Sheath assembly for the insertion of a cord-shaped element (32, 105), comprising an introducer sheath (101) and an auxiliary sheath (104) for insertion into the introducer sheath (101) together with the cord-shaped element (32, 105), with first fastening means (106) for detachably fastening the auxiliary sheath to the introducer sheath, and with second fastening means (107) for detachably fastening the cord-shaped element to the auxiliary sheath, wherein the introducer sheath (101) has a first sheath housing (13, 114) and a distal tubular section (11, 41 a) that terminates in the first sheath housing, and a first flushing device (108), wherein the auxiliary sheath (104) has a second sheath inner chamber (111), a distal, tubular part (112) and a second flushing device (109).

A sheath for producing a fully sealed access to the interior of a vessel of an animal or human body comprises a base sheath having a tubular body defining a pass-through channel. The base sheath is adapted to be inserted into the vessel through a vessel aperture. A wall of the tubular body of the base sheath has a through channel. This channel extends in the wall from the distal end towards the proximal end. The channel can be present separately from the pass-through channel of the base sheath or can form a sideways extension of the pass-through channel, at least at the distal end. Such through channel is adapted to conduct blood from the vessel to the proximal end of the sheath when the sheath has been inserted into a vessel.

An intravascular catheter for peri-vascular and/or peri-urethral tissue ablation includes multiple needles advanced through supported guide tubes which expand around a central axis to engage the interior surface of the wall of the renal artery or other vessel of a human body allowing the injection an ablative fluid for ablating tissue, and/or nerve fibers in the outer layer or deep to the outer layer of the vessel, or in prostatic tissue. The system may also include a means to limit and/or adjust the depth of penetration of the ablative fluid into and beyond the tissue of the vessel wall. The catheter may also include structures which provide radial and/or lateral support to the guide tubes so that the guide tubes expand uniformly and maintain their position against the interior surface of the vessel wall as the sharpened injection needles are advanced to penetrate into the vessel wall. A method can involve injection/infusion of the ablative fluid over an extended time period of at least 10 seconds or with two injections at two different penetration depths to reduce or eliminate patient pain during ablation.

Catheter system for inserting and positioning a double-lumen catheter in a blood vessel, including a double-lumen catheter having a distal catheter tip, with a first lumen and a second lumen, a first mandrin which extends through the first lumen and a second mandrin which extends through the second lumen, both mandrins of the catheter being radio-opaque. The distal end of the second mandrin is arranged at a distance (X) in the proximal direction from the distal catheter tip, the distance between the distal catheter tip and the distal end of the second mandrin corresponding in particular to a functional catheter tip length.

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.

A venous access port assembly having a housing base with a discharge port, a septum, and a cap, with an interior reservoir. The housing base is provided with X-ray discernable indicia to identify an attribute of the assembly after its implantation and clearly appear on an X-ray of the patient in a manner informing the radiologist or technologist and the medical practitioner of that particular attribute. Such indicia can be depicted as cutouts through a disc of radiopaque material where the cutouts are in the form of alphabetical letters such as CT, or can be a set of discrete elements of radiopaque material, that are affixed along the bottom surface of the housing base or embedded within the thickness of the bottom housing wall.

A patient monitoring, feeding, and mechanical breathing system, the system including an endotracheal probe including a first longitudinal member connected to a first camera and a semi-rigid longitudinal member inserted in an ET tube such that the first camera is aligned with a tip of the ET tube; an OG probe including a second longitudinal member configured to be inserted in an oral gastro (OG) tube, the second longitudinal member including a side camera, configured to be placed facing a window of the OG tube, wherein the side camera includes a tapered side; an enhanced OG probe, including a second camera and a motion sensor placed at the tip of the enhanced OG tube; a device communicatively coupled to the endotracheal, OG and enhanced OG probes, and having a screen configured to display images from any of the first camera, the side camera, and the second camera.

A catheter and tissue cutting system percutaneously permits the creation of an anastomosis between a first and second anatomical structure, such as a vein and an artery. The system comprises a catheter having a main body with a lumen and tapered distal tip, configured to be moved distally into the first anatomical structure over a primary guidewire. A cutting electrode is nested in the main body, with a lumen which tracks over a secondary guidewire, and is insertable into the secondary anatomical structure. An energy supply is operative to energize the cutting electrode in order to cut a tissue wall defining the first anatomical structure.

Devices and methods for managing chest drainage include a drainage system with a chest tube having a chest tube drainage lumen and a drainage reservoir in fluid communication with the chest tube drainage lumen. A pump may be in fluid communication with the chest tube drainage lumen and a pressure sensor may be positioned proximal to the chest tube and in communication with the chest tube drainage lumen. A controller may be in communication with the pressure sensor and the pump, wherein the controller is configured to actuate the pump at a first suction level sufficient to drain a fluid from the chest tube drainage lumen. The controller is further configured to actuate the pump at a second suction level which is different from the first suction level such that an absence of attenuation in the second suction level over time is indicative of an obstruction in the chest tube.

Sensors for catheter pumps are disclosed herein. The catheter pump can include a catheter assembly comprising a catheter and a cannula coupled to a distal portion of the catheter. The cannula can have a proximal port for permitting the flow of blood therethrough. The catheter assembly can include a sensor to be disposed near the proximal port. A processing unit can be programmed to process a signal detected by the sensor. The processing unit can comprise a computer-readable set of rules to evaluate the signal to determine a position of the cannula relative to an aortic valve of a patient.