A trocar assembly including an obturator, an access cannula, and a reservoir is provided. The access cannula defines a lumen therethrough configured to selectively receive the obturator. The reservoir is configured to be selectively coupled to the obturator such that the reservoir is in fluid communication with a hollow interior portion of the obturator. An obturator is also provided including an elongate body and a connection point. The elongate body extends between proximal and distal portions and is configured to be received within an access cannula. The elongate body defines a hollow interior portion therein. The connection point is disposed on an exterior portion of the elongate body and is configured to be selectively coupled to a fluid reservoir. Rapid expansion of fluid within the hollow interior portion causes tissue in contact with the access cannula to freeze thereto. A method of performing surgery is also provided.

A surgical access assembly and method of use is disclosed. The surgical access assembly comprises an outer sheath and an obturator. The outer sheath and obturator are configured to be delivered to an area of interest within the brain. Either the outer sheath or the obturator may be configured to operate with a navigational system to track the location of either within the brain. Once positioned at a desired location, the obturator is removed, leaving a distal end of the outer sheath adjacent an area of interest, and creating a working corridor. Interrogation of the area of interest may be performed to evaluate a disorder and/or abnormality, as well as evaluate treatment regimes. Interventional devices may also be introduced to the area of interest, as well as a variety of treatments.

A method of manufacturing a seal assembly for a surgical access assembly includes forming a seal assembly having a monolithic construction. The seal assembly includes a support member, seal sections connected to the support member, bridges disposed between adjacent seal sections and interconnecting the adjacent seal sections, and a plurality of standoffs extending from each seal section. The method also includes placing the seal assembly into a treatment bath, cutting the bridges, and folding the seal assembly.

An introducer sheath for use in hybrid procedures on the heart includes a shaft having a distal balloon which is inflated inside the heart wall. A proximal collar is slidable along the shaft and locked to anchor the sheath to the wall of the heart. The sheath has markings visible to both the naked eye and under fluoroscopy to aid in judging the depth of insertion.

A hemostasis valve body provides strong sealing around a medical device during insertion of the medical device into a blood vessel, low forces for tearing, and stability during insertion of the medical devices as well as during peel away. The valve body comprises a first surface, a second surface opposite the first surface, an edge, helical slits, and a pair of longitudinal cuts. The helical slits are positioned at a center of the valve body and traverse the first surface to the second surface. The helical slits provide a seal around the medical device. Each respective longitudinal cut extends from the first surface partially through the valve body to a depth short of the second surface for at least part of a length of the respective longitudinal cut. The longitudinal cuts facilitate a separation of the valve body into two parts during a peel away action.

An access device for a heart chamber, a removable hemostatic valve unit, and a system and a method of creating a transapical passage on a beating heart are disclosed. In examples, the access device (1) includes an apical base plate (100) and a sealing unit (3) configured to provide a separation of a wet zone from a heart chamber and a dry zone with a gaseous environment outside of said heart chamber inside a patient body at the same time.

A cannula for use in an access assembly includes an instrument valve housing including first and second housing sections and defining a cavity and a valve assembly disposed within the cavity of the instrument valve housing. The valve assembly includes a seal assembly including an outer flange and a septum seal extending across the outer flange, a guard assembly disposed within the outer flange of the seal assembly, and a centering mechanism. The guard assembly includes a plurality of guard members. Each guard member of the plurality of guard members includes a ring portion and a flap portion. The flap portions of the guard members of the guard assembly are configured to engage and stretch the septum seal during reception of a surgical instrument through the valve assembly.

An improved insertion apparatus simplifies loading of neurovascular device into microcatheter. In one example, the insertion apparatus can include a tapered distal tip, allowing the insertion apparatus to reach the microcatheter with no gap. In another example, the insertion apparatus can include an uneven outer surface along its longitudinal body through laser ablation of material to form protrusions, forming taper features, forming wave patterns or thread extrusions.

A sheath for producing a fully sealed access to the interior of a vessel of an animal or human body comprises a base sheath having a tubular body defining a pass-through channel. The base sheath is adapted to be inserted into the vessel through a vessel aperture. A wall of the tubular body of the base sheath has a through channel. This channel extends in the wall from the distal end towards the proximal end. The channel can be present separately from the pass-through channel of the base sheath or can form a sideways extension of the pass-through channel, at least at the distal end. Such through channel is adapted to conduct blood from the vessel to the proximal end of the sheath when the sheath has been inserted into a vessel.

An expandable introducer assembly for use in inserting a medical device into a body vessel of a patient includes an expandable sheath subassembly including a sheath hub and an expandable sheath extending from the sheath hub for initial insertion into the body vessel of the patient. The expandable introducer assembly also includes introducer subassembly including a hemostasis valve and an introducer sheath extending from the hemostasis valve and axial advanceable through the sheath hub and into the expandable sheath for radially expanding the body vessel. A coupler is releasably connected to the sheath hub and disposed in interlocked relationship with the hemostasis valve when the hemostasis valve is axially advanced with the introducer sheath towards the sheath hub for allowing serial retraction of the introducer sheath and the expandable sheath out of the body vessel of the patient.