A method for facilitating milk extraction from a female breast may involve applying a breast contacting portion of a breast pump system to a breast, activating the breast pump system to administer multiple breast pumping cycles, and applying vibrations to the breast during at least a portion of each of the breast pumping cycles, using a vibration device. A vibration generating device may be a component of a breast pump system, an added attachment on a breast pump system or a separate component that works in conjunction with a breast pump system.

A vascular catheter including an embolic protection system which is deployable within a blood vessel, comprising a filter arranged to block the flow of solid particles and a gas capture system for capturing gas bubbles entrained within a flow of blood along the blood vessel.

Systems and methods for the intravascular treatment of clot material within a blood vessel of a human patient are disclosed herein. A method in accordance with embodiments of the present technology can include, for example, positioning a distal portion of a catheter proximate to the clot material within the blood vessel. The method can further include coupling a pressure source to the catheter via a tubing subsystem including a valve or other fluid control device and, while the valve is closed, activating the pressure source to charge a vacuum. The valve can then be opened to apply the vacuum to the catheter to thereby aspirate at least a portion of the clot material from the blood vessel and into the catheter.

Devices and systems disclosed herein may include a negative pressure pump that includes a reservoir defining a lumen and a longitudinal axis, a piston, and a drive assembly comprising a spring. Motion of the spring may move the piston along the longitudinal axis of the reservoir to create a negative pressure within the reservoir. Methods of manufacturing a negative pressure pump and using a negative pressure pump to remove fluid from a target site are also described.

A breast pump apparatus, the apparatus comprising at least one collection unit, a pump, the pump comprising a piston, and a chair, wherein the collection unit is in fluid communication with the pump, such that upon actuation the pump creates suction impulses which are transmitted, in use, to the user's breast via the collection unit, thereby expressing milk from the breast into the collection unit, and wherein the pump is connected to the chair, such that, in use, the relative movement of a first portion of the chair relative to the other parts of the chair, manually actuates and drives the piston of the pump.

A method for improving a flow condition through a catheter includes coupling a distal end of a first conduit of a tubing set to an aspiration lumen of an aspiration catheter, coupling a proximal end of the first conduit to a vacuum source, coupling a distal end of a second conduit of the tubing set to a supply lumen of the aspiration catheter, coupling a proximal end of the second conduit to a first fluid source, inserting a distal end of a sheath within the vasculature of a subject, placing the aspiration catheter through the sheath and advancing the aspiration catheter such that an open distal end of the aspiration lumen of the aspiration catheter is distal to a distal end of the sheath and is in proximity to a thrombus within a blood vessel of a subject, coupling an extension conduit in fluid communication with a lumen of the sheath to a second fluid source, and activating a pump such that pressurized fluid from the first fluid source is applied to the supply lumen of the aspiration catheter, wherein when insufficient flowable material is present adjacent the open distal end of the aspiration lumen, fluid from the second fluid source is caused to flow through the lumen of the sheath.

A system for aspiration includes an aspiration catheter including an elongate shaft including an aspiration lumen, and an open distal end, an extension tube, the lumen of the extension tube configured to be hydraulically coupled to the aspiration lumen, a peristaltic pump configured for driving fluid through the extension tube, a compressible portion disposed between the distal end and the proximal end of the extension tube, the compressible portion configured to be coupled to the peristaltic pump, such that operation of the peristaltic pump drives fluid from the aspiration lumen from the distal end of the extension tube to the proximal end of the extension tube, and a controller configured to receive a first signal from the first sensor and configured to vary the operation of the peristaltic pump based at least in part on a first signal received from a first sensor coupled to the aspiration lumen or extension tube related to a change in the characteristic of flow.

In some illustrative examples, a bridge suitable for treating a tissue site may include a bridge sealing member and one or more bridge wicking layers. The bridge sealing member may extend along a length of the bridge, and may define an internal passageway in fluid communication between a receiving end of the bridge and a transmitting end of the bridge. The one or more bridge wicking layers may be disposed within the internal passageway of the bridge sealing member. Other apparatus, systems, and methods are disclosed.

A tissue collection and processing system for collecting bone fragments and tissue aspirated from a bone. The tissue collection and processing system includes a collection vessel, a collection vessel cap, a processing piston, a first tubing and a fluid withdrawal mechanism. The collection vessel has an opening formed therein to receive bone fragments and tissue aspirated from the bone. The collection vessel cap is capable of engaging the collection vessel to substantially seal the opening. The collection vessel cap or the collection vessel has a first port. The processing piston has an upper surface and a lower surface. The processing piston has a connection port and a bore. The connection port is proximate the upper surface. The bore is fluidly connected to the connection port and extends toward the lower surface. The processing piston has a density that is less than a density of fluid in the aspirated bone fragments and tissue. The fluid withdrawal mechanism is fluidly connected to the connection port with the first tubing to withdraw the fluid from the collection vessel. As fluid is withdrawn from the collection vessel, the processing piston is slidable in the collection vessel.

Apparatus and methods for extracellular vesicle enrichment are described in which apparatus may be used to create plasma preparations that are enriched in EV-containing fluid sample. Generally, one variation of a method may generally comprise contacting the fluid sample with a plurality of absorbent chromatographic beads to concentrate EVs from the fluid sample, and separating the beads from the fluid sample.