Methods and apparatus are disclosed for making and using adjustable epidermal tissue ingrowth cuff and catheter assemblies for transcutaneous placement to provide periodic or continuous external access for medical purposes to an interior body region of a patent who requires such medical treatment over an extended period of time.

A leech therapy device adapted to latch a medicinal leech to a predetermined wound site is provided. The leech therapy device incudes a conduit extending between a first end to a second end; an inner diameter of the conduit dimensioned to receive a medicinal leech, the inner diameter being less than twice a girth of the medicinal leech; and a cutout provided in the conduit closer to the first end than the second end; the cutout extending over a surface area between 100 and 150 squared millimeters. Wherein a user places a medicinal leech into the inner diameter, wherein a head of the medicinal leech is adjacent to the cutout, and then the user selectively positions said leech therapy device so that the cutout substantially circumscribed the wound site so that the medicinal leech can engage the wound site.

Fixation and protective components for use with implantable medical devices, such as access ports and catheters, are disclosed. In one embodiment, a protective sleeve is employed about a catheter so as to distribute compressive loads and ensure patency of the catheter lumen, even in areas prone to pinch-off. A catheter assembly in one embodiment thus comprises an elongate catheter tube that defines at least one lumen. A protective mesh sleeve is disposed about an external portion of the catheter tube so as to cover at least a portion of the longitudinal length of the catheter tube. The protective sleeve is configured to distribute a compressive load on the catheter tube so as to ensure patency of the at least one lumen of the catheter tube.

The invention relates to a metallic, nanoporous canister used to encapsulate cellular and/or biotherapeutic agents. The device is biocompatible and functions to wholly isolate a therapeutically active agent and/or cells therein. Their implantation, and survival in vivo, permits the local or systemic diffusion of their encapsulated cellular and/or biomolecular and therapeutics factors with the potential to promote repair of damaged or degenerated tissues in mammalian hosts, primarily humans.

The present invention provides a catheter site insertion plug composed of a body that includes an upper surface, a lower surface and a protruding portion extending from the lower surface. The protruding portion of the body forms a frustum having a terminus and defines a passageway extending from an opening at the upper surface to an exit orifice at the terminus of the frustum. The passageway is configured to receive a catheter therethrough. The lower surface may include a second protruding portion in the form of an annular ring around the first protruding portion. The first protruding portion may include an end section that extends radially outward to provide an inflection point generally adjacent the terminus of the frustum. The end section may extend outward to provide at least one radial edge. The present invention also provides a catheter system composed of a flexible catheter and catheter site insertion plug.

A barrier system is provided for use in reducing infections associated with a percutaneous medical device, such as a catheter, that is disposed within a percutaneous incision. Such a barrier system can include: a barrier device having a skin-contacting surface and a catheter-receiving surface; and an adhesive composition configured for adhering to skin, the barrier device, and/or the catheter so as to form a barrier at or adjacent to an incision in the skin where the catheter is percutaneously inserted through the skin. The barrier device can include a conduit configured to receive the catheter. Alternatively, the barrier device can include a groove in a base surface that is configured to receive the catheter. A system that includes a medical device, the barrier device, and adhesive can also be provided.

A device for reducing agent penetration at an insertion site is provided that has a porous inner sleeve fluidly connected to a conduit. A vacuum or hydrodynamic source is fluidly connected to the conduit. The device is stabilized by fibroblast in-growth and inhibits bacterial colonization. A device is also provided that has a conduit having a bore and an outer conduit surface. The outer conduit surface is optionally nanotextured to promote fibroblast adhesion and limit bacterial residency. A sleeve is provided in fluid communication with the bore of the conduit, and is formed from materials characterized by a pore matrix through which vacuum or hydrodynamic draw is achieved in a process to promote stabilization and reducing bacterial colonization by draw fluid from an area around the surrounding the site of the device. The sleeve optionally has a distal nanotextured surface.

A stabilizing connector includes a connector portion and a stabilization portion. The connector portion is configured to couple to an access device. The connector portion defines at least one lumen that is configured to be placed in fluid communication with a lumen of the access device. The stabilization portion is coupled to the connector portion. The stabilization portion is configured to be placed in contact with a surface of a patient's skin to stabilize at least one of the stabilizing connector or the access device.

The present disclosure provides an apparatus for intracranial drug injection including a body unit having a through-hole extending between a first opening in a topmost surface and a second opening in a bottommost surface, a cap unit having a shape corresponding to at least a part of an inner surface of the through-hole and being inserted into the first opening to cover the first opening, and a tube unit having one end coupled to the second opening and another end extending toward an affected brain lesion.

The invention relates to an intracorporeal guide component (1) for guiding lines belonging to medical devices inside a living being. The guide component (1) has a main body (2) comprising a line channel (3) for receiving and guiding the line. To secure the guide component (1) in the body of the living being more easily, with less damage to the tissue, according to the invention the main body (2) has, on its periphery, one or more contact surfaces (4, 4b) designed for interlocking and/or frictional contact with a bone structure of the living being. For example, the guide component (1) can be clamped between two costal arches of the living being, as an intercostal guide component (1), in order to securely hold and guide a line leading to the heart of the living being.