A fluid pressurizing and displacement device which is configured for both macro movement and micro movement of a plunger. In order to execute micro movement of the plunger, a user need only rotate the plunger; to execute macro movement of the plunger, a user need only push or pull the plunger. This simplicity in use is possible because a half-nut (or other suitable structure within the device) remains engaged with the plunger, except when the plunger is being pushed or pulled by its operator. All user motions are simple and intuitive.

Systems and methods for controlling fill media in a balloon catheter are disclosed. The system comprises a catheter having an inflatable balloon, a reservoir for fill media, and a first conduit for delivering fill media from the reservoir to the balloon. The system includes a second conduit for returning fill media from the balloon to the reservoir and a pump configured to circulate fill media through the conduits. The system also includes a valve assembly configured for placement in at least three positions. In the first position, fill media is delivered from the reservoir to the balloon to inflate the balloon. In the second position, fill media is drawn out of the balloon and returned to the reservoir. In the third position, fill media circulates through the conduits between the pump and the balloon and is prevented from flowing back to the reservoir.

A balloon catheter is described having a reinforced, co-axial, duel lumen design. In some embodiments, the balloon catheter includes a purging mechanism designed to purge air from the balloon.

An arrangement of an expandable substrate and a strain sensor applied onto a surface of the substrate. The strain sensor is made from an ink composition that is a mixture of a conductive silver ink and a conductive carbon ink. A ratio between the conductive silver ink and the conductive carbon ink lies in a range between 30:70 and 70:30 in on arrangement and between 40:60 and 60:40 in another. A method for forming the arrangement directly prints the strain sensor on the substrate.

A sensor device includes a flexible instrument (20) including a lumen (22). A plurality of shape or strain sensing optical fibers (14, 16, 18) is integrated in the flexible instrument in the lumen and extends over a length of the flexible instrument. The plurality of optical fibers is configured to measure movement relative to one another to sense a change in distance between the plurality of optical fibers to detect a state of a reconfigurable portion (24) of the flexible instrument.

A bowel irrigation system comprising a container adapted for containing a liquid, a catheter comprising an inflated balloon, a tubing connecting the container and the catheter, a pump, a control unit for controlling a flow of fluid in the system, and a pressure sensor is disclosed. The system comprises means for deflating the balloon, as a response to an assessment of a first pressure inside the balloon being greater than a first threshold value, by reducing the amount of liquid inside the balloon by a first amount of liquid. In addition, a method for deflating an inflatable balloon, as a response to an assessment of a first pressure inside the balloon being greater than a first threshold value, by reducing the amount of liquid inside the balloon by a first amount of liquid is disclosed.

A treatment method includes: inserting a first closure and a second closure into a tubular organ, wherein the tubular organ includes at least one affected site; contacting an inner wall of the tubular organ with the first closure and the second closure to close the tubular organ with the at least one affected site located between the first closure and the second closure; with the tubular organ closed by the first closure and the second closure, aspirating a gas located in the tubular organ between the first closure and the second closure; and with the tubular organ closed by the first closure and the second closure, delivering a liquid medicine into the tubular organ between the first closure and the second closure.

A system with at least one inflatable member configured for being arranged in a part of the patient's respiratory tract includes a catheter carrying the at least one inflatable member. The catheter includes a fluid line for filling the inflatable member with a fluid; and a pressure monitoring and control member to be arranged outside the patient's body. The pressure monitoring member is in fluid communication with the inflatable member and is configured to receive, during operation, fluid from the inflatable member when the pressure increases above a predetermined threshold pressure and to return the received fluid when the pressure decreases below said predetermined threshold pressure. The pressure monitoring and control member is an elastically expandable balloon made from a material configured to expand elastically when the pressure in the balloon increases above a predetermined threshold pressure and to contract when the pressure decreases below said predetermined threshold pressure.

A gastrostomy device (100) comprises a gastrostomy tube (200) having a retainer lumen (235) extending between a proximal part and a distal part of the tube (200); and an inflatable retaining element (300) coupled to the tube (200) at the distal part. An interior space of the retaining element (300) is in fluid communication with the retainer lumen (300). The gastrostomy device (100) also comprises an indicator (410) being in fluid communication with the retainer lumen (235) at the proximal part of the tube (200). The indicator (410) is configured for indicating a pressure in the retaining element (300) continuously within a range from a pressure corresponding to an empty retaining element (300) to an optimal pressure for the inflated retaining element (300).

A cuff pressure stabilizer (100, 200, 300, 500, 600, 800) is provided that includes an inflation lumen proximal port connector (134), which is shaped to form an air-tight seal with an inflation lumen proximal port (15) of a catheter (10) additionally having an inflatable cuff (11) and an inflation lumen (13); a fluid reservoir (120, 524, 624); a liquid column container (118, 518, 618), which is (a) open to the atmosphere (99) at at least one site along the liquid column container, (b) in fluid communication with the fluid reservoir (120, 524, 624), and (c) in communication with the inflation lumen proximal port connector (134) via the fluid reservoir (120, 524, 624); and a liquid (121), which is contained (a) in the fluid reservoir (120, 524, 624), (b) in the liquid column container (118, 518, 618), or (c) partially in the fluid reservoir (120, 524, 624) and partially in the liquid column container (118, 518, 618), and which has a density of between 1.5 and 5 g/cm3 at 4 degrees Celsius at 1 atm.