A pressure jacket for use with a fluid injector includes a barrel having a distal end, a proximal end, and a sidewall extending between the distal end and the proximal end along a longitudinal axis. The pressure jacket includes at least one engagement member protruding from a terminal portion of the proximal end of the barrel in a proximal direction along the longitudinal axis. The at least one engagement member tapers axially in a direction from the distal end toward the proximal end of the barrel. The at least one engagement member engages with a locking mechanism on the fluid injector to releasably lock the pressure jacket with the fluid injector. A taper of the at least one engagement member rotationally guides the barrel into self-alignment with the locking mechanism and axially ejects the barrel upon rotation of the barrel about the longitudinal axis.

Polymeric particles are provided for use in therapeutic and/or diagnostic procedures. The particles include poly[bis(trifluoroethoxy)phosphazene and/or a derivative thereof which may be present throughout the particles or within an outer coating of the particles. The particles may also include a core having a hydrogel formed from an acrylic-based polymer. Such particles may be provided to a user in specific selected sizes to allow for selective embolization of certain sized blood vessels or localized treatment with an active component agent in specific clinical uses. Particles of the present invention may further be provided as color-coded microspheres or nanospheres to allow ready identification of the sized particles in use. Such color-coded microspheres or nanospheres may further be provided in like color-coded delivery or containment devices to enhance user identification and provide visual confirmation of the use of a specifically desired size of microspheres or nanospheres.

Cryocatheter including an elongated flexible catheter member having a short rigid catheter tip for introduction into a therapy site and a heat exchange arrangement for freezing the catheter tip to a cryo-temperature from between about −15° C. to about −30° C. for freezing human tissue at the therapy site. Cerebral medical procedures include inter alia employing a local ice ball for sealing a bleeding rupture in an arterial wall in the case of a stroke hemorrhage, employing a local ice ball for mapping electrical disorder foci in a brain, for example, epileptic foci, and the like.

A multi-fluid injector system having a powered injector having a housing enclosing at least one reciprocally operable piston is described. The injector system includes a multi-use disposable set (MUDS) connectable to the powered fluid injector. The MUDS has at least one syringe having a proximal end and a distal end and a plunger reciprocally movable by the at least one piston element within a syringe interior between the proximal end and the distal end; a manifold in fluid communication with the distal end of the at least one syringe; at least one valve in fluid communication with the syringe interior, the at least one valve operable between a filling position for filling the syringe interior with fluid and a delivery position for delivering the fluid from the syringe interior; and at least one connection port in fluid communication with the manifold and the syringe interior when the at least one valve is in the delivery position. The injector system further includes a coupling mechanism for operating the at least one valve between the filling position and the delivery position. Various features of the MUDS assembly and methods of interaction between the injector system and the MUDS assembly are also described.

Some embodiments relate to a device for retrieving a body from within a tubular structure, the device having a proximal end and a distal end and comprising: a device body at the proximal end; a conduit extending away from the device body to the distal end and sized to be receivable in the tubular structure; at least one actuator operably associated with the device body; a first strand extending at least in part through the conduit; a second strand extending at least in part through the conduit; wherein the first and second strands are affixed at the distal end of the device, and wherein the second strand is wound around the first strand along at least a distal length of the first strand; wherein the at least one actuator is operable to cause the second strand to adopt an expanded state in which the second strand defines a trawl volume to catch the body for retrieval of the body from the tubular structure.

A method of non-invasively detecting and purging bacterial cells using a modified photoacoustic in vivo flow cytometer device is described herein. In particular, a method of detecting bacterial cells by analyzing photoacoustic pulses emitted in response to laser pulses from a pulsed laser source and/or selectively destroying the detected bacterial cells using a non-linear photothermal response induced by a high-energy laser pulse is described herein.

An infusion system includes a double action infusion pump. The pump includes a cylinder and a reciprocating piston received within the cylinder, the reciprocating piston separating a first pump chamber from a second pump chamber of the cylinder. A reciprocating motor is coupled with the reciprocating piston, and the first and second pump chambers alternate between filling and evacuating conditions with reciprocation of the reciprocating piston through operation of the reciprocating motor, and the speed of reciprocation is varied to provide a continuous output of fluid between the first and second pump chambers. A fluid source and a catheter are optionally coupled with the double action infusion pump. The catheter includes one or more infusion ports near a catheter distal portion, and the one or more infusion ports receive and expel the continuous output of fluid from the double action infusion pump.

A chemical-liquid injector includes a piston-driving mechanism (130) that moves a piston member of a syringe containing a contrast medium, which includes an actuator and a ram member which is moved back and forth by the actuator, a control circuit (150) which is electrically connected to the actuator, and an operating knob unit (170) which includes an operating knob that is to be operated by an operator, and a rotation sensor that outputs an electric signal corresponding to a rotation of the operating knob. The control circuit is configured to generate a predetermined control signal accordingly, on the basis of a signal from the rotation sensor, and the piston-driving mechanism is operated according to the control signal.

A method for measuring a glomerular filtration rate in a mammalian kidney comprises a source of reporter and marker fluorescent molecules. The fluorescent molecules are introduced into the blood stream of a mammalian subject. Over a period of time, a measurement of the intensities of the reporter and marker fluorescent molecules is taken. A ratio is calculated to determine the health of the subject's kidney. This method measures volume of plasma distribution based on a fluorescence of a marker molecule relative to a fluorescence of a reporter molecule.

A device for filling and priming syringes is provided and comprises a support base, an engagement seat defined on the support base to receive a rear end of a syringe barrel of a syringe provided with a sliding plunger, engaging means defined at the engagement seat to cooperate with the syringe barrel for firmly holding the syringe to the engagement seat, a first vacuum pump or compressor which is provided with a suction opening communicating with the engagement seat to generate an under-pressure in the volume comprised between the plunger and the engagement seat when the syringe is firmly engaged in the engagement seat, and a second vacuum pump or compressor which is provided with a discharge opening communicating with the engagement seat to generate an over-pressure in the volume comprised between the plunger and the engagement seat when the syringe is thinly engaged in the engagement seat.