The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, Inc.

The Brigham and Women's Hospital, Inc.

Christopher V Trainor

Kevin Andrew Hufford

William Whitcomb McFarland

Ali Tavakkoli

Steve T Cho

Jeffrey Ishizuka

Daniel F Traviglia

Ralph E Hopkins, Iii

The present disclosure describes a catheter guide tool. More particularly, the catheter guide tool is a bi-stable device used for the insertion and advancement of a catheter. The catheter guide tool includes a gimbal. A guide axis runs through the gimbal. A catheter advancement mechanism is coupled to the gimbal and configured to advance the catheter along the guide axis. The guide tool also includes a pivot assembly coupling the gimbal to a support platform. The pivot assembly is configured to pivot the guide axis from a first position perpendicular to a target surface to a second position tangential to the target surface along a single primary plane of rotation of the gimbal.

Guide tool for catheter insertion

The systems and methods described herein related generally to a device that enables the directional control of flow through an anatomical tract of the body. More particularly, the device described herein includes a valve from a plurality of projections. In some implementations, the projections are configured as flaps, posts, or any combination thereof. In some implementations, the device is implanted into a patient's esophagus to prevent gastroesophageal reflux disease. The plurality of projections allow flow into a patient's stomach while substantially preventing a backflow of undesired fluids from the patient's stomach to the patient's esophagus.

Implantable device for directional control of flow within the anatomic tracts of the body

A micromechanical contact load force sensor is disclosed. The force sensor comprises an array of capacitive load cells on a substrate. The force sensor is able to sense high loads, on the order on 10.sup.9 N/m.sup.2, and distribute the load over a suitable number of the cells of the array while minimizing crosstalk between adjacent cells. The force sensor is useful in biological and robotic applications.

Micromechanical contact load force sensor for sensing magnitude and

Growing community of inventors

Boxborough, MA, United States of America

Christopher V Trainor