A medical device system may include a sheath, a pusher wire, and a locking element. The sheath may have a first outer diameter adjacent to the proximal end and an enlarged outer diameter region having a second outer diameter greater than the first adjacent to the intermediate region. The pusher wire may be slidably disposed within a lumen of the sheath. The locking element may have a lumen extending therethrough. The locking element may have a first inner diameter adjacent to the distal end and a second inner diameter smaller than the first adjacent to the intermediate region. The locking element may configured to freely slide over a region of the sheath having the first diameter. When the locking element is disposed over the enlarged outer diameter region of the sheath having the second outer diameter, the locking element may be configured to depress the sheath radially inwards.

A system for treating heart disease, such as pulmonary hypertension or right heart failure, including an implantable component and external components for monitoring the implantable component is provided. The implantable component may include a compliant member, e.g., balloon, coupled to a reservoir via a conduit. Preferably, the compliant member is adapted to be implanted in a pulmonary artery and the reservoir is adapted to be implanted subcutaneously. The external components may include a clinical controller component, monitoring software configured to run a clinician's computer, a patient monitoring device, and a mobile application configured to run on a patient's mobile device.

Provided herein is an apparatus having a first tubular body, a second tubular body disposable within the first tubular body, a first plurality of fenestrations in fluid communication with a gallbladder lumen, and an expandable body disposed around the first plurality of fenestrations. The first plurality of fenestrations is configured to deliver a phase changing ablation medium by spraying the phase changing ablation medium in a spatially diffuse pattern into the space defined by the expandable body between the first plurality of fenestrations and the wall of the gallbladder. The first tubular body and the second tubular body define an annular flow path. A pressure sensor measures intraluminal pressure of the gallbladder. A control unit is coupled to the pressure sensor.

An introducer sheath for the insertion of a medical device into a blood vessel having an expandable sheath. The sheath has a length, a thickness, and proximal and distal ends. The expandable sheath has a frame extending longitudinally between the proximal and the distal ends, and having an exterior surface and an interior surface that forms an interior lumen along the length of the frame. The frame is configured to achieve an expanded state and a contracted state, the expanded state forming an expanded cross-section in the lumen for passing a medical device therethrough. The frame has a smooth coating about the exterior surface and protrusions extending into the lumen along the interior surface. The introducer sheath can be introduced into a patient in the contracted state, with the distal end of the introducer sheath prevented from moving in the proximal direction by an abutment against a dilator end surface.

An intravascular treatment system including an introducer sheath having an intentional friction zone along a section thereof imposing an intentional friction force on the outer surface of a catheter shaft slidable therein. The friction zone representing a non-straight (e.g., curved or bent) section of the introducer sheath and/or a section of the introducer sheath whose inner wall has a reduced inner diameter (e.g., fused heat shrink material). During intravascular treatment, sufficient axial force may be applied to overcome the imposed intentional friction force and advance the intravascular treatment device in a distal direction to a desired target site in the artery. Once properly positioned, the imposed intentional friction force ensures that the intravascular treatment device is maintained in place.

Disclosed herein is a system for treatment including a sheath introducer and a catheter or other device. The system can have a floating hemostasis valve comprising a seal through which the shaft of the catheter can extend. The floating hemostasis valve can have elastic bellows which can allow the seal to move orthogonal to the longitudinal axis of the sheath introducer in response to an orthogonal movement of the shaft of the catheter. The elastic bellows can be configured to deform to allow the orthogonal movement of the floating hemostasis valve.

A system and method for determining an access trajectory to a target site to safely place a surgical access instrument (e.g., guide wire, dilator, cannula, etc.) through a tissue (e.g., muscle, fat, brain, liver, lung, etc.) without damaging nearby neurovascular structure is described herein. The trajectory determination system includes a nerve stimulation probe and a dilator guide having a plurality of guide channels and registerable to an operating table in a fixed orientation. Motor nerve stimulation (e.g., EMG, MMG) is performed with the stimulation probe positioned in each of said plurality of guide channels to generate a map of nerve locations within intervening anatomical structures (e.g., muscle, bone, etc.) between the dilator guide and the surgical target site. Available access pathways are determined based on the nerve location data and displayed on a display unit.

A method of performing a medical procedure in a cerebral vessel of a patient including advancing a first catheter system towards an embolus within a cerebral blood vessel and a second catheter system towards the embolus through the first catheter, applying aspiration pressure through the lumen of the second catheter; anchoring a distal end of the second catheter onto the embolus via the aspiration pressure; applying a proximally-directed force on the second catheter; and advancing the first catheter over the second catheter towards the embolus while the distal end of the second catheter remains anchored onto the embolus; and automatically applying aspiration pressure within the first catheter upon the second catheter portion entering into the first catheter.

A device for withdrawing a sheath from a shaft includes a housing a flexible timing belt that is a continuous band forming a loop that has an inner surface and an outer surface. The timing belt has a plurality of belt teeth on a surface of the timing belt. The delivery device is by rotation of a barrel that is actuated by an actuator coupled to a barrel having a plurality of teeth such that rotation of the barrel such that the barrel teeth engages the belt teeth to cause movement of the timing belt causing movement of the outer sheath.

A catheter delivery system (10) includes: (i) an introducer sheath (12); (ii) a catheter (14) disposed at least partially within the introducer sheath and movable axial along the introducer sheath; (iii) an invaginating tube (16) sealably secured at or near a first axial end (16a) of the invaginating tube to the introducer sheath at or near a first axial end (12 a) of the introducer sheath; (iv) a runner (28) slidably connected to the catheter; (v) the invaginating tube being sealably secured at or near a second axial end (16b) of the invaginating tube to the runner, such that the runner with inavaginating tube secured thereto is sealably connected to the catheter and movable axially along at least a portion of the catheter; and (vi) means for pressurising the annular space defined between the introducer sheath, the catheter and the invaginating tube.