Remote access, soft tissue tunneling dilators are used for the placement of central venous catheters of varying sizes into one or more jugular veins, for forming pathways of varying sizes through subcutaneous soft tissue, or for enlarging internal renal access pathways of varying sizes to accommodate access by urological instruments. Dilators comprise a tapered body extending from a proximal end to a distal tip, where both an outer diameter and a material hardness of the tapered body gradually increase distally-to-proximally from the distal tip toward the proximal end of the tapered body. The tapered body may include a plurality of visual indicators disposed upon the body at one or both of a plurality of distally-to-proximally increasing length increments and a plurality of distally-to-proximally increasing diameter increments. Other embodiments are also disclosed.

Apparatus and methods are described including an impeller that includes an impeller frame that comprises proximal and distal end portions and at least one helical elongate element that winds from the proximal end portion to the distal end portion. A material is coupled to the at least one helical elongate element, such that the at least one helical elongate element with the material coupled thereto defines a blade of the impeller. A plurality of sutures are tied around the at least one helical elongate element, the sutures being configured to facilitate coupling of the material to the at least one helical elongate element. Other applications are also described.

Methods and apparatus are provided for bilateral renal neuromodulation, e.g., via a pulsed electric field, via a stimulation electric field, via localized drug delivery, via high frequency ultrasound, via thermal techniques, etc. Such neuromodulation may effectuate irreversible electroporation or electrofusion, necrosis and/or inducement of apoptosis, alteration of gene expression, action potential attenuation or blockade, changes in cytokine up-regulation and other conditions in target neural fibers. In some embodiments, neuromodulation is applied to neural fibers that contribute to renal function. In some embodiments, such neuromodulation is performed in a bilateral fashion. Bilateral renal neuromodulation may provide enhanced therapeutic effect in some patients as compared to renal neuromodulation performed unilaterally, i.e., as compared to renal neuromodulation performed on neural tissue innervating a single kidney.

A method for removing a stone from a patient comprising the steps of: providing a suction evacuation assembly which includes a sheath and one or more side arms; inserting and positioning a distal end of the sheath into a lumen or cavity of a patient's body containing a stones; connecting a tube to one of the side arms and to a collection bottle; connecting another tube to the collection bottle and a negative pressure system; visualizing the stone or foreign body using a scope inserted through the assembly; activating the negative pressure system in order to remove the stone from the cavity if the diameter of the stone is narrower than an inside diameter of the sheath and the side arm, or performing a lithotripsy on the stone to create fragments with a decreased diameter which allow the passage through the assembly; and collecting the stone in the collection bottle.

An stent delivery system may include a delivery device and a tubular body having a lumen sized to slidably fit about an outer diameter of the delivery device and a drainage stent having an anchoring mechanism, wherein the delivery device includes a constraining member configured to engage an external portion of the tubular body at the proximal end of the delivery device. A method of delivering a stent may include inserting a tubular body into the port of an endoscope, inserting a stent delivery device and a stent having an anchoring mechanism into the tubular body, wherein the delivery device includes a constraining member configured to engage and retain the tubular body at the proximal end of the delivery device, advancing the drainage stent distally through the tubular body, sliding the tubular body proximally, and engaging an external portion of the tubular body with the constraining member.

A drainage catheter configured for draining bodily fluid from a patient is disclosed. The drainage catheter may comprise a catheter tube with a drainage lumen and a suture lumen. A suture of the drainage catheter may be disposed within the suture lumen. The suture may be coupled to a distal end of the catheter tube and extend proximally through a hub disposed at the proximal end of the catheter tube.

A method is provided for facilitating urine output from the kidney, including: (a) inserting a catheter including: a drainage lumen including a distal portion configured to be positioned in a patient's kidney, renal pelvis and/or in the ureter adjacent to the renal pelvis and a proximal portion, the distal portion including a retention portion including a funnel support including at least one sidewall, wherein the funnel support includes a first diameter and a second diameter, the first diameter being less than the second diameter, the second diameter being closer to an end of the distal portion of the drainage lumen than the first diameter, wherein the proximal portion of the drainage lumen is essentially free of or free of openings; and (b) applying negative pressure to the proximal portion of the drainage lumen for a period of time to facilitate urine output from the kidney.

In some embodiments, data sensed and/or operational parameters used during a catheterization procedure are used in the motion frame-rate updating and visual rendering of a simulated organ geometry. The organ geometry is rendered as a virtual material using a software environment (preferably a graphical game engine) which applies simulated optical laws to material appearance parameters affecting the virtual material's visual appearance, as part of simulating a scene comprising the simulated organ geometry, and optionally also comprising simulated views of a catheter probe used for sensing and/or treatment. Optionally, measurements of and/or effects on tissue by sensing and/or commanded probe-tissue interactions are converted into material appearance changes, allowing dynamic visual simulation of intra-body states and/or events based on optionally non-visual input data. In some embodiments, physiology, motion physics, and/or other physical processes are simulated based on live inputs as part of associating material appearance properties to the simulated tissue's geometry.

A needle access assembly and method for obtaining percutaneous needle access with little or no fluoroscopy is disclosed. The method includes selecting a target for percutaneous access, directing a laser guide at a desired needle-insertion angle and in line with the selected target, aligning the needle access assembly with the laser, and inserting the needle into the target.

A radioisotope elution system is provided. The radioisotope elution system may comprise a controller that is configured to calculate the available amount of daughter radioisotope at any time during establishment of the equilibrium for decay of the parent radioisotope into its daughter radioisotope. The radioisotope elution system may comprise a controller that is configured to schedule various patient infusions planned for the next following days and weeks in accordance with the available amount of daughter radioisotope on each day. The elution system may also comprise a controller that is connected to the imaging software of a radioisotope imaging device, where the radioisotope imaging device is arranged for imaging the patient or a region of the patient; and the controller is configured to start an image acquisition at a predetermined time.