Various embodiments disclosed relate to drug-coated balloon catheters for treating, preventing, or reducing the recurrence of a stricture and/or cancer, or for treating benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), in a non-vascular body lumen and methods of using the same. A drug-coated balloon catheter for delivering a therapeutic agent to a target site of a body lumen stricture includes an elongated balloon having a main diameter. The balloon catheter includes a coating layer overlying an exterior surface of the balloon. The coating layer includes one or more water-soluble additives and an initial drug load of a therapeutic agent. In some embodiments, the balloon catheter includes a length-control mechanism which stretches and elongates the balloon when it is in a deflated state, giving the balloon a smaller cross-sectional deflated profile for tracking through the body lumen and for removal after treatment.

An ultrasound device (10) comprises a probe (12) including a tube (14) sized for in vivo insertion into a patient and an ultrasound transducer (18) disposed at a distal end (16) of the tube. A camera (20) is mounted at the distal end of the tube in a spatial relationship to the ultrasound transducer. At least one electronic processor (28) is programmed to: control the ultrasound transducer and the camera to acquire ultrasound images (19) and camera images (21) respectively while the ultrasound transducer is disposed in vivo; construct keyframes (36) during in vivo movement of the ultrasound transducer, each keyframe representing an in vivo position of the ultrasound transducer and including at least ultrasound image features (38) extracted from at least one of the ultrasound images acquired at the in vivo position of the ultrasound transducer and camera image features (40) extracted from at least one of the camera images acquired at the in vivo position of the ultrasound transducer; generate a navigation map (45) of the in vivo movement of the ultrasound transducer comprising the keyframes; and output navigational guidance (49) based on comparison of current ultrasound and camera images acquired by the ultrasound transducer and camera with the navigation map.

A catheter-based imaging system comprises a catheter having a telescoping proximal end, a distal end having a distal sheath and a distal lumen, a working lumen, and an ultrasonic imaging core. The ultrasonic imaging core is arranged for rotation and linear translation. The system further includes a patient interface module including a catheter interface, a rotational motion control system that imparts controlled rotation to the ultrasonic imaging core, a linear translation control system that imparts controlled linear translation to the ultrasonic imaging core, and an ultrasonic energy generator and receiver coupled to the ultrasonic imaging core. The system further comprises an image generator coupled to the ultrasonic energy receiver that generates an image.

Method and apparatus can be provided according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. For example, with at least one first section of an optical enclosure, it is possible to provide at least one first electro-magnetic radiation. In addition, with at least one second section provided within the enclosure, it is possible to cause, upon impact by the first radiation, a redirection of the first radiation to become at least one second radiation. Further, with at least one third section of the optical enclosure, it is possible to cause at least one second radiation to be provided to a tissue. For example, the redirection of the first radiation causes, at least approximately, a uniform optical illumination on of a surface of the tissue.

The present invention discloses an endoscope apparatus and an endoscopic method. The endoscope apparatus includes a release source, a tether connected to the release source, an elastic clamp member and a capsule endoscope. The elastic clamp member includes an elastic clamp cavity being interconnected to an air outlet of the release source through the tether. In a clamped state, at least a portion of the capsule endoscope is within the elastic clamp cavity, wherein the elastic clamp member has a tendency to recover from deformation to apply a clamping force to the capsule endoscope. In a released state, the elastic clamp member is expanded by the air pressure from the tether, and the capsule endoscope is released from the elastic clamp cavity.

TNE provides the opportunity to make the care of children with EoE and other gastrointestinal or aerodigestive conditions safer, more efficient, and less costly while simultaneously advancing our understanding of the pathophysiology and natural course of this condition. A pediatric endoscope was developed to facilitate TNE in children with EoE. The pediatric endoscope (combined gastroscope, bronchoscope, laryngoscope) includes a 3-4 mm flexible, fiber optic endoscope that allows HD TV viewing with the head of a pediatric bronchoscope that allows four way tip deflection, a scope stiffening apparatus to minimize the endoscopes flexibility when needed, a foot and hand activation to allow air/water insufflation and image/video capture, a light source, 2 mm biopsy channel.

Various embodiments disclosed relate to drug-coated balloon catheters for treating, preventing, or reducing the recurrence of a stricture and/or cancer, or for treating benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), in a non-vascular body lumen and methods of using the same. A drug-coated balloon catheter for delivering a therapeutic agent to a target site of a body lumen stricture includes an elongated balloon having a main diameter. The balloon catheter includes a coating layer overlying an exterior surface of the balloon. The coating layer includes one or more water-soluble additives and an initial drug load of a therapeutic agent. In some embodiments, the balloon catheter includes a length-control mechanism which stretches and elongates the balloon when it is in a deflated state, giving the balloon a smaller cross-sectional deflated profile for tracking through the body lumen and for removal after treatment.

An endoscopic system includes a processor. The processor generates from a measured value of pressure in a lumen of a subject a first temporal change image of the pressure in the lumen, generates an observation image for observing an opened/closed state of a valve portion in the lumen of the subject in real time from an image pickup signal obtained by picking up an image of the opened/closed state of the valve portion in the lumen in real time using an endoscope, and generates a superposition image by superposing the first temporal change image and the observation image in a temporally synchronized manner.

The present invention provides laryngeal mask airway for sedative endoscopy, including: a laryngeal mask/endoscope guide unit which is positioned in a larynx region inlet through a patient's oral cavity and guides a supply of air to a respiratory tract and insertion of an endoscope into an esophagus; an airway unit which is connected to the laryngeal mask/endoscope guide unit to supply air to the patient's respiratory tract and to allow the patient's breathing state to be visually checked; a mouthpiece unit which is installed outside the airway unit and fixed between the patient's teeth to protect a tube of the airway and an endoscopic probe inserted into the oral cavity; and an indication end which is positioned at a portion of the mouthpiece positioned outside the oral cavity and moves in accordance with the patient's breathing state to allow spontaneous breathing to be checked, such that the patient's safe airway may be ensured, the insertion of the endoscopic probe and the procedure may be smoothly performed, the patient's spontaneous breathing is easily checked even in a dark space, and as a result, the endoscopy may be safely performed.

An esophageal monitoring device includes a camera and, optionally, one or more lights to enable visualization of an interior of a subject's esophagus. Visualization of the interior of the subject's esophagus before and after a left atrial ablation procedure may enable a healthcare provider to determine whether or not the left atrial ablation procedure has damaged the subject's esophagus before the subject experiences any symptoms of such damage. An esophageal monitoring device may also include sensors and/or markers that enable a determination of its location within a subject's esophagus. Such an esophageal monitoring device may be configured for three-dimensional mapping, and enable the generation of an accurate three-dimensional map of the physical relationship between a subject's esophagus and the left atrium of his or her heart. Methods of monitoring a subject's esophagus while a left atrial ablation procedure is being conducted on the subject's heart are also disclosed.