Access assemblies include an instrument valve housing and a valve assembly disposed within the cavity of the instrument valve housing. The valve assembly includes a guard assembly, a seal assembly disposed adjacent to the guard assembly, and a centering mechanism for maintaining the seal assembly and guard assembly centered within a cavity of the instrument valve. The guard assembly includes a support ring and a plurality of guard sections disposed distally of the support ring. The seal assembly includes a proximal seal member, an intermediate seal assembly, and a distal seal member, the intermediate seal assembly including a plurality of seal sections in a stacked configuration.

A robotic assembly comprises a deployment catheter including a steerable distal region and further comprises a balloon assembly coupled to the steerable distal region.

A cannula system and method for accessing a blood mass in the brain. The system comprises a cannula with a camera mounted on the proximal end of the cannula with a view into the cannula lumen and the surgical field below the lumen. A prism, reflector or other suitable optical element is oriented between the camera and the lumen of the cannula to afford the camera a view into the cannula while minimizing obstruction of the lumen. The system may also include an obturator with a small diameter shaft and a large diameter tip which is optically transmissive, so that a surgeon inserting or manipulating the assembly can easily see that the obturator tip is near brain tissue (which is white) or blood (which is red).

An access port, access port delivery system, and a method of delivering a transcatheter mitral valve prosthesis to a mitral valve annulus within a mammalian heart. The access port includes an annular ring having a central opening, a tubular projection extending from the annular ring and coaxial with the central opening, a plurality of tissue anchor openings spaced apart about a circumference of the annular ring, and a plurality of tissue anchors. The access port delivery system removably couples to the access port and carries the plurality of tissue anchors and includes a driver mechanism for synchronously driving the plurality of tissue anchors through the plurality of tissue anchor openings to affix the access port to a ventricular apex of the heart. The access port delivery system also includes a central bore that serves as a working channel to deliver a transcatheter mitral valve prosthesis.

The present invention provides minimally invasive subdural evacuating systems and methods of use thereof. The subdural evacuating systems include a cutting component and a rod component, wherein the rod component provides an external physical indicator that the surface of the dura mater has been reached, permitting the cutting component to accurately pierce the dura mater with minimal to no risk of damaging any adjacent anatomy.

Systems and methods are disclosed for a lead, needle, and cannula that are sized and shaped for ease of needle threading and positioning, e.g., for implanting the lead into biological tissue. The lead has an opening at one end surrounded by an expanded region. The needle has a ledge in a side of the needle. The cannula has an exit gate with an aperture sized to accept the expanded region of the lead. A portion of the needle is held inside the cannula and can extend or retract therein. When the expanded region of the lead is threaded through the exit gate aperture, the needle is configured to extend through the opening of the lead and catch the lead on the ledge. The needle is further configured to extend past the exit gate of the cannula while pulling the lead through the slot and free of the aperture.

An intervention guidance device (10) includes a main body portion (100) and a guidance portion (200). The guidance portion (200) has a contracted configuration and an expanded configuration. In the expanded configuration, the guidance portion (200) has a central area (201) and a closed outer edge (202). In the contracted configuration, the outer edge (202) is farther away from the main body portion (100) than the central area (201), and the guidance portion (200) is restorable from the contracted configuration to the expanded configuration. In the intervention guidance device (10), the radial dimension of the guidance portion (200) is larger than the distance between the chordae tendineae, so that an effective access path that does not cross the chordae tendineae can be established, the subsequent implantation of a heart valve prosthesis does not pass through the chordae tendineae, and the success rate of a heart valve prosthesis implantation surgery can be improved.

Disclosed are devices for pericardial access to the heart, including direct access to the left atrium. In certain embodiments, the device may comprise a device and/or an atrial appendage (AA) portal having a configuration such that the distal end of the device and/or the portal can access an atrial appendage while the proximal end of the device and/or portal can extend to outside of the subject. The devices and methods may also include a pericardial portal for emplacement of the device and/or the AA portal. Also, methods for using such devices and/or AA portals and pericardial portals to perform surgery on the heart, and systems (e.g., kits) comprising these devices and/or portals in combination with other therapeutic devices are disclosed.

Access assemblies include an instrument valve housing and a valve assembly disposed within the cavity of the instrument valve housing. The valve assembly includes a guard assembly, a seal assembly disposed adjacent to the guard assembly, and a centering mechanism for maintaining the seal assembly and guard assembly centered within a cavity of the instrument valve. The guard assembly includes a support ring and a plurality of guard sections disposed distally of the support ring. The seal assembly includes a proximal seal member, an intermediate seal assembly, and a distal seal member, the intermediate seal assembly including a plurality of seal sections in a stacked configuration.

A surgical access assembly includes an instrument valve housing defining a cavity, and a seal assembly disposed within the cavity of the instrument valve housing. The seal assembly includes a flange seal member and a centering mechanism. The flange seal member includes an annular member, a flange portion extending from the annular member, and a seal portion supported by the annular member and defining an opening dimensioned to receive a surgical instrument in a sealing relation. The flange portion includes first and second arcuate portions adjustably engaging the instrument valve housing in a sealing relation. The first and second arcuate portions have a parabolic profile. The centering mechanism maintains the seal assembly centered within the cavity of the instrument valve housing.