clamped between the power supply part and the control part which are combined into a whole by attraction by means of a magnetic force and is connected to the control part via the magnetic electrodes. The control part obtains a power supply via the magnetic terminals.

Devices, systems, and methods for therapeutically treating tissue. The devices and methods are suitable for minimally invasive surgery or open surgical procedures. More particularly, methods and devices described herein permit treating large areas of tissue with a therapeutic device. In some variations, the method and devices allow for large area treatment without having to reposition the device. The methods and devices described herein discuss the treatment of cardiac tissue for purposes of illustration.

An esophageal deflection device includes an elongate outer tube that has a natural curved deflection at a position that corresponds to a targeted esophagus region for deflection. The curved deflection includes variable stiffness sections disposed longitudinally in the curved deflection to provide variation in stiffnesses in the longitudinal direction. The variable stiffness sections can be formed via variable material properties, variable wall thicknesses, and/or variable material omissions. An insertion rod or tube includes a portion that is stiffer than the curved deflection, and slides into the elongate outer tube to straighten the tube to guide the deflection device into an esophagus. Subsequent withdrawal of the insertion tube or rod will allow the curved deflection to return to its natural shape and deflect the targeted region of the esophagus. A three-dimensional array of temperature sensors can be disposed near an outer surface of the elongate outer tube.

A grasping instrument for clamping tissue includes an outer tube, first and second jaw members supported by the outer tube, a carriage mounted within the outer tube and configured for longitudinal movement between an initial proximal position and an advanced distal position to cause corresponding movement of the first and second jaw members between an approximated condition and an open condition, a piston operatively coupled to the carriage, an inflatable membrane disposed within the piston and being selectively inflatable to a predefined internal pressure to cause corresponding distal longitudinal movement of the piston a predetermined distance and to cause proximal longitudinal movement of the carriage to apply a clamping force to the tissue disposed within the first and second jaw members and an indicator bar having visual indicators corresponding to various degrees of thickness of the tissue disposed within the first and second jaw members.

Aspects of the disclosure relate to methods of conducting an intraoperative procedure including providing an electrode assembly having a pledget substrate having a surface that is hydrophilic, at least one electrode supported by and positioned within the pledget substrate, and a lead wire assembly interconnected to the at least one electrode. Methods can further include creating an incision to access bioelectric tissue of a patient and applying the pledget substrate to the tissue, such as a nerve, for example. The pledget substrate conforms and fixates to the tissue to secure the electrode assembly in position. The electrode is then activated to record bioelectric responses of or stimulate the tissue. In some embodiments, the pledget substrate includes two bodies, each including at least one electrode, the two bodies being selectively separable so that the bodies can be repositioned with respect to one another.