Embodiments of the invention provide swallowable devices, preparations, and methods for delivering drugs and other therapeutic agents within the GI tract. Particular embodiments provide a swallowable device such as a capsule for delivering drugs or other therapeutic agents (TA) into a wall of the GI tract such as the stomach or small intestine. The swallowable device comprises a sensor, a combustible propellant (CP) and a therapeutic agent preparation (TAP) comprising at least one TA. The sensor triggers the CP to ignite and propel the TAP into the wall of the GI tract in response to an external condition or change in external condition. Embodiments of the invention are particularly useful for orally delivering drugs or other TAs which are degraded within the GI tract and require parenteral injection.

A robotic actuation system for sensorless force control of an interventional tool (14) having cable driven distal end (e.g., a probe, a steerable catheter, a guidewire and a colonoscope). The system employs a robotic actuator (30) having one or more motorized gears operate the cable drive of the interventional tool (14). The system further employs a robotic workstation (20) to generate motor commands for simultaneous actuation position and contact force control of the interventional tool (14). The motor commands are a function of an actuation position measurement and a motor current measurement of the at least one motorized gear for a desired actuation position of the interventional tool (14).

An autonomous catheterization assembly includes a catheter arrangement for insertion into the vascular system of a patient. In an embodiment, the catheter arrangement includes a sensor arrangement to sense a condition in the interior of a vessel of the vascular system, a shape adjustment device arranged in a distal portion of the catheter arrangement, and an actuator arrangement to control the shape adjustment device to adjust the shape and/or orientation of the distal portion of the catheter arrangement. The autonomous catheterization assembly further includes a propulsion assembly to propel elements of the catheter arrangement through the vascular system of the patient; a route computation module to compute a route through the vascular system to a target; and a control unit to actuate the propulsion assembly based upon the computed route and/or in response to a sensed condition in the interior of a vessel of the vascular system.

Described is a locomotive implant for usage within a predetermined magnetic field. In one embodiment magnetohydrodynamics is used to generate thrust with a plurality of electrodes. In another embodiment, asymmetric drag forces are used to generate thrust.

The invention addresses the problem of correctly positioning a catheter and reducing radiation doses. It relates to an X-ray imaging system (1) for a robotic catheter, comprising said catheter (3), and a processing unit (5) for receiving X-ray images of a patient environment (15). By being adapted to receive one or more auxiliary information items and using said information for determining the catheter position, the processing unit does not entirely have to rely on a large number of scanned image data, thus helping to reduce radiation while correctly delivering the catheter position as a function of as few as a single image, preferably 2D, and said one auxiliary information items. Further, said processing unit allows for at least one of rendering an image and provide said image to a visualization device (21), and providing feedback, e.g. steering commands, to said robotic catheter.

Apparatus for controlling motion of an invasive probe relative to a sheath enclosing the probe. The apparatus includes an outer casing, configured for connection to the sheath. The apparatus further includes a drive mechanism, fixedly connected to the outer casing. The drive mechanism has a first set of components, configured to translate the probe along a direction parallel to an axis of the probe, in order to advance and retract the probe with respect to the sheath in a translational stepwise manner. The drive mechanism also includes a second set of components, configured to rotate the probe around the axis of the probe, in order to rotate the probe clockwise and counter-clockwise, with respect to the sheath, in a rotational stepwise manner.

A system and method used to deliver an aortic valve therapeutic device to an aortic valve site includes a cable percutaneously introduced a cable into a vasculature of a patient and positioned to run from a femoral vein, through the heart via a transeptal puncture, and to a femoral artery. The therapeutic device is passed over an end of the cable at the venous side and is secured to the cable. The therapeutic device is pushed in a distal direction while the second end of the cable is pulled in the proximal direction to advance the therapeutic device to the mitral valve site. A left ventricle redirector aids in orienting the therapeutic device and preventing migration of the cable towards delicate mitral valve structures and chordae tendoneae during advancement of the therapeutic device.

A robotic medical system with a flexible guide tube such as a lung catheter can record the shape of the guide tube in a target configuration. If the shape includes a bend that is sharper than a sharpest permitted bend for insertion or removal of a tool such as a biopsy needle, a control system can find any locations of sharp bends and automatically retract the guide tube to a location associated with a sharp bend. With the tip backed up to that location, the needle can be inserted into or removed from the catheter. The control system can automatically move the catheter between the target configuration and the retracted configuration of the guide tube.

A robotic system comprising a robotic catheter steerable by a motorized drive system, an imaging device positioned on a distal end of the robotic catheter, and a controller configured to: process one or more images captured by the imaging device to identify an anatomical feature, implanted device, or medical instrument; estimate a location of the imaging device in the body based on the identified anatomical feature, implanted device, or medical instrument; determine, based on the estimated location of the imaging device, a direction in which to steer the robotic catheter for advancement towards an interventional site; and monitor at least one of (i) a stream of images captured by the imaging device and (ii) a force or distance measurement captured by the imaging device or a sensor proximate the imaging device, to adjust the direction in which to steer the robotic catheter during advancement towards the interventional site.

Devices, systems, and methods are disclosed that help deliver catheters or other medical devices to locations within a patient's body. The device includes a transporter catheter having a proximal end and a distal end, at least a first balloon located at the distal end, substantially at a tip of the transporter catheter, and at least a second balloon located between the distal end and the proximal end of the transporter catheter. The first balloon is an orienting balloon and the second balloon is an anchor balloon. The transporter catheter may include a single lumen or more than one lumen. The transporter catheter may include a shaft including an inner layer and an outer layer, the inner layer may be made of a material more flexible than the material of the outer layer. The outer layer may also include a braided-wire assembly, said braided-wire assembly being formed by braiding a plurality of flat wires or circular wires. The braided-wire assembly may wrap around the inner layer. The transporter catheter may include a shaft that may include a plurality of segments of varying degrees of hardness. The degree of hardness of the segment of the shaft of the transporter catheter located between the first balloon and the second balloon may be less than the degree of hardness of the segment of the shaft between the second balloon and the proximal end of the catheter.