Abstract: A method and apparatus for the collection and handling of pathological tissue specimens during evacuative medical procedures, wherein a source of vacuum is used to draw material from a body cavity and into a collection bottle (22). In accordance with the invention, a tissue trap (21) is placed in advance of the collection bottle for filtering out and collecting tissue specimens prior to entry of the evacuated material into the collection bottle. At the end of an operative procedure, the tissue trap is removed from the system and used as a container for handling and transporting the tissue specimens, thereby avoiding the necessity of direct contact with the specimens by medical workers during the collection and transport thereof. In a preferred form of the invention, the collection bottle is disposable and includes a pour spout for emptying the contents prior to disposal of the bottle.

Abstract: A surgical instrument and method for cutting and removing body tissue from a body area having a restricted space is provided. The cutter comprises an external cutting tube sized for insertion into the restricted space. The external tube has an opening therein with cutting edges thereon. An internal tube having an internal opening therein with cutting edges thereon is positioned within the external tube. The openings in the external and internal tubes are relatively oscillatingly movable to open to receive body tissue therethrough and to close to cut the body tissue. A vacuum is provided to draw the cut body tissue into and through the internal tube and out of the instrument.

Abstract: A method of coagulating a muscle tissue contained within fat tissue substantially without harming the fat tissue, comprising directing microwave radiation through the fat tissue towards the muscle tissue at a selective frequency effective to cause coagulation of the muscle tissue substantially exclusively of the fat tissue, for sufficient time to heat the muscle tissue to temperature at which the muscle tissue coagulates.

Abstract: An ultrasonic friction reducing device is comprised of an ultrasonic generator having a special sweep frequency oscillator, a piezoelectric crystal transducer and a cervical dilator probe. The generator produces an oscillatory electric current for the operation of the device. The piezoelectric crystal transducer converts the oscillatory electric current produced by the generator into a vibratory mechanical motion. The transducer, through mechanical coupling, transmits the ultrasonic energy into the friction reducing probe.

Abstract: The tubal ligation instrument of the present invention includes a structure for ligating anatomical tubes within the human or another animal body, structure for anesthetizing the anatomical tubes being ligated and structure for internally viewing the ligation procedure. An example of an anatomical tube is a Fallopian tube. The instrument further includes a structure for grasping the anatomical element. Usually the grasping structure is a rod having forceps at one end. This rod may be hollow with a valve attached in fluid communication with the rod's rearward end so that anesthesia may be caused to flow through the hollow channel in the rod. The application of anesthesia to an anatomical element is accomplished by introducing the anesthesia through the valve and into the hollow channel of the rod. Thus, a surgeon directing the forward end of the instrument to an anatomical element can apply an anesthetic agent to the anatomical element intraabdominally.