Generally, abnormal pressures in the sinus cavity can have physiological effects due to stimulation or injury of various nerves that are in proximity to the sinus, including increased or decreased pressure on the nerves as well as extrusion of the nerves into the sinus cavities due to bony dehiscence. Methods and devices for alleviating disorders associated with the sinus cavities are described. Embodiments herein include diagnosing these disorders by occluding or restricting the sinus ostium and assessing the physiological effects caused by the occlusion/restriction and treating these disorders by navigating/directing a dilating device to the sinus ostium and dilating the sinus ostium. Other embodiments are directed to devices for maintaining the ostial opening.

The present disclosure relates to an ostomy method and an implantation method. The ostomy method includes steps of making an incision in the chest to expose the heart, puncturing the left ventricle with a puncture needle, thrusting the puncture needle into the ventricular septum and then into the right ventricle to form a puncture site on the ventricular septum, and dilating the puncture site of the ventricular septum with a dilator to form an opening. The method of the present disclosure can reduce the death rate.

An interlocking system for a joystick in a catheter procedure system includes a joystick configured to generate a first voltage output signal based on a linear activation of the joystick and a second voltage output signal based on a rotational activation of the joystick. A joystick cover is disposed over the joystick and includes an upper portion having an electrode plating on an inner surface of the upper portion and a lower portion having an inner surface. A capacitive touch detection circuit is coupled to the electrode plating of the upper portion of the joystick cover and is mounted on the inner surface of the lower portion of the joystick cover. The capacitive touch detection circuit is configured to detect a proximal change in capacitance in the electrode plating of the upper portion of the joystick cover and to generate a touch output signal to indicate whether a change in capacitance has been detected. A signal enable circuit is coupled to the joystick and the capacitive touch detection circuit and is configured to generate a linear enable voltage output signal and a rotational enable voltage output signal based on whether a change in capacitance has been detected.

Ablation catheters and systems include coaxial catheter shafts with an inner lumen for delivering an ablative agent and an outer lumen for circulation of a cooling element about the catheter. Induction heating is used to heat a chamber and vaporize a fluid within by wrapping a coil about a ferromagnetic chamber and providing an alternating current to the coil. A magnetic field is created in the area surrounding the chamber which induces electric current flow in the chamber, heating the chamber and vaporizing the fluid inside. Positioning elements help maintain the device in the proper position with respect to the target tissue and also prevent the passage of ablative agent to normal tissues.

Navigation and tissue capture systems and methods for navigation to and/or capture of selected tissue using the innate electrical activity of the selected tissue and/or other tissue are described. In the context of left atrial appendage closure, the systems and methods can be used to navigate to the left atrial appendage and capture/control the appendage while a closure instrument (suture, clip, ring) is placed over the appendage and tightened down or a closure method (ablation, cryogenic procedures, stapling, etc.) is performed to close the left atrial appendage. The use of innate electrical activity for navigating devices may be used in connection with other tissues and/or areas of the body.

An expandable electrode assembly for use in a cardiac mapping procedure includes multiple bipolar electrode pairs including a first electrode located on an outer surface and a second electrode located on an inner surface of the individual splines forming the expandable electrode assembly. Such an electrode arrangement may produce improved electrical activation signals which may be used to produce a more accurate map of the electrical activity of a patient's heart.

A system and method for supplying microwave energy to tissue for microwave therapy includes an electrosurgical generator having an output for coupling to a surgical instrument. The electrosurgical generator includes a microwave energy source and a controller for controlling the operation of the electrosurgical generator. The surgical instrument, coupled to the electrosurgical generator, includes a microwave antenna for delivering microwave energy from the microwave energy source. The controller of the electrosurgical generator is operable for causing the electrosurgical generator to apply at least two pulses of microwave energy.

The present invention relates to an apparatus (1) comprising a signal processor (2) for processing measurement signals (3) from a motion-mode ultrasound measurement and a rendering device (4) coupled to a processor (2) for rendering a one-dimensional representation (40) along a temporal axis (41) indicative of a property within a tissue. The values (42) in the one-dimensional representation (40) are derived on the basis of measured values in an observation window (12, 22, 32) defined on an M-mode ultrasound image (10), a tissue velocity image (20) or a strain rate image (30).

Various surgical systems are disclosed. A surgical system can include a surgical robot and a surgical hub. The surgical robot can include a control unit in signal communication with a control console and a robotic tool. The surgical hub can include a display. The surgical hub can be in signal communication with the control unit. A facility can include a plurality of surgical hubs that communicate data from the surgical robots to a primary server. To alleviate bandwidth competition among the surgical hubs, the surgical hubs can include prioritization protocols for collecting, storing, and/or communicating data to the primary server.

A medical device is provided. The medical device includes a puncture needle that is inserted into body tissue from outside a body and pierces membranous tissue near pulsating tissue inside the body tissue; a tubular protection member that is disposed on the outer side of the puncture needle; a pulse-information acquisition portion that acquires pulse information of the pulsating tissue; and a driving unit that moves the puncture needle and the protection member relative to each other in synchronization with the pulse information of the pulsating tissue acquired by the pulse-information acquisition portion, in such a manner that a tip of the puncture needle is retracted toward a proximal end from a distal end of the protection member when the pulsating tissue expands and that the tip of the puncture needle is projected farther forward from the distal end of the protection member when the pulsating tissue contracts.