A delivery apparatus for implanting a radially compressible and expandable prosthetic heart valve in a native heart valve of the heart includes a handle portion and an elongated shaft extending from and movable relative to the handle portion. The shaft includes a proximal end portion coupled to the handle portion and a distal end portion configured to mount a prosthetic heart valve in a radially compressed state. The handle portion includes a control member movable longitudinally with respect to the handle portion, the control member engaging a gear assembly operable to convert longitudinal motion of the control member to rotational motion of the gear assembly. The gear assembly engages the elongated shaft such that rotational motion of the gear assembly causes corresponding longitudinal motion of the elongated shaft relative to the handle portion.

A catheter has a cooling distal section for freezing tissue to sub-zero temperatures with one or more miniature reverse thermoelectric or Peltier elements, also referred to herein as micro-Peltier cooling (MPC) units or electrodes. The MPC units may be on outer surface of an inflatable or balloon member or a tip electrode shell wall that has a fluid-containing interior cavity acting as a heat sink. Each MPC unit has a hot junction and a cold junction whose temperatures are regulated by the heat sink, and a voltage/current applied to the MPC units. A temperature differential of about 70 degrees Celsius may be achieved between the hot and cold junctions for extreme cooling, especially where the MPC units include semiconductor materials with high Peltier co-efficients. An outer coating of thermally-conductive but electrically-insulative material seals the MPC units to prevent unintended current paths through the MPC units.

A device comprises a tubular member with a longitudinal axis having a proximal end and a distal end, at least one partial cut located at, along or near the distal end of the tubular member, the at least one partial cut comprising an orientation that is angled relative to both the longitudinal axis and an axis transverse to the longitudinal axis, a pusher member positioned within an interior of the tubular member and configured to selectively advance the distal end of the tubular member longitudinally, wherein the distal end of the tubular member is configured to at least partially rotate when the pusher member is advanced relative to the tubular member so at to facilitate placement of the distal end in a particular branch of a subject's intraluminal network, wherein the distal end of the tubular member is configured to longitudinally elongate along or near an area of the at least one partial cut.

A catheter includes a handle and an elongate member extending from the handle. The catheter may also include steering system coupled to the handle. The steering system may be configured to deflect at least a portion of the elongate member in at least one direction. The catheter may also include a locking mechanism configured to lock the portion of the elongate member in a deflected configuration, and a lever coupled to the handle. The lever may be configured to move from a first position to a second position to engage the locking mechanism. The lever may also be configured to be separably retained at least at one of the first position or the second position to prevent movement therebetween.

A bi-directional steerable catheter adapted for delivery into a patient's vasculature. The pull wires which are used to tension the deflectable segment of the steerable catheter are wound in parallel around the axis of the steerable catheter on opposite sides of the steerable catheter.

A catheter assembly includes an outer shaft having an outer shaft body forming an outer shaft bore that receives an inner shaft. The outer shaft has a wire transition section. The catheter assembly includes an exit path connector coupled to the outer shaft body at the wire transition section. The exit path connector has a rigid body section separate and discrete from the outer shaft body and coupled to the outer shaft body. The body section defines an exit path connector bore that receives the inner shaft. The body section has a side exit port at a side of the body section being open to the exit path connector bore. The catheter assembly includes a catheter wire passing through the side exit port from an interior to an exterior of the cable exit port.

An endoscope having an operating handle including a handle housing arranged at a proximal end and an insertion tube extending from the handle towards a distal end of the endoscope and terminating in a steerable tip part at the distal end of the endoscope, the endoscope further including a control mechanism with a Bowden cable having an outer guide tube having a first length between a proximal end and a distal end of the outer guide tube and an inner pull-wire having a second length between a proximal end and a distal end of the inner pull-wire, the second length being longer than the first length, the proximal end of the outer guide tube is affixed to the operating handle by an adhesive.

A septal cross system is provided for a cerclage procedure for treating dysfunctional heart. The cerclage septal cross system includes a puncture catheter and a capture catheter. The puncture catheter a puncture catheter comprises a first lumen for a guidewire to be inserted thereinto. A coil element is arranged in the distal portion of the puncture catheter. The distal end of the pull-wire is attached to the distal portion of the coil element. The proximal end of the pull-wire is extended to the distal portion of the puncture catheter. The pull-wire is configured to bend inwardly the distal portion of the puncture catheter. A capture catheter comprises a first lumen for a first guidewire to be inserted thereinto and a second lumen for a second guidewire to be inserted thereinto. The distal end of the second wire has a snare wherein the distal portion is deflectable.

A medical apparatus system (1000) is provided, including a medical apparatus (100) and a fixing plate (900) for fixing the medical apparatus (100). A fixing member (901, 902, 903, 1003, 1004) is formed by cutting along a trajectory (904) on the fixing plate (900); the fixing member (901, 902, 903, 1003, 1004) includes a free end (908, 9031, 10032, 10042) and a connection end (907, 9035, 10031, 10041); the connection end (907, 9035, 10031, 10041) is connected to a fixing plate body (990); the free end (908, 9031, 10032, 10042) can protrude from a plane at which the fixing plate body (990) is located. The fixing member (901, 902, 903, 1003, 1004) can surround an outer surface of the medical apparatus (100) to fix the medical apparatus (100); or the medical apparatus (100) can pass through the fixing member (901, 902, 903, 1003, 1004) and be fixed. The trajectory (904) includes a starting end (905, 1007) and a terminating end (906, 1008). When an outer contour of the fixing member (901, 902, 903, 1001, 1002, 1005, 1006) overlaps the trajectory of the fixing member on the fixing plate, the starting end (905, 1007) rotates outwardly or inwardly with respect to the fixing member (901, 902, 903, 1001, 1002, 1005, 1006) to form a first arc; and the terminating end (906, 1008) rotates outwardly or inwardly with respect to the fixing member (901, 902, 903, 1001, 1002, 1005, 1006) to form a second, arc. The stability of the medical apparatus system (1000) can be ensured under the action of an external force to the medical apparatus system (1000) during transportation.

The endoscope herein described has a unique steering capability allowing the highly flexible distal end of the shaft of the device to be moved to a full range angular positions without rotating the device on its long axis, thus enabling the device to be steered within the cavity of interest. The relative lengths of the control cables used to move the distal end of the bendable shaft can be changed whenever the flexible or malleable shaft is to be re-shaped to a new configuration thus preventing the distal end or the steering mechanism from assuming an undesired angular position. When used as an endotracheal device, a novel tongue retractor is described which forms an internal conduit, allowing passage of the bendable shaft of the endotracheal intubation device and an endotracheal tube therethrough. Methods for performing a tracheal intubation and changing the relative lengths of the cables are disclosed.