The invention provides a device for inserting an infraglottic airway or an imaging device into a patient, the device comprising an open channel which is curved along its length, a first end of the device comprising a handle portion and a second end of the device being configured, in use, to extend to the opening of the patient's trachea. The invention also provides an infraglottic airway device comprising an endotracheal tube and two annular inflatable cuffs, wherein each cuff is provided with an inflation line through which the cuffs can be inflated or deflated.

Disclosed is a curved balloon catheter retractor, comprising a positioning balloon (11) provided at the head of a catheter (10), and a bendable curved balloon (12) provided at a portion on the catheter (10) that is close to the head, wherein the positioning balloon (11) and the curved balloon (12) are respectively connected to respective injection ports at the tail of the catheter (10) by means of pipelines inside the catheter (10); and a handle (14) is provided at the tail of the catheter (10) for adjusting the position of the catheter (10). In a non-use state, the positioning balloon (11) and the curved balloon (12) are tightly attached to the catheter (10). In an in-use state, fluid is injected from the injection port of the positioning balloon (11), such that the positioning balloon (11) is expanded to achieve the positioning effect; and the fluid is then injected into the curved balloon (12), such that the curved balloon (12) and part of the catheter (10) in the curved balloon are curled and deflected towards one side to create the retraction. In this way, simple and reliable retraction of the catheter (10) is achieved.

An intubation assistance device facilitates insertion of an endotracheal tube or a guide wire into a patient's trachea without requiring a laryngoscope. The device includes a curved flexible tubular member that has a proximal portion having a proximal end, a distal portion having a distal end, and a curved portion between the proximal portion and the distal portion. A lumen extends from the proximal end of the tubular member and terminates in the curved portion of the tubular member. The lumen is sized and shaped so that an endotracheal tube and/or a guide wire is axially moveable through the lumen. A ramp is disposed at a distal end of the lumen, and is angled to facilitate insertion of the endotracheal tube and/or guide wire into the patient's trachea. The distal portion of the tubular member includes an esophageal protrusion that is configured to be inserted in the patient's esophagus.

A temporary esophagus occlusion device for providing temporary occlusion of the esophagus during intubation of a in patient includes a frame configured to transition between a contracted state, in which it can be swallowed by the patient, and an expanded state, wherein in the expanded state, the frame has a maximum outer diameter sufficient to span an inner diameter of the esophagus of the patient. The device also includes a flexible cover connected to and extending over at least a portion of the frame when the frame is in the expanded state to at least partially block flow of fluid and/or solid materials through the esophagus and a guidewire attached to the frame, sized to be swallowed by the patient along with the frame and having a proximal end portion configured to remain external to the patient's body and a distal end connected to the frame.

Apparatus and associated methods relate to diagnostic device and system including a proximal balloon disposed along a length of a catheter and a distal balloon disposed at a distal end of the catheter, with at least one camera disposed at the distal balloon and a pH sensor deployable via inflation of the proximal balloon and configured to engage a patient's esophagus wall to attach the pH sensor to the patient's esophagus wall. In an illustrative example, the pH sensor may be releasably retained to the catheter adjacent to the proximal balloon. The pH sensor may include a tissue engaging feature configured to engage a patient's esophagus wall to attach the pH sensor to the patient's esophagus wall. The diagnostic device may improve upon existing processes by providing a single device to perform a multi-purpose diagnostic procedure.

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.

Methods and apparatus for guiding medical care based on sensor data from the gastrointestinal tract are described utilizing an apparatus which can be used with enteral feeding. Generally, the apparatus includes an elongated body having a length configured for insertion into a stomach and at least one pair of electrodes located along the length of the elongated body and positionable for placement within the stomach. A controller in electrical communication with the at least one pair of electrodes is included and the control may also be configured to measure a conductivity or impedance between the pair of electrodes and to determine a gastric residual volume of the stomach based on the measured conductivity or impedance.

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.

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 novel clinical decision support system (CDS) helps the clinician set up, maintain, and interpret an esophageal pressure measurement. The esophageal pressure CDS (Pes CDS) would remind the clinician to do an occlusion test whenever the balloon is first inserted or changes dramatically. It could monitor the occlusion test and provide feedback on the performance and success of the occlusion test. Changes in the patient or monitored data can be tracked by looking for changes in the balloon baseline pressure, changes in the amplitude of the pressure waveform, or changes in the pattern of the Pes waveform. Having information from the ventilator will further increase the ability of the system to determine when Pes is changing unexpectedly.