4tech Inc.

Unversität Zürich

Other

Tearflow Care Ltd.

Planet Watchers Ltd.

Sv Swissvortex Ltd.

Weisz, Giora

Tobis, Idan

Idan Tobis

Patrick Griffin

Michael Gilmore

Francesco Maisano

Andrea Guidotti

Charlotte Murphy

Kevin Lynn

Paolo Denti

Hugo Vanermen

Ottavio Alfieri

Valery Perevalov

Rephael Hof

David Zarbatany

Hugo Vanerman

Thomas Campbell

Mohamed Azeem Latib

Georgios Stefopoulos

Giora Weisz

Gareth Clarke

Roi Shilo

Arie Nemet

Ori Schuftan

Dante Birger

Amihai Granot

Benny Kupfer

Ori Elkin

Evin William Donnelly

Chris Moran

Jean Claude Laborde

Gabriel Sobrino-Serrano

An occlusion device () includes a compliant balloon () including an inflation port () for filling and unfilling a fluid into and from a balloon chamber (). A distal tip element () and a proximal base element () are disposed at distal and proximal sides (B,A) of the balloon (), respectively. An elongate actuating element () is disposed longitudinally slidable in a balloon lumen () forming a longitudinal passage () from the proximal side (A) to the distal side (B) of the balloon (), connected to the distal tip element (), and longitudinally moveable with respect to the proximal base element () so as to set a distance between the distal tip element (and the proximal base element (). A locking mechanism () is configured to maintain, between the distal tip element () and the proximal base element (), the distance set using the elongate actuating element ().

Medical occlusion device

A surgical fastener instrument () includes an outer delivery tube (); an inner delivery shaft (), disposed at least partially in the outer delivery tube (); and a handle () coupled to a proximal portion () of the outer delivery tube (), and including a user control element () arranged to rotate the inner delivery shaft () with respect to the outer delivery tube (). A suture fastener () is removably disposed in the outer delivery tube () in an unlocked conical helical configuration. Distal advancement of the inner delivery shaft (), when one or more portions of one or more sutures () pass through respective portions of the suture fastener (), transitions the suture fastener () from the unlocked configuration to a locked planar spiral configuration, in which the one or more sutures () are fixedly coupled to the suture fastener (). Other embodiments are also described.

Suture fasteners

An agricultural monitoring system, apparatus and method(s) for providing crop-related forecasts by performing the steps of receiving seasonal image data from at least one source, where the seasonal image data is associated with at least one agricultural field, processing the seasonal image data using a Bayesian framework, where the Bayesian framework comprises one or more crop models configured to predict, based on the seasonal image data, one or more probabilities indicative of at least one crop state, updating at least one crop model of the Bayesian framework based on the one or more probabilities, and outputting a forecast of the at least one crop state based on the one or more probabilities.

Crop monitoring system and method thereof

An occluder device is provided for occluding a cardiovascular defect or a gap between a medical device and adjacent body tissue, the device including a compliant balloon defining a fluid-tight balloon chamber and a balloon channel forming a longitudinal passage from a proximal to a distal side of the balloon, the balloon including a fluid port for filling a fluid into the balloon chamber. A tip and a base are coupled to the distal and the proximal sides of the balloon, respectively. At least one connecting strut is attached to the tip and to the base. An elongate actuator is disposed longitudinally slidable in the balloon channel and connected to the tip, and longitudinally slidable with respect to the base so as to set a distance between the tip and the base. A lock is configured to maintain the distance between the tip and the base. Other embodiments are also described.

Medical occluder device

A tissue anchor includes a shaft, a tissue-coupling element, and a flexible elongate tension member. The tissue-coupling element includes a wire, which is shaped as an open loop having more than one turn when the tissue anchor is unconstrained. The tension member includes a distal portion that is fixed to a site on the open loop, a proximal portion, which has a longitudinal segment that runs alongside at least a portion of the shaft, and a crossing portion, which (i) is disposed between the distal and the proximal portions along the tension member, and (ii) crosses at least a portion of the open loop when the tissue anchor is unconstrained. The tissue anchor is configured to allow relative axial motion between the at least a portion of the shaft and the longitudinal segment of the proximal portion of the tension member when the tissue anchor is unconstrained.

Off-center tissue anchors with tension members

Systems and methods for directing a device to a target region within a body cavity are provided. One embodiment includes a first catheter having a handle, an expandable cage, and a lumen therethrough, the expandable cage having a plurality of members that expand to engage a wall of the body cavity, a second catheter within the first catheter lumen having a hub at a distal end, and a plurality of pairs of wires secured at a first end within the handle of the first catheter and secured at a second end to the hub of the second catheter, each pair of wires being movable in conjunction with each other by manipulation of the handle so as to move the hub, a first pair of wires movable to move the hub in a first direction and a second pair of wires movable to move the hub in a second direction.

Multi-dimensional navigation within a body chamber

A dacryocystorhinostomy (DCR) tool () includes a perforating shaft () having a distal perforating tip () configured to form a bypass between a lacrimal sac and a nasal cavity through a lateral side of the lacrimal sac, a lacrimal bone, and nasal mucosa. A DCR guide () includes a nasal guide component () configured to be inserted into the nasal cavity and having a distal guide tip (); and a lacrimal guide component () shaped so as to define a guide channel () that orients the DCR guide () with respect to the distal perforating tip () during advancing of the distal perforating tip () through a lacrimal passageway and into the lacrimal sac, until contact of the distal perforating tip () with the distal guide tip () blocks further advancing of the distal perforating tip (). The DCR guide () constrains the distal guide tip () to fall in a path of advancement of the distal perforating tip (). Other embodiments are also described.

Tools and methods for dacryocystorhinostomy

A suture-securing device includes a first tubular element, shaped to define a first lumen therethrough, and having first and second ends; and a second tubular element, shaped to define a second lumen therethrough, and having first and second ends. The suture-securing device is configured to have (a) an unlocked configuration in which the first end of the second tubular element is disposed closer to the first end of first tubular element than is the second end of the second tubular element, and the sutures are disposable within and slidable through the first and second lumens, and (b) a locking configuration in which the second end of the second tubular element is disposed closer to the first end of first tubular element than is the first end of the second tubular element, and the sutures are inhibited from sliding through the first and second lumens. Other embodiments are also described.

Suture-securing device

A method of treating a heart of a patient is provided. The method includes implanting a first tissue anchor in cardiac tissue of the patient and a second tissue anchor in the patient, such that the first and the second tissue anchors are coupled together by one or more tethers. Thereafter, after allowing at least 24 hours for tissue growth on the first tissue anchor to strengthen anchoring of the first tissue anchor in the cardiac tissue, tension is applied between the first and the second tissue anchors using at least a longitudinal portion of the one or more tethers. Other embodiments are also described.

Post-implantation tensioning in cardiac implants

A system for repairing an atrioventricular valve of a patient is provided. First and second tissue-engaging elements are configured for implantation at first and second implantation sites of the patient, respectively. First and second flexible longitudinal members are coupled at respective first end portions thereof to the first and the second tissue-engaging elements, respective. Each of the first and the second flexible longitudinal members comprises a braided polyester suture or a plurality of wires that are intertwined to form a rope structure. First and second flexible-longitudinal-member-coupling elements are coupled to respective second end portions of the first and the second flexible longitudinal members. The first and the second flexible-longitudinal-member-coupling elements are configured to be couplable together during an implantation procedure to couple together the first and the second flexible longitudinal elements.

Atrioventricular valve repair using tension

Apparatus is provided that includes a tissue anchor, which (a) includes a helical tissue-coupling element which has a distal tissue-penetrating tip at a distal end of the tissue anchor, and which is configured to be advanced into soft tissue, and (b) is shaped so as to define a longitudinal channel extending to the distal end of the tissue anchor. The apparatus further includes a depth-finding tool, which includes a radiopaque bead that is axially moveable along the channel so as to serve as a marker indicating a depth of penetration of the tissue-coupling element into the soft tissue.

Soft tissue depth-finding tool

A method of treating a heart of a patient is provided, including implanting a first tissue anchor in cardiac tissue of the patient, the first tissue anchor attached to one or more tethers that are fixed to a coupling element. A second tissue anchor is implanted in the patient. The coupling element is coupled to a first coupling site of the second tissue anchor, thereby coupling the first tissue anchor to the second tissue anchor via the one or more tethers. Thereafter, after allowing at least 24 hours for tissue growth on the first tissue anchor to strengthen anchoring of the first tissue anchor in the cardiac tissue, tension is increased between the first and the second tissue anchors by decoupling the coupling element from the first coupling site and coupling the coupling element to a second coupling site of the second tissue anchor. Other embodiments are also described.

Post-implantation tension adjustment in cardiac implants

A torque-delivering cable is provided, which includes a first coupling. The torque-delivering cable and the first coupling are shaped so as to collectively define a first passage therethrough. A tissue anchor is further provided, which includes a tissue-engaging element and a second coupling, which second coupling is shaped so as to define a second passage therethrough. The first and the second couplings are interlockingly coupleable to each other. An elongate longitudinal locking element is additionally provided, which is shaped so as to define a sharp tip, and which (a) when reversibly disposed in the first and the second passages, maintains coupling together of the first and the second couplings, and (b) when withdrawn from the second passage, allows decoupling of the first and the second coupling from each another.

Tissue anchor and delivery tool

A method is provided of reducing tricuspid valve regurgitation of a patient. A first tissue anchor is implanted at a first implantation site in cardiac tissue in the vicinity of the tricuspid valve of the patient. A second tissue anchor is implanted at a second implantation site of the patient, different from the first implantation site. After the first and the second tissue anchors have been implanted, a longitudinal member that couples the first and the second tissue anchors together is longitudinally deflected.

Tricuspid valve repair using tension

A method is provided for repairing the tricuspid valve of a patient using tension. A radially-expandable stent is implanted in a coronary sinus of the patient. A tissue anchor is implanted in tissue in the vicinity of the tricuspid valve. The tricuspid valve is repaired by applying tension between the radially-expandable stent and the tissue anchor using a flexible longitudinal member that connects the radially-expandable stent and the tissue anchor.

Growing community of inventors

Beth Hashmonai, Israel

Idan Tobis