The invention relates to a dart (10) comprising a body, the body defining a chamber (24) having a plunger located therein to operatively deliver a substance through a hypodermic needle (32) extending through a front end of the body, and a retainer comprising a barb body locatable on the hypodermic needle (32) characterised in that the barb body is threaded. The invention further relates to a dart retainer, wherein the retainer comprises of a threaded barb body locatable on a hypodermic needle (32) of a dart (10).

An infusion device includes a base for removably coupling to a fluid deliver device, a needle hub supporting an introducer needle and a catheter for delivering a substance to a patient. The infusion device includes a needle shield for covering the introducer needle after inserting the catheter into the patient. The needle shield includes a leg with a latching tab to couple to the coupling of the base until the legs spring outward to release the coupling. The legs have inwardly extending overlapping arms with an aperture receiving the introducer needle. A spring guard is formed on the needle shield and is spring biased inwardly toward the introducer needle to contact the arms. The introducer needle is retracted to release the arms allowing the arms to spring outwardly to disengage from the coupling of the base and to enable spring guard to spring inwardly to cover the tip of the introducer needle.

A system of needles having rudders or keels is provided having perforations, such as kerfs, to allow the needles to be bent by the manipulations of wires imbedded within the needle body. The pulling or pushing of the embedded wires, or stylets, causes the needle tip to be bent, while within the body, to allow the needle to be steered past impediments towards the target necessitating treatment. Wires can be pulled or pushed and in some instances both a push and pull wire are provided to give the needle precision steerability. The needles are provided with a keel or rudder, or can be shaped such as with a teardrop cross-section, to give a degree of stabilization to the course the needle, and attendant tubing, takes within the patient. The kerf cut section of the needle, which can be on one side, two sides or all about the circumference of the needle, allows the needle to be bent one way and then, as needed, another way to allow the needle to be steered within the body.

The present disclosure relates to cannula systems for delivery of a therapeutic agent to parenchymal tissue of a target subject. In certain embodiments, the cannula system is for delivery of a therapeutic agent to parenchymal tissue in the spine of a target subject. In certain embodiments, the cannula system includes a cannula positioning guide (CPG) useful in the delivery of a therapeutic agent to a localized target tissue of a subject. The guide may be used in a surgical suite or during a surgical procedure.

A cannula adapter guiding a catheter out of a cannula and dispensing fluid from a reservoir is disclosed. The cannula adapter includes a first slidable member operably connected to the catheter such that a distal movement of the first slidable member causes the catheter to move within and out of the cannula. The cannula adapter includes a second slidable member operably connected to a plunger and the reservoir such that a proximal movement and a subsequent distal movement of the second slidable member dispenses fluid from the reservoir and out from the catheter.

Self-righting articles, such as self-righting capsules for administration to a subject, are generally provided. In some embodiments, the self-righting article may be configured such that the article may orient itself relative to a surface (e.g., a surface of a tissue of a subject). The self-righting articles described herein may comprise one or more tissue engaging surfaces configured to engage (e.g., interface with, inject into, anchor) with a surface (e.g., a surface of a tissue of a subject). In some embodiments, the self-righting article may have a particular shape and/or distribution of density (or mass) which, for example, enables the self-righting behavior of the article. In some embodiments, the self-righting article may comprise a tissue interfacing component and/or a pharmaceutical agent (e.g., for delivery of the active pharmaceutical agent to a location internal of the subject). In some cases, upon contact of the tissue with the tissue engaging surface of the article, the self-righting article may be configured to release one or more tissue interfacing components. In some cases, the tissue interfacing component is associated with a self-actuating component. For example, the self-righting article may comprise a self-actuating component configured, upon exposure to a fluid, to release the tissue interfacing component from the self-righting article. In some cases, the tissue interfacing component may comprise and/or be associated with the pharmaceutical agent (e.g., for delivery to a location internal to a subject).

A delivery tool connectable with a syringe can be used to deliver a viscoelastic solution. The tool includes a first segment, a second segment and an inner lumen defined by the first and second segments. A distal portion extends from the second segment in a curved manner.

A medicine injection catheter includes: a catheter main body formed with a medicine supply lumen; a tubular body connected to the distal end of the catheter main body and having a lumen communicating with the medicine supply lumen; an injection needle connected to the tubular body; a tubular cover member that accommodates the tubular body and that is configured to be advanced and retracted in the axial direction of the catheter main body between a first position where a distal end of the injection needle is accommodated in the tubular cover and a second position where the distal end of the injection needle protrudes forward from the inside space; a closing member to close and open the lumen of the tubular body, a motion conversion mechanism which converts advancing/retracting motion of the cover member into movement of the closing member to close the lumen of the tubular body.

Disclosed embodiments include flexible tube assemblies, flexible needle assemblies, systems, methods of fabricating a flexible tube, and methods of fabricating a flexible needle. In an illustrative, non-limiting embodiment, a flexible tube assembly includes: a flexible tube having a proximal end with a proximal strain relief section and a distal end with a distal strain relief section, the proximal strain relief section being located between the proximal end and the distal strain relief section and the distal strain relief section being located between the distal end and the proximal strain relief section, the distal end defining an opening therein, at least a portion of at least one of the proximal strain relief section and the distal strain relief section defining therein a spiral cut with a continuously variable pitch; and tubing disposed in an airtight manner over an exterior surface of the flexible tube at least the portion of the at least one of the proximal strain relief section and the distal strain relief section defining therein the spiral cut with a continuously variable pitch.

The invention relates to a needle delivery device comprising a device body; one or more skin pinching members attached to the device body, the skin pinching members being moveable to pinch a longitudinal fold of skin of a patient. The device also comprises a drive mechanism configured to drive a needle out of the device body and along a needle path into the longitudinal fold of skin pinched between the pinching members, and subsequently withdraw the needle, the needle path extending substantially parallel to the surface of the patient.