Systems and methods for effecting bariatric procedures are disclosed. Each system includes an instrument, a control valve and, optionally, a suction controller. The instrument is in the form of an elongated, flexible member having a distal end portion arranged for anchoring the instrument in the patient's stomach and for enabling fluids to be removed from the patient's stomach. Suction is applied to the patient's stomach by the distal end portion of the instrument to drain gastric fluids and to bring adjacent portions of the patient's stomach into engagement with the instrument to provide a visually perceptible delineation line along which a portion of the stomach may be resected, sealed and tested.

A cannula for minimally invasive surgical tricuspid valve repair, which is constituted by a tube (5). equipped, at its distal end. with a head (2) consisting of a cone-shaped rigid ring (3) and connected to it on the other side of a flexible ring (4). where the flexible ring (4) in the folded state has a disk shape, and on top of the head (2) there is an axial hole (8) leading to the interior of the cannula (1). and where on the whole length of the head (2) and on a part of the tube (5) near the connection to the head (2), from the inside, there is a thin guide sleeve (6) which, on the section of the rigid ring (3) is permanently attached to the surface of its wall, while on its remaining length, it is slidably movable relative to the wall of the tube (5).

Several embodiments and methods are described for draining a lymphatic system for therapeutic purposes. The lymphatic draining can be performed by removal of fluid from the lymphatic system via a needle, a catheter, an access port, a reservoir, a shunt, or a combination of these devices. The drainage devices can be configured for use during only a single procedure or for reoccurring procedures.

Pigtail catheters and relates methods for measuring a pressure gradient across a bodily narrowing are disclosed. A pigtail catheter can comprise a proximal shaft segment and a distal shaft segment. The proximal shaft segment can include double lumen tubing defining a proximal pressure lumen and a non-coaxial, distal pressure lumen. In an example, the distal pressure lumen has a generally circular cross-sectional shape, and the proximal pressure lumen has a generally crescent or kidney cross-sectional shape that wraps partially around the distal pressure lumen. The distal shaft segment can include at least one distal orifice positionable distal to the bodily narrowing and at least one proximal orifice positionable proximal to the bodily narrowing. Each orifice can have a diameter of at least about 0.018 inches, for example. A manifold can be coupled to a proximal end of the proximal shaft segment and can include a proximal pressure port in communication with the proximal pressure lumen and a distal pressure port in communication with the distal pressure lumen.

An illustrative drug delivery system implantable in a recipient may include a connection assembly, a source catheter, and a microcatheter. A proximal end portion of the source catheter may be configured to be fluidically connected to a fluid source configured to provide a fluid (e.g., a neurotherapeutic drug). A distal end portion of the source catheter may be configured to be fluidically connected to the connection assembly. The microcatheter may include a proximal end portion configured to be fluidically connected to the connection assembly and a distal end portion comprising an elution opening configured to elute the fluid to a target location (e.g., a brain) within a recipient. The fluid source may be configured to provide the fluid to the target location by way of the source catheter, the connection assembly, and the microcatheter.

Devices and methods for the treatment of chronic total occlusions are provided. One disclosed embodiment comprises a method of facilitating treatment via a vascular wall defining a vascular lumen containing an occlusion therein. The method includes inserting an intramural crossing device into the vascular lumen, positioning at least the distal tip of the crossing device in the vascular wall, advancing an orienting device over the crossing device such that an orienting element of the orienting device resides in the vascular wall, inserting a reentry device, and re-entering the true vascular lumen.

A medical catheter that includes an elongate main tube, the tube having an outer wall that surrounds an internal passage, branch tubes having an outer wall connected to the outer wall of the main tube which extend outward from the main tube in different respective directions and have one or more apertures passing through their outer wall to their internal passage to permit fluid to pass through the branch tubes and into the main tube in use. The branch tubes are arranged to be able to move towards each other to permit location of the catheter within the bore of a needle or needle-like apparatus and which return to their original outwards state when removed.

A catheter assembly includes a catheter comprising a flexible elongated member including a distal portion that includes a tubular body defining an inner lumen and a plurality of body apertures that extend through a sidewall of the tubular body into the inner lumen, and a plurality of primary electrodes positioned along the tubular body. The catheter assembly includes a wire defining at least one secondary electrode, the wire being configured to be slidably moved through the inner lumen of the tubular body, where the wire and the plurality of primary electrodes are configured to electrically couple to an energy source that delivers an electrical pulse to a fluid in contact with the plurality of primary electrodes and the at least one secondary electrode to cause the fluid to undergo cavitation to generate a pressure pulse wave within the fluid.

The present invention relates to a dilator. The dilator includes a shaft, a lumen and a hub. The shaft has at least two stiffness sections with the stiffness sections becoming less rigid as they approach a distal end of the shaft. The varying stiffness sections allow the dilator to track along the guidewire through torturous vasculature so as the dilator is advanced and the stiffness is changed, the stiffer sheath can advance smoothly through a blood vessel. The dilator may also taper at the distal tip to stretch the initial skin puncture hole larger to accommodate the dilator shaft and ease the sheath tip insertion through to the vasculature. Or the shaft may taper from where it extends beyond the sheath distal tip to the distal end so that it can reach further distal in the vasculature. The dilator may also include an atraumatic tip for easier advancement of the dilator. The dilator distal end may also include one or more radiopaque markers and a shaped distal end.

A bi-directional perfusion cannula is provided that includes an elongate tube for insertion into an artery. The elongate tube has a first aperture at a distal end of the tube which is forward during insertion and configured so that blood can flow into the artery in the direction of insertion, an elbow formed in the elongate tube, and a second aperture formed in or slightly rearward of the elbow and configured for supplying blood into the artery in a second direction which is generally opposite to the insertion direction.