A therapy specific, pre-programmed, hand-held auto-injection device for delivering a drug to a patient includes a housing, a plurality of syringes carried by the housing, at least one actuator disposed within the housing coupled to the plurality of syringes, and a controller disposed within the housing and communicatively coupled to the at least one actuator. The controller is configured to receive an infusion and aspiration profile, which includes an infusion and aspiration protocol for controlling at least one of the plurality of syringes. The controller is also configured to operate the at least one actuator based on the infusion and aspiration protocol by either expelling a fluid from a respective barrel of the plurality of syringes into the infusion and aspiration location or drawing a fluid from the infusion and aspiration location into a respectively barrel of the plurality of syringes.

Endovascular drug delivery systems and methods are disclosed herein for delivering a therapeutic agent to the intracranial subarachnoid space of a patient, and/or deploying an endovascular drug delivery device distal portion in the intracranial subarachnoid space and a portion of the drug delivery device body in a dural venous sinus such that a therapeutic agent is delivered from the deployed drug delivery device into the intracranial subarachnoid space.

Embodiments of the invention provide a system and method for accessing an internal body region using a catheter. The catheter includes a catheter body and a medication lumen positioned within the catheter body for delivering medication to the internal body region. An inflation lumen is positioned within the catheter body. A balloon is in fluid communication with the inflation lumen, and the balloon is configured to move between a collapsed position and an expanded position as fluid enters the balloon through the inflation lumen. An anchor covers at least a portion of the balloon on an outer surface of the catheter body and includes a movable section with a first retracted position and a second deployed position. Upon inflation of the balloon, the movable section of the anchor moves radially outward from the first contracted position to the second deployed position to secure the catheter in the internal body region.

A counter device for use in tracking an elongated medical device. The counter device includes a housing assembly and a tracking and display unit. The housing assembly defines an entrance opening, an exit opening, and a passageway. The passageway is open to and extends between the entrance and exit openings. The tracking and display unit is carried by the housing assembly and is configured to selectively interface with an elongated medical device disposed along the passageway. In a tracking state, the tracking and display unit generates information indicative of a distance of travel of the elongated medical device traveling along the passageway. In some embodiments, the tracking and display unit includes an engagement assembly rotatably coupled to the housing assembly. The engagement assembly can have a toothed engagement face.

In one embodiment, a system for locating a tip of a catheter that has been inserted into a patient includes an implantable catheter having a distal tip, a pulsed light source that is co-located with the distal tip of the implantable catheter, the pulsed light source being configured to emit pulses of light into surrounding patient tissue, an optoacoustic sensor configured to be applied so a skin surface of the patient at a position proximate to the pulsed light source and to sense optoacoustic waves generated when the pulses of light are absorbed by the surrounding patient tissue, and an optoacoustic console configured to receive optoacoustic wave signals from the optoacoustic sensor and to display an indication of the optoacoustic wave signals to a medical professional to provide an indication of the location of the pulsed light source and, therefore, the distal tip of the implantable catheter.

In one embodiment, a system for locating a tip of a catheter that has been inserted into a patient includes an implantable catheter having a distal tip, a pulsed light source that is co-located with the distal tip of the implantable catheter, the pulsed light source being configured to emit pulses of light into surrounding patient tissue, an optoacoustic sensor configured to be applied so a skin surface of the patient at a position proximate to the pulsed light source and to sense optoacoustic waves generated when the pulses of light are absorbed by the surrounding patient tissue, and an optoacoustic console configured to receive optoacoustic wave signals from the optoacoustic sensor and to display an indication of the optoacoustic wave signals to a medical professional to provide an indication of the location of the pulsed light source and, therefore, the distal tip of the implantable catheter.

A therapy specific, pre-programmed, hand-held auto-injection device for delivering a drug to a patient includes a housing, a plurality of syringes carried by the housing, at least one actuator disposed within the housing coupled to the plurality of syringes, and a controller disposed within the housing and communicatively coupled to the at least one actuator. The controller is configured to receive an infusion and aspiration profile, which includes an infusion and aspiration protocol for controlling at least one of the plurality of syringes. The controller is also configured to operate the at least one actuator based on the infusion and aspiration protocol by either expelling a fluid from a respective barrel of the plurality of syringes into the infusion and aspiration location or drawing a fluid from the infusion and aspiration location into a respectively barrel of the plurality of syringes.

An epidural space is cleared of fat and scar tissue in preparation for implantation of a medical lead by utilizing a clearing tool. The clearing tool has a flexible body that allows the clearing tool to deflect when entering the epidural space through a window in the vertebral bone and ligaments. The clearing tool is guided into the epidural space and to a target site by a guidewire present in the epidural space. Upon removal of the guidewire and clearing tool, the medical lead is inserted through the window and cleared epidural space until reaching the target site. The clearing tool may include a distal tip with a shape and size that aids in the clearing of the epidural space. The distal tip may be integral to the clearing tool or may be removable so as to allow for different sizes of the distal tip to be installed as needed.

Drug delivery systems and methods are disclosed herein. In some embodiments, a drug delivery system can be configured to deliver a drug to a patient in coordination with a physiological parameter of the patient (e.g., the patient's natural cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) pulsation or the patient's heart or respiration rate). In some embodiments, a drug delivery system can be configured to use a combination of infusion and aspiration to control delivery of a drug to a patient. Catheters, controllers, and other components for use in the above systems are also disclosed, as are various methods of using such systems.

Disclosed are sheaths that comprise a first sheath member having a first passageway, a first length, and a first proximal end defined by a first valve apparatus configured to seal the first passageway, the first passageway having a first passageway diameter at a location in the first passageway; and a second sheath member coupled to the first sheath member, the second sheath member having a second passageway and a second length, the second passageway having a second passageway diameter at a location in the second passageway; where the first passageway and the second passageway are separate from each other and not co-axial, the first length is different from the second length, and the first and second sheath members are positioned beside each other for a portion of their first and second lengths.