An introducer set for a microwave ablation probe is disclosed. The introducer set includes a cannula that is at least partially transparent to microwave energy, and a stylet sized to be received by the lumen of the cannula. Other examples provide a microwave ablation system including a microwave ablation probe having a radiating portion and a cannula that is at least partially transparent to microwave energy. The radiating portion of the probe aligns with the transparent portion of the cannula when the probe is inserted into the cannula lumen. The technology provides a method including introducing a microwave ablation probe into the lumen of a cannula having a cannula body that is at least partially transparent to microwave energy, aligning the transparent portion of the cannula with the radiating portion of the probe, and causing microwave energy to be emitted from the radiating portion of the probe.

Catheter systems and method utilizing catheters having strategically configured actuators disposed thereon to modify the shape and/or stiffness of the catheter to provide electronically actuated anchoring, friction reduction, and/or motive force to move the catheter within a body lumen, such as a vascular vessel. The catheters include an elongated, flexible tubular member having one or more actuators disposed on the tubular member. The actuators are configured to modify the shape and/or stiffness of the tubular member to provide various controlled functions, including anchoring, friction reduction while moving the catheter, and/or propelling the catheter in a body lumen. The actuators may be electroactive polymer actuators which are electronically actuatable, mechanical actuators which are actuated by mechanical means such as pull wires, hydraulic or pneumatic actuators which are actuatable by fluid pressure, or combinations thereof.

An electrically conductive plastic (ECP) material can be used to heat water in a reservoir of a respiratory humidifier to encourage heating and/or humidification of gases passing through the respiratory humidifier. The electrically conductive plastic material can at least in part overmould the base and/or walls of the chamber and/or the reservoir of the respiratory humidifier. The reservoir can also partially or fully be formed from the electrically conductive plastic material. Furthermore, the humidification system can be configured to create substantially equal or differential heating of water in the reservoir.

Methods and apparatuses relate to an implantable device for providing contractile assistance to an organ. The device may include an actuator and anchors located on either side of the actuator. The anchors engage with oppositely positioned tissue walls of an organ chamber, and provide contractile assistance to the organ, repeatedly, at appropriate times. For example, the device may be implanted within the right ventricle, anchored to the right ventricular free wall and the ventricular septum. The device may function to bring the opposing walls of the ventricle toward one another, synchronized with the pacing of the heart, resulting in an improved ejection fraction of blood from the chamber. In some embodiments, the actuator includes a bladder that is configured to contract upon receiving an inflow of pressurized fluid therein. When the fluid exits therefrom, the bladder relaxes back to an initial, extended state.

A medical device (10) configured for attachment to skin of a patient includes a vital sign sensor or drug delivery patch (14); and a plurality of suction cells (12) arranged around a periphery of the vital sign sensor or drug delivery patch.

Wound therapy compression garments and layered dressing kits are described. In an aspect, a kit includes a compression garment and one or more fenestrated dressing layers. The compression garment includes a plurality of hydrophobic longitudinal wales arranged to form a fabric with a plurality of hydrophilic transverse elastomeric threads under variable tension connecting adjacent ones of the hydrophobic longitudinal wales in such way as to deliver elastic compression at a wound site. The hydrophobic longitudinal wales and the hydrophilic transverse elastomeric threads cooperate to generate hydrostatic pressure for transporting fluid away from the wound site. The fenestrated dressing layer(s) is configured to form a textured interface with the compression garment and increase movement of fluid away from the wound site.

A patient interface assembly is configured to deliver a positively pressurized flow of breathable gas to a patient's airways. The patient interface assembly includes a patient interface configured to sealingly engage the patient's face and comprises a chamber configured to receive the pressurized flow of breathable gas. The patient interface assembly also includes headgear configured to support the patient interface on the patient's head and be tightened to one of a plurality of discrete tension settings. The headgear includes a tensioning element that is configured to contract in length to one of a plurality of discrete lengths when subjected to an electrical signal. Each discrete length of the tensioning element corresponds to a respective one of the plurality of discrete headgear tension settings.

Described are microneedle devices comprising an electron beam crosslinked or photocrosslinked polymer material, and methods of making and using them, such as for drug delivery or sampling biological fluids.

A medication delivery system having a holding chamber capable of delivering dosages of medicament from a metered dose inhaler. The holding chamber includes an actuator detector, flow detector and display. In another embodiment, a medication delivery system includes a holding chamber having an input and an output end, a metered dose inhaler operably coupled to the input end of the holding chamber, and a metered dose inhaler identifier associated with the holding chamber and operable to identify the metered dose inhaler coupled to the holding chamber.

A medical device includes: an elongated tube having a wall defining a lumen for the elongated tube, wherein the wall of the elongated tube comprises a first opening; and a first actuating element coupled directly or indirectly to the wall of the elongated tube; wherein at least a part of the first actuating element and the first opening of the wall are located at a same longitudinal position with respect to a longitudinal axis of the elongated tube; and wherein the first actuating element is configured to change size to induce stress and/or displacement at the wall of the elongated tube to cause the elongated tube to bend.