An endoscope conduit switching device includes: an attachment to be attached to an endoscope; a movable spring bearing that is movably held by the attachment and that has a rib that is cylindrical; a movable piston that has a rib receiver groove into which the rib is inserted and that is movable to be inserted into and removed from a conduit of the endoscope; and a shaft that is movably held by the movable spring bearing; a cap that is fixed to one end of the shaft; and a first coil spring configured to bias the movable spring bearing and the cap in directions away from each other, wherein a side surface of the rib of the movable spring bearing and a side surface of the rib receiver groove of the movable piston are at least partly joined with each other.

Everting balloon systems and methods for using the same are disclosed herein. The systems can be configured to access and dilate body lumen and cavities. For example, the systems can be used to dilate the cervix and access the uterine cavity. The systems can also be used to occlude the cervix. The systems can also be used to occlude the urethra.

Devices and methods for treating obesity are provided. More particularly, intragastric devices and devices for inflating and methods of fabricating, deploying, inflating, monitoring, and retrieving the same are provided.

A diagnostic manometry device comprises a catheter including a plurality of lumens, a fluid charger configured to operatively couple with the catheter, and a charging mechanism for moving fluid simultaneously from fluid pressure chambers of the plurality of fluid pressure chambers into the respective lumens of the plurality of lumens when the catheter is operatively coupled with the fluid charger. Each fluid pressure chamber of the plurality of fluid pressure chambers is configured to be in fluid communication with a respective lumen of the plurality of lumens when the catheter is operatively coupled with the fluid charger. Each pressure sensor of the plurality of pressure sensors is located and configured to measure a fluid pressure change in a respective fluid pressure chamber of the plurality of fluid pressure chambers. Additional manometry devices and methods of forming a manometry device are also disclosed.

A multi-purpose balloon intra-cavity catheter includes a catheter having a proximal end portion, a central portion and a non-branching distal end portion, a plurality of lumens associated with the catheter extending from the proximal end portion, and a plurality of inflatable balloons positioned in the central portion and/or the non-branching distal end portion. Each of the plurality of inflatable balloons is communicatively associated with a corresponding one of the plurality of lumens, the plurality of inflatable balloons being selectively inflated or deflated to position and stabilize the catheter in a cavity for delivery of a medical treatment. The catheter can include an extraction opening associated with a lumen to remove fluids and materials from the cavity, and a connector associated with a corresponding lumen adapted to selectively receive one or more of a fluid medium or a radioactive isotope provided to a corresponding lumen for delivery of the medical treatment.

A catheter for use with an injection apparatus, preferably for rectal irrigation. The catheter has a main body with a funnel-shaped part delimited by an annular funnel wall which tapers into an elongate tubular catheter part delimited by an annular catheter wall. The main body accommodates at least a liquid flow channel and a fluid flow channel and the liquid flow channel is adapted to expel a liquid via at least one injection opening in a free end of the elongate tubular catheter part opposite the funnel-shaped part. An expandable balloon surrounds an elongate fixation section of the elongate tubular catheter part a distance from its free end, and the fluid flow channel is adapted to, via at least one delivery opening provided in the annular catheter wall of the elongate fixation section of the elongate tubular catheter part, deliver a fluid to the expandable balloon.

A balloon catheter system includes a balloon extending in an axial direction. A stent is crimped onto an outer surface of the balloon. A catheter is connected to the balloon and includes a lumen in fluid communication with a balloon interior of the balloon. At least one sensor associated with the balloon measures expansion of the balloon in a radial direction (R). A processing unit receives a signal from the at least one sensor and is connected to terminate filling of the balloon interior with a fluid medium (M) and/or to prompt a display device to output a display if the signal reaches a threshold value above a predefined reference value, the signal being indicative of a current diameter (D) of the balloon in the radial direction (R), the reference value corresponding to a balloon diameter upon contact of a proximal and/or distal balloon end with a vessel wall, and the threshold value exceeding the reference value by 5% to 20%.

A catheter (10) adapted to be located at least partially in a patient's urethra (15), the catheter (10) comprising: an elongate tube (20) having a proximal end portion (25) and a distal end portion (30); the distal end portion (30) being provided with a distal retention member (35) to retain the distal end portion (30) within the patient's bladder (40) during use; a length of the elongate tube (20) adjacent the proximal end portion (30) being provided with a proximal retention member (65) to retain the elongate tube (20) within the urethra; and the proximal retention member (65) including an enlarged section to be located within a cavity (90) that surrounds a portion of the patient's urethra (15) during use, with the cavity (90) being located adjacent an exposed end portion (95) of the patient's urethra (15).

Catheter-supported therapeutic and diagnostic tools can be introduced into a patient body with a sheath slidably disposed over the tool. Once the tool is aligned with a target tissue, a first fluid-driven actuator can move the sheath axially from over the tool, for example, to allow a stent, stent-graft, prosthetic valve, or other self-expanding tool, to expand radially within the cardiovascular system, without having to transmit large deployment forces along the catheter shaft and sheath from outside the patient. A second fluid-driven actuator can be arranged in opposition to the first actuator to control release of the expanding tool or to recapture the tool within the sheath. The first and/or second actuators may comprise a balloon having a diameter larger than the sheath to provide the desired deployment and recapture forces with moderate fluid pressure.

An earpiece, earphone, earbud or earplug includes an inflatable element operatively attached to a distal end by an inflation channel, and an anti-distal end of the inflation channel that provides a pressuring force via fluid transfer of a fluid to maintain an expansion of the inflatable element. The inflatable element can be pressurized to a gauge pressure range between 0.05 bar and 3.0 bar. In some embodiments, the inflatable element is pressurized to a gauge pressure range from 0.3 bar to 0.25 bar and maintains such gauge pressure range for at least 12 hours. In some embodiments, the inflatable element uses a material of a predetermined permeability for a given density of fluid and a given thickness of the inflatable element such that an inflation pressure drops from 1.2 atmospheres to 1 atmospheres in 8 hours after the inflatable element is pressurized to 1.2 atmospheres. Other embodiments are disclosed.