A device for occluding an atrial appendage includes a catheter-deliverable epicardial implant that is detachably secured to a delivery device. The implant includes an inflatable cuff that is positionable about the atrial appendage to an extent that, when adjustably inflated, the cuff physiologically occludes the atrial appendage. Such occlusion addresses health risks associated with atrial fibrillation and cardiac rhythm disorder.

A suturing device comprising an elongated member including a cavity formed in a surface thereof, a needle passage, and a vacuum port. When the elongated member is inserted into a body including tissue and a vacuum is applied to the cavity, the tissue is captured by the cavity. A needle pusher is operable to move a needle having a sutured attached thereto through the tissue until a first end of the needle is captured by a needle capturing assembly. A clamp coupled to the elongated member is used to extract the needle from the needle capturing assembly and reposition the needle with suture attached to be re-engaged by the needle pusher. The cavity may include a plurality of cavity portions for capturing multiple contiguous portions of the tissue such that a single pass of the needle and the suture results in the suturing of the multiple portions of the tissue.

Trocar retractor apparatus and methods for use are described where an apparatus for positioning an instrument may generally include a substrate having a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface, an instrument positioning guide projecting from the first surface of the substrate, and one or more suction assemblies positioned along the second surface and in fluid communication with an interior of the substrate. The one or more suction assemblies may be attachable to a tissue region via a vacuum force applied through the one or more suction assemblies. The apparatus may also have the substrate configured to maintain a predetermined configuration when the vacuum force is applied.

A tissue clip application fitting set or retrofitting set includes a cap attachment for placement on the distal head of a medical endoscope, which has a placement section and a tissue clip holding section. The cap attachment is notched at least at two angular positions forming at least two notches/slots/grooves. A working channel leads into the hollow chamber and exits the hollow chamber radially in a region distal to the placement section and proximal to the radially supported tissue clip. A first guiding or leading element is arranged after the working channel belonging to the retrofitting set, as seen in the distal direction. A corresponding second guiding or leading element is arranged within the hollow chamber at an angular distance from the first guiding or leading element so as to be oriented in extension to a working channel belonging to the endoscope.

A retraction device, e.g., a programmable stiffness state tissue displacement device, for providing increased visibility during an operation is provided. The device includes one or more strips of compliant jammable layer components connected in parallel, and encapsulated within a flexible envelope such that each of the one or more strips of compliant jammable layer components are pneumatically connected. The device further includes a negative pressure pump coupled to the flexible envelope, such that the application of negative pressure to the flexible envelope by the negative pressure pump causes the one or more strips of compliant jammable layer components to jam and thereby transition the retraction device from a malleable state to a rigid state.

Systems and methods involve abrading a patient lung airway wall to reduce mucus production therein. Exemplary techniques include rotationally and/or linearly oscillating an abrasive material against the airway wall so as to damage mucus producing tissues, for example by removing goblet cells, while destroying less than the entire airway wall. The abrasive material may be present on the surface of an expandable balloon body or another expandable device, which can be delivered to the patient treatment site via a bronchoscope. In some cases, the abrasion techniques can cause cell damage or death at a controlled or predetermined tissue depth.

In order to provide a device with variable rigidity and a surgical gripping device that make it possible to increase the range of change in rigidity by means of a simple structure, this device with variable rigidity is configured so as to comprise two flexible sheets (12, 14) that include: a base material (20) formed using a sheet-like elastic material and having a plurality of recesses (20B) and a plurality of protrusions (20A) formed on one surface thereof; a low rigidity section (22) that is formed using an elastic material with a lower modulus of elasticity than the base material (20) and that is arranged in the recesses (20B) and joined to the recesses (20B) so that one surface of said low rigidity section (22) becomes flat; and a friction material (24) provided to the one surface. In addition, the two flexible sheets (12, 14) are covered by a bag-like cover with the two pieces of friction material (24) facing each other and are configured so as to have a ventilation port (18) whereby it is possible to suction the air within the flexible sheets (12, 14) and the cover (16) from the exterior of the cover (16).

A surgical retractor for positioning within an incision within a body of a patient is described. The surgical retractor comprises a flexible air-impermeable bag surrounding an interior region and extending from a first end through a central region to a second end. The surgical retractor includes a first port in the central region, the flexible air-impermeable bag surrounding a first channel that extends from the first port towards the first end, a second port in the central region, the flexible air-impermeable bag surrounding a second channel that extends from the second port toward the second end, and a plurality of beads substantially filling the interior region of the flexible air-impermeable bag. The flexible air-impermeable bag is configured to rigidify in response to air being evacuated from the interior region to position and hold intra-incision contents within a surgical working space in a patient.

A medical device including a handle portion connected to an operative portion at a proximal end thereof, the handle portion having a hollow cross-section and an open distal end, an illumination assembly comprising at least one light source, a switch assembly for energizing the light source, and at least one battery for powering the light source, an end cap assembly configured to attach to the open distal end of the handle portion, the end cap assembly accommodating the switch assembly and being configured to hold the at least one battery within the handle and to partially enclose the at least one battery, and a smoke evacuation channel in communication with the hollow cross-section of the handle, wherein a portion of the switch assembly extends through an opening in the end cap assembly and the at least one battery is held by the end cap assembly to overlap with the switch assembly and to overlap with the opening in the end cap assembly, and wherein the end cap assembly includes a vacuum port configured to couple to a vacuum source and to provide suction to the smoke evacuation channel through the handle.

A stiffening assembly comprises an outer tube including a longitudinal axis, an inner tube extending along the longitudinal axis, and a plurality of laminar elements between the outer tube and the inner tube and separate from the outer tube and the inner tube. The stiffening assembly is adjustable between a flexible state in which each laminar element of the plurality of laminar elements is movable and a stiffened state in which an applied vacuum clamps the plurality of laminar elements between the outer and inner tubes such that a transfer of forces between the plurality of laminar elements stiffens the stiffening assembly. At least one laminar element of the plurality of laminar elements has a different thickness than at least another laminar element of the plurality of laminar elements.