Flip Technologies Limited

Palliare Limited

Caradyne (r&d) Limited

Janisys Limited

Northwestern University

Crospon Limited

Nellcor Puritan Bennett Ireland Unlimited Company

John O'Dea

Adrian McHugh

Eoin Bambury

Patrick Griffin

Martin James Hamilton Bruggemann

Paul Maurice Cremin

Hilary Elizabeth Barrett

John Erik Pandolfino

Richard Kiely

Peter James Kahrilas

Zhiyue Lin

John Denyer

Adrian Mchugh

A clip assembly () for securing a tubular member () to an endoscope () comprises a plurality of clips () tethered together by a looped tether (). Each clip () comprises a first channel () for engaging the endoscope () and a second channel () for engaging the tubular member (). Each clip comprises a carrier element () and an adapter element () secured to the carrier element (). The carrier element () comprises a body member () having a pair of first side members () extending therefrom defining the first channel (), and a pair of engagement side members () defining an engagement channel (). The adapter element comprises an arcuate element () engaged in the engagement channel () for defining the second channel (). A covering element () comprising a pair of end panels () extending from the arcuate element () cover ends () of the carrier element (). Lower portions () of the covering element () are engageable with a snap-fit action with corresponding receiving recesses () in the carrier element () for securing the adapter element () to the carrier element ().

Clip and a method for releasably securing two elongated members together

An insufflator for insufflating a body cavity includes a compressed air vessel and a flow control valve for delivering insufflating air to the cavity through a first trocar. A discharge control valve at an outlet port of a second trocar exhausts insufflating air from the cavity. A pressure sensor on the first trocar monitors cavity pressure, and a microcontroller operates the flow control valve for maintaining a predefined working pressure in the cavity. A foot operated switch is operable by a surgeon for opening and closing the discharge control valve. When the pressure in the cavity drops below the predefined working pressure, the flow control valve increases the insufflating air to the cavity, thereby increasing the insufflating air flow through the cavity for removing undesirable gases. The apparatus and insufflator may also be adapted for removing smoke, nitrogen or other undesirable gases during both cauterisation and cryogenic procedures.

Method and apparatus for insufflating a cavity in the body of a human or animal subject

Clip for surgical or medical purposes

A system for insufflating a vessel in a human or animal body, such as the rectum comprises a first pressure sensor located adjacent a leading end of an endoscope for monitoring pressure in the rectum. A second pressure sensor located on a carrier element which is urgeable through the endoscope into the colon monitors pressure therein. Insufflating air which may leak into the abdominal cavity is exhausted therefrom by a needle. A third pressure sensor monitors pressure in the abdominal cavity. A microcontroller controls the supply of insufflating air to the rectum for maintaining pressure in the rectum at a first predefined pressure, for preventing pressure in the colon exceeding a second predefined pressure, and for controlling a vacuum pump for drawing insufflating air from the abdominal cavity to prevent pressure therein exceeding a third predefined pressure.

Method and apparatus for controlling insufflation of a vessel during a surgical or investigative procedure and a system and method for insufflating a vessel

Apparatus for rupturing muscle fibres in a lower oesophageal sphincter comprises a balloon catheter. A multi-electrode impedance planimetry measuring system comprising a pair of stimulating electrodes and sensing electrodes is located on the catheter within the balloon for monitoring the diameter of the balloon when the balloon is inflated with a liquid saline solution from a reservoir through a flowmeter under the control of a microprocessor. The microprocessor computes the minimum diameter value from signals read from the sensing electrodes each time the cumulative volume of the liquid saline solution in the balloon increases by a predefined unit volume. The microprocessor computes a curve of a plot of the minimum diameter values against the corresponding cumulative volume values and determines the slope at each computed minimum diameter value. Rupture of the muscle fibres of the sphincter is determined at the point of inflection of the curve.

Method and apparatus for rupturing and detecting rupturing of a muscle, a muscle fibre, a fibre material or a coating in or on a lumen, vessel or sphincter in a human or animal subject

Systems, methods, and apparatus for esophageal panometry are provided. An example method includes capturing measurement data including an area and a pressure of an esophageal body via a measurement device positioned with respect to the esophageal body; generating representations of the exported measurement data; analyzing the measurement data to determine esophageal reactivity based on the area and pressure; assessing esophageal function based on the determined esophageal reactivity; and outputting an indication of esophageal function.

Systems, methods, and apparatus for esophageal panometry

A balloon catheter comprises a catheter and a balloon located on the distal end of the catheter. A pair of stimulating electrodes for receiving a constant current stimulating signal when the balloon is inflated with an electrically conductive medium and a plurality of sensing electrodes for producing voltage response signals are located on the catheter. The voltage response signals are indicative of the values of the transverse cross-sectional area of the balloon adjacent the sensing electrodes. A first lumen accommodates the inflating medium to and from the balloon, and a second lumen accommodates electrically conductive wires to the stimulating and sensing electrodes. A pressure sensing element is located in a protective housing in the second lumen, and communicates through a communicating opening in the protective housing and through a communicating port in the catheter with a hollow interior region of the balloon. The balloon catheter may also be provided with a guide wire engaging element for engaging a guide wire externally of the balloon catheter.

Method and apparatus for forming a stoma and a balloon catheter

A balloon catheter () includes an elongated catheter member () and an inflatable balloon () located adjacent a distal end () of the catheter member (). Band type measuring electrodes () located on the catheter member () within the balloon () include a pair of outer stimulating electrodes () and sensing electrodes () for measuring the cross-sectional area and volume of the balloon () by impedance planimetry measuring. A light emitting diode () is located on each measuring electrode () for emitting light so that the location of the balloon catheter, and in particular, the measuring electrodes () can be detected in a vessel () with a translucent wall within the body of a human subject. By capturing an image of the vessel and the light from the light emitting diodes () emanating through a translucent wall of the vessel by an imaging device () located within the human body externally of the vessel (), the location of the balloon catheter and the electrodes () within the vessel can be determined.

Catheter and a system and a method for locating a catheter in a vessel

Clip

A device () for monitoring the transverse cross-section of a gastric sleeve () as the gastric sleeve () is being formed in a stomach () during a sleeve gastrectomy procedure comprises a catheter () with a primary balloon () located thereon towards a distal end (). The primary balloon () is located in the stomach, and the portion of the stomach which is to form the gastric sleeve () is stretched around the primary balloon () when the primary balloon () has been inflated to a diameter approximating to the diameter to which the sleeve () is to be formed. As the stomach () is being sutured to form the sleeve () the pressure within the primary balloon () is monitored to avoid excessive stretching of the stomach around the primary balloon (). The diameter of the primary balloon () is also monitored to avoid necking of the sleeve () during suturing of the stomach ().

Device and a method for facilitating monitoring the cross-section of a gastric sleeve during formation thereof

A micro-needle device comprising an active substance layer () having a plurality of active substance chambers () formed therein, a drive substance layer () having a plurality of drive substance chambers () formed therein and a needle support layer () having a plurality of micro-needles () extending therefrom. An activation layer () comprising a plurality of heating elements () for heating an expandable drive substance () located in the drive substance chambers () for in turn urging the second membrane () into the active substance chamber () for pressurizing and urging an active substance () therefrom through the corresponding micro-needle (). A plurality of membrane accommodating recesses () extend into the needle support layer () for accommodating the first membrane () as the active substance in the corresponding active substance chamber () is pressurized. A puncturing member () with a piercing point () extends into each membrane accommodating recess (). A barrier grating () extends across each active substance chamber () for preventing contact between the second membrane () and the corresponding puncturing member ().

Fluid transfer device and an active substance cartridge for the fluid transfer device, and a method for controlling the pressure at which an active substance is delivered to a subject from a fluid transfer device

A micro-needle delivery device () comprises an active substance accommodating layer () having active substance accommodating chambers () therein, a drive substance accommodating layer () having drive substance accommodating chambers () therein aligned with the active substance accommodating chambers (), an activating layer () having heating elements () aligned with the drive substance accommodating chambers () for heating a drive substance therein, and a micro-needle element () having a needle support layer () and a plurality of micro-needles () extending therefrom. A burstable first membrane () is located between and sealably secured to the micro-needle element () and to the active substance accommodating layer () for sealably closing the active substance accommodating chambers () at one end. A second stretchable membrane () is located between and sealably secured to the drive substance accommodating layer () and to the active substance accommodating layer () sealably closes the active substance accommodating chambers () at the other end, and the drive substance accommodating chambers (). A third membrane () sealably closes the drive substance accommodating chambers ().

Transfer device for transferring a substance between the device and a subject

Catheter, a balloon catheter and a method and apparatus for monitoring the transverse cross-section of a stoma

A device () comprises a sheath () for protecting a balloon catheter () from contamination with bodily fluids and other matter during the carrying out of a procedure or investigation at a remote site in a human or animal body. The sheath () defines a catheter accommodating portion () and a balloon accommodating portion () for accommodating a catheter () and a balloon () of the balloon catheter () therein. The sheath () is of a flexible material having a closed distal end () and a proximal opening () at a proximal end () thereof to a hollow interior region () within which the balloon catheter () is accommodated. A guide wire engaging distal portion () engages and locates a guide wire () within the sheath (). The balloon accommodating portion () permits inflating of the balloon () to a predefined volume.

Device for protecting a catheter, and a method for locating a catheter in a remote location in a human or animal body

An apparatus for measuring distensibility of a vessel, lumen or sphincter includes a balloon catheter having a balloon located adjacent a distal end of a catheter for inserting in, for example, the sphincter, the distensibility of which is to be determined. The balloon is inflated to respective first and second pressures to distend the sphincter to respective first and second transverse cross-sectional areas which are measured. The first and second pressures are selected so that the relationship between the pressure and the cross-sectional area of the sphincter is linear. The distensibility of the sphincter is determined as a distensibility index, which is the value of c from the equation of a line y=mx+c containing the values of the first and second pressures and areas, where x represents pressure and y represents area.

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Bearna, Ireland

John O'Dea