The present teachings provide an articulation catheter configured to be activated by electric energy. Specifically, one aspect of the present teachings provide a catheter body with a central axial lumen for delivering a medical device, and a plurality of peripheral lumens for articulation wires. The articulating wires join an energy source that controls the activation. The articulation wires are made of a conductive portion and an articulating portion made of shape memory material. The conductive portion of the articulating wire transfers electric energy to the articulating portion of the articulating wire. The articulating portion of the articulating wire transitions into its pre-programmed shape upon resistance heating caused by the electric energy received.

A device comprises a tubular member with a longitudinal axis having a proximal end and a distal end, at least one partial cut located at, along or near the distal end of the tubular member, the at least one partial cut comprising an orientation that is angled relative to both the longitudinal axis and an axis transverse to the longitudinal axis, a pusher member positioned within an interior of the tubular member and configured to selectively advance the distal end of the tubular member longitudinally, wherein the distal end of the tubular member is configured to at least partially rotate when the pusher member is advanced relative to the tubular member so at to facilitate placement of the distal end in a particular branch of a subject's intraluminal network, wherein the distal end of the tubular member is configured to longitudinally elongate along or near an area of the at least one partial cut.

This medical device (Li-VanThiel tube) is designed to add 21st century technologies to a 20th century device in order to ease application and increase safety. The current Shengstaken-Blakemore tube is very difficult to use and dangerous to deploy. The Li-VanThiel tube utilizes guided tube insertion, inflates by using a pressure regulated pre-charged air canister, It has a smaller pre-deployment diameter and a variable stiffness tube feature to overcome the short comings of the old design.

A medical sheath assembly is configured to be positioned in a patient, and is also configured to convey, at least in part, an electromagnetic-transmission signal through the medical sheath assembly. The medical sheath assembly includes a sheath-support component being sympathetic, at least in part, for transmission of electromagnetic energy traveling through the sheath-support component, dispatched toward, or dispatched away from, the medical sheath assembly.

A laparoscopic flexible suction/irrigation device of the present invention encases a inner rigid cannula with an outer flexible cannula. Upon translating the distal end of outer flexible cannula beyond the distal end of the inner rigid cannula, the outer flexible cannula returns to a preexisting curvilinear shape. This curved extension can thereafter be positioned via a proximal handle to concavities within the surgical site for precise and effective fluid retraction.

A robotic catheter procedure system for performing a procedure including a bedside system and a remote workstation is provided. The bedside system includes a first percutaneous device and a second percutaneous device. The bedside system also includes a first actuating mechanism configured to engage and to impart movement to the first percutaneous device and a second actuating mechanism configured to engage and to impart movement to the second percutaneous device. The remote workstation includes a user interface and a control system operatively coupled to the user interface and to the bedside system. The control system controlling the first actuating mechanism to cause movement of the first percutaneous device to create a bore through the lesion and the second actuating mechanism to cause movement of the second percutaneous device through the bore created by the first percutaneous device.

A variable-stiffness actuator is to be installed into a flexible member and provide different degrees of stiffness to the flexible member. The actuator includes two hard members located apart from each other, and a shape-memory member connecting the hard members. The shape-memory member has a property of transitioning in phase between a first phase and a second phase. The shape-memory member is in a low stiffness state when in the first phase, and is in a high stiffness state when in the second phase. The actuator also includes a inducing member configured to cause a portion of the shape-memory member between the hard members to transition in phase between the first and second phases, and a urging member configured to urge the hard members in directions away from each other.

There is provided herein a system and a method for an insertion device positioning guidance system comprising: an electromagnetic field generator configured to generate an electromagnetic field covering a treatment area; a plate sensor configured to be positioned within the treatment area in a location defining an orientation of a subject; a reference sensor configured to be positioned, within the treatment area, on the subject's torso, the reference sensor is configured to define a reference coordinate system representing the position and orientation of the subject's torso relative to said field generator; a registration sensor configured to mark at least a first and a second anatomic locations relative to the reference coordinate system; and a processor configured to operate said field generator, read signals obtained from said the plate sensor, said reference sensor and said registration sensor, calculate a position and orientation thereof relative to said field generator, generate a 3D anatomic map representing the torso of the subject and the first and second anatomic locations, said processor is further configured to facilitate visualization on the 3D anatomic map of a position, orientation and/or path of a tip sensor, located in a distal tip section of the insertion device, with respect to the first and second anatomic locations, independent of the subject's movement and independent of deviations in the position and/or orientation of said field generator, thus determination of a successful medical procedure is facilitated.

A method for determining a shape of a bendable instrument can include placing the bendable instrument in a neutral position; moving a first control element a first amount until slack is removed from the first control element; moving a second control element a second amount until slack is removed from the second control element; sensing a position of the first control element after moving the first control element the first amount, the sensed position of the first control element being defined as a first control element calibration position; sensing a position of the second control element after moving the second control element the second amount, the sensed position of the second control element being defined as a second control element calibration position. The method can further include bending the instrument by moving one or both of the first control element and the second control element from the respective first control element calibration position and the second control element calibration position; and determining a resulting shape of the bendable instrument based on a distance one or both of the first control element and the second control element respectively moved from the first control element calibration position and second control element calibration.

A deflectable, flexible device includes an elongate body, a convoluted tip portion at a distal end of the elongate body, and a lumen to receive one or more wires. The convoluted tip portion includes an electroformed pleated region which is formed by electrodepositing a metal on a mandrel having a pleated region. The convoluted tip portion may be hermetically sealed to permit repeated sterilization. The electroformed pleated region may include one or more fluid emission orifices. The convoluted tip portion extends or bends in response to fluid pressure manipulation, contact with tissue, manipulation with an internal spring or wire, or by a user pushing, pulling, or twisting the catheter directly or via an introducer sheath or the like. The convoluted tip portion may further include an RF ablation element or other energy-driven technique to create continuous linear lesions or a sensing element.