Medical devices, such as catheters, may include sensors for detecting or measuring desired parameters. In a related method, a flexible, elongate member is inserted into a vein of a patient. The distal end of the flexible, elongate member is positioned near a cavoatrial junction of the patient (e.g., within the superior vena cava). A fluid is passed through a lumen of the flexible, elongate member and through an exit port of the flexible, elongate member. A temperature of the fluid may be determined using a first sensor associated with the flexible, elongate member, and then amount of time that it takes for a second sensor to record a temperature that correlates with the determined temperature of the fluid is measured. A flow characteristic may then be determined based on a known distance between the first sensor and the second sensor and the measured time period.

A pressure monitoring apparatus (1) for monitoring pressure of a liquid (4) in a vessel (2) comprises a housing (3) within which an airtight gas chamber (6) is formed. A pressure sensor (8) is located in the housing (3) monitors the pressure of a gas in the gas chamber (6). A conduit (12) having a communicating bore (16) of total length Lt communicates the gas chamber (6) with the vessel (2). As the pressure of the liquid in the vessel (2) increases, a liquid/gas interface meniscus (20) travels along a working length L.sub.w of the communicating bore (16) from the second end (15) thus increasing the pressure in the gas chamber (6) to the pressure of the liquid, which is monitored by the pressure sensor (8). The total length L.sub.t of the conduit (12) is greater than the working length L.sub.w of the conduit (12) to avoid the liquid/gas interface meniscus (20) reaching the first end (14) of the communicating bore (16). The pressure monitoring apparatus (1) may also be mounted at the distal end (33) of a balloon catheter (30) for monitoring the pressure of a liquid inflating medium inflating the balloon (35) of the balloon catheter (30), which may be an electrically conductive liquid, with the gas isolating the pressure sensor (8) from the liquid inflating medium.

Devices, methods, and systems are provided for occluding a collateral flow channel between a target lung compartment and an adjacent lung compartment. A video-assisted thoracoscopic device is inserted into a thoracic cavity of a patient and positioned at a fissure between a target lung compartment and an adjacent lung compartment. A collateral flow channel between the target lung compartment and the adjacent lung compartment is then identified using the video-assisted thoracoscopic device and an agent is injected into the collateral flow channel, thereby reducing the collateral flow channel.

A sensing valve repair system includes a delivery system and a heart valve repair device. The delivery system is configured to deploy the heart valve repair device. The sensing valve repair system has a first sensor associated with one or more of the delivery system and the valve repair device. The first sensor is attached to one or more of an inner paddle and a fixed arm of a clasp.

A urinary catheter conveying device includes a sleeve member, a conveying assembly and a controller. The sleeve member is for sleeving onto a glans of a penis and has a guiding hole to be registered with an external urethral orifice of the glans. The conveying assembly includes a casing removably mounted to the sleeve member, and a conveying mechanism for advancing the urinary catheter to the guiding hole such that the urinary catheter is inserted into the external urethral orifice. The controller controls the conveying mechanism to advance the urinary catheter to the guiding hole. A urinary catheterization system and a method of using the urinary catheterization system are also disclosed.

A balloon catheter system has a catheter with a catheter shaft surrounding a lumen. A balloon is connected to a distal end of the catheter shaft such that a fluid inflation medium can be introduced into or removed from a balloon interior via the lumen. A pressure sensor is configured to measure an instantaneous pressure (p) of the inflation medium in the lumen during inflation and/or deflation of the balloon. A flow sensor is configured to measure an instantaneous volume flow (v) of the inflation medium during the inflation and/or deflation. An evaluation unit is configured to record the instantaneous pressure and the instantaneous volume flow and to determine therefrom a time curve of the flow resistance (R).

Medical devices and methods for making and using medical devices are disclosed. An example medical device may include a medical device for measuring blood pressure. The medical device may include an elongated shaft having a proximal region and a distal region. An optical fiber may extend along the proximal region. An optical pressure sensor may be coupled to the optical fiber. The medical device may also include a tubular member having a proximal end disposed adjacent to the optical pressure sensor and a distal portion extending along the distal region of the shaft.

A method of embolizing a tumor includes advancing a distal end of a device having a catheter body and an occlusion structure to a target tumor site within a blood vessel of a body. The occlusion structure is activated within the blood vessel, and a real time pressure measurement in the vascular space distal to the activated occlusion structure is monitored. The method further includes waiting for a pressure drop in the vascular space distal to the activated occlusion structure and for the pressure drop to cause a blood flow reversal in branch vessels antegrade to the occlusion. An embolic substance is injected from the distal end of the delivery device to permit the reversed blood flow to carry the embolic substance into the vasculature of the target tumor and the device is withdrawn from the body. Other catheter assemblies and methods of use are also disclosed.

A novel approach for indirect endovascular sensing that equips surgeons with two capabilities: estimating the distance between the catheter tip and a target and evaluating the quality of the engagement of the catheter tip with the target, wherein applying flow and pressure excitation to a proximal end of the catheter; measuring a pressure change, with a pressure sensor in fluid communication with the catheter, at the proximal end of the catheter, the pressure change based on a cycle of applied proximal pressure excitation and advancement of the catheter toward the target; applying a machine learning model to the measured pressure change to determine the distance between the tip of the catheter and the target; and providing the distance between the tip of the catheter and the target to a user.

A catheter assembly may be provided with a catheter body and an inflatable balloon. The catheter body has a proximal end, a distal end and a balloon inflation lumen. The inflatable balloon is attachable to the distal end of the catheter body. The balloon has an inner surface that at least partially defines an interior volume. The balloon is configured such that the interior volume can be in fluid communication with the inflation lumen of the catheter body to inflate the balloon. The balloon also has a proximal surface and a distal surface. The balloon is provided with a channel that extends through the balloon. The channel is configured to provide fluid communication between the proximal surface of the balloon and the distal surface of the balloon. Other catheter assemblies and methods of use are also disclosed.