A device for placing a lung in a variety of different inflation states using positive air pressure. An exemplary device includes a housing and an air supply component. The housing includes a platform receives at least one of a synthetic lung or a real lung. The platform is at the same air pressure as a surrounding environment. The air supply component is located within the one or more internal cavities of the housing. The air supply component inflates the synthetic lung or the real lung with positive pressure.

A system and method for performing a bronchoscopy. The system may include a bronchoscope, a multi-fluid conduit apparatus, and a switching apparatus. The bronchoscope may include an insertion tube having a distal end, a control section, and a working channel. The multi-fluid conduit apparatus may include a first conduit section operably coupled to a vacuum source, a second conduit section operably coupled to an oxygen source, and a third conduit section operably coupled to the working channel, each of the first and second conduit sections being fluidly coupled to the third conduit section. The switching apparatus may include a valve apparatus operably coupled to each of the first and second conduit sections and an actuator apparatus operably coupled to the valve apparatus. The actuator apparatus may alter the valve apparatus between: (1) a suction supply state; and (2) an oxygen supply state.

The hiccup relieving apparatus includes a body with a first end having a mouthpiece, a second end having a restriction in the body between the first end and the second end. The restriction makes it difficult to draw fluid through the body to the user's mouth. The fluid can be air or the body can be immersed in water or other potable liquid in a container. The restriction requires an adult user, using the mouthpiece, to produce a threshold suction of for example water before water can flow from the water in the water container, through the body, through the mouthpiece, and to the user.

A medical device and its method of use includes a catheter, at least two electromagnetic sensing coils located within the distal tip of the catheter, and a multi-element planar ultrasound transducer array located within the distal tip of the catheter and configured to transmit and receive ultrasonic energy. The device also includes an imaging system coupled to the ultrasound transducer and is used for creating an image of tissue in a first target plane that extends orthogonally from the catheter body. The medical device also includes a backscatter evaluation system for use in receiving and evaluating the acoustic spectral characteristics of tissues within a second target area within the first target plane.

The present technology relates to a catheter navigation system that includes a catheter comprising a steerable distal tip including a proximity sensor. The system also includes a catheter controller. The catheter controller includes a processor; and memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the catheter controller to perform operations. The operations may include receiving, from the catheter, a proximity signal generated by the proximity sensor, identifying a steering target based on the proximity signal, and generating a steering signal to steer the steerable distal tip towards the steering target.

A medical system for assisting with an intubation procedure for a patient. The system comprising airflow sensors configured to obtain data indicative of airflow in the patient's airway and physiological sensors configured to obtain information regarding airflow in the patient's lungs. The system further including a monitoring device communicatively coupled to the airflow sensors and the physiological sensors. The patient monitoring device comprising at least one processor coupled to memory and configured to: provide a user interface on a display and assist the rescuer in determining proper placement of an endotracheal tube, receive the data indicative of the airflow in the patient's airway, receive the physiological information regarding the airflow in the patient's lungs, and determine whether the tube is properly placed based on the received physiological information, and present an output of the determination of whether the ET tube was properly placed.

An embodiment of the disclosure includes a method for treating a lung. The method may include inserting a cooling element into an airway of the lung; and damaging tissue disposed radially outward of surface tissue defining the airway via the cooling element.

Presented is an airway organ bioreactor apparatus, and methods of use thereof, as well as bioartificial airway organs produced using the methods, and methods of treating subjects using the bioartificial airway organs.

Various embodiments disclosed relate to drug-coated balloon catheters for treating strictures in body lumens and methods of using the same. A drug-coated balloon catheter for delivering a therapeutic agent to a target site of a body lumen stricture includes an elongated balloon having a main diameter. The balloon catheter includes a coating layer overlying an exterior surface of the balloon. The coating layer includes one or more water-soluble additives and an initial drug load of a therapeutic agent.

One aspect of the invention relates to a hydrogel comprising a non-natural polymer comprising a plurality of pendant nucleophilic groups and a crosslinker comprising at least two pendant electrophilic groups. Another aspect of the invention relates to a hydrogel comprising a non-natural polymer comprising a plurality of pendant electrophilic groups and a crosslinker comprising at least two pendant nucleophilic groups. Yet another aspect of the invention relates to a method for reducing lung volume in a patient comprising the step of administering a hydrogel composition as described herein. Further, hydrogels of the invention may be used to achieve pleurodesis, seal brochopleural fistulas, seal an air leak in a lung, achieve hemostasis, tissue sealing (e.g., blood vessels, internal organs), or any combination thereof. In certain embodiments, the compositions and methods described herein are intended for use in the treatment of patients with emphysema.