Abstract: The present invention provides a two-part robotic device for positioning of a hand tool, comprising: a. a fixed base unit constantly fix to its position; b. a detachable body unit reversibly coupled to said fixed base unit, coupled to said current medical instrument; wherein said fixed base unit is adapted to provide independent movement to said hand tool, said independent movement selected from the group consisting of rotation and translation, and further wherein said detachable body unit is removable and replaceable from said fixed base unit such that upon exchange of said hand tool for a second hand tool, said second hand tool is placed in substantially the same location as the location of said hand tool prior to said exchange.

Abstract: An implant delivery system comprises an elongate tubular member having a lumen, a tubular implant coaxially disposed within the lumen of the elongate tubular member, and a delivery assembly having a distal portion coaxially disposed within tubular implant. The delivery assembly comprises a delivery wire, an engaging bumper fixedly coupled to the delivery wire, a stopper bumper fixedly coupled to the delivery wire, and a floating element slidably coupled around the delivery wire and disposed between the bumpers, thereby limiting linear translation of the floating element therebetween. The floating element has an engaging portion configured to engage the engaging bumper when the delivery wire is axially translated relative to the elongate member in a first direction. The floating element is configured to radially expand outward to frictionally engage the implant when the engaging portion of the floating element engages the engaging bumper.

Abstract: A stent, a stent delivery system, and a method of delivering a stent are described that allow the porosity of the stent to be changed dynamically during a delivery procedure. Unlike prior stents and procedures that are configured to deploy with a predetermined porosity, the physician can create a region of high stent porosity over certain vessel features, a low stent porosity over other vessel features, and can create these porosity changes with at least one stent or stent layer.

Abstract: Various aspects of the present disclosure are directed toward medical devices, systems, and methods. The medical devices may include a portion having a radially expansive force greater than a radially expansive force other portions of the device. In addition, the medical device may include one or more constraining mechanisms for deployment of the medical devices.

Abstract: A clip for immobilizing leaflets of a cardiac or venous valve includes a hub having a pair of tangle resistant spring-biased outer arms coupled to an inferior end of the hub and a pair of tangle resistant spring-biased inner arms adjacent to the outer arms and coupled to a superior end of the hub. A delivery catheter may be used to position the valve clip adjacent a target valve while the outer and inner arms are biased in an opened position relative to each other. After the valve leaflets are located between the opened outer and inner arms, the biasing forces may be released to allow the clip to self-close the clip over the valve leaflets.

Abstract: An automatic tourniquet apparatus comprises a tourniquet cuff, a pressure transducer, a user interface, a patient hazard shield and a pressure regulator. The pressure transducer produces a cuff pressure signal. The user interface produces a reference pressure signal. The patient hazard shield is responsive to the cuff pressure signal and the reference pressure signal, and operable during a regulation time period to produce a patient hazard signal if, in one implementation, a current level of pressure in the tourniquet cuff is greater than the reference level of pressure by at least a predetermined overpressure limit. The pressure regulator is responsive to the patient hazard signal, and has a pressurizing element for increasing pressure in the cuff and a depressurizing element for decreasing pressure in the cuff. The pressurizing element is configured to be non-responsive if the patient hazard signal is produced.

Abstract: An ear nose and throat (ENT) imaging and analysis system includes an endoscope usable to capture images of the nasal canal and other aspects of patient anatomy. Endoscopic images may be presented to a user via a touchscreen display, and the software may provide different imaging modes that aid in identifying particular anatomical structures or areas within the nasal canal. In one mode, the system uses an object recognition process to identify the nasal valve opening within the images at a relaxed state, and during forceful inhalation, and then calculates the difference between the two states, which may be suggestive of nasal valve collapse. In other modes, the system is configured to identify abnormalities of the inferior turbinate, septum, or other anatomy, as well as empty spaces within the nasal canal, as well as areas and volumes of empty space and user defined boundaries.

Abstract: A removable and replaceable sheath may be coupled to a medical instrument used during a procedure, and may enable one or more functional features of the medical instrument while maintaining a sterile barrier between the instrument itself and the treatment site. The sheath may be replaced prior to a subsequent use, and sterilization of the medical instrument is not required due to the sterile barrier. Sheaths may include an embedded memory that stores procedure configurations and procedure results, longitudinal channels for delivering power or irrigation, optical elements for providing procedure specific endoscopic views, and other features. One sheath may be fitted to an endoscope for imaging and tissue ablation. Another sheath includes a balloon usable during sinuplasty procedures. Yet another sheath may be fitted to a sonic ablation instrument to provide improved transmission of sonic power to tissue.

Abstract: A medical instrument includes a first hand lever which has a manually actuated grip portion at its proximal end, a work portion for gripping, clamping or cutting an object at its distal end, and, lying between these, a bearing portion on which a bearing element engages in order to permit pivotability about a rotation axis between the first hand lever and a second hand lever, wherein the second hand lever has a grip portion at its proximal end, a work portion at its distal end, and, lying between these, a guide portion on which the bearing element engages, wherein the guide portion of the second hand lever has on one side a recess for receiving the bearing portion of the first hand lever such that two guide protrusions located distally and proximally of the recess at least partially cover the bearing portion in an operating position.

Abstract: A device includes an elongated hollow member having an open distal end for receiving tissue therein and at least one exterior groove for loading at least one ligation band thereon. The device also includes a band deployment sleeve slidable over the exterior of the hollow member and configured to move from a radially expanded position to a radially contracted position in which, when the band deployment sleeve slides longitudinally over the hollow member, the distal portion engages the at least one ligation band. A closing sleeve slidable over the exterior of the band deployment sleeve is configured to constrain the distal portion from the radially expanded position into the radially contracted position. Retracting the closing sleeve proximally over the distal portion of the band deployment sleeve releases the distal portion from the radially contracted position into the radially expanded position.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for forming a mesh having a barbed suture attached thereto, comprising the following steps: a) producing a knitted structure on a knitting machine comprising at least one needle-bed with three guide bars, on a length corresponding to N stitches ranging from 1 to N, wherein i) a first knit portion is produced along stitches ranging from 1 to x, where 1<x<N, ii) a second knit portion is produced for stitches ranging from (x+1) to N, in which the knitting pattern produces at least one weft stitched chain stitch, b) cutting the second knit portion on both sides of the weft stitched chain stitch and along an edge separating the second knit portion from the first knit portion, while maintaining the weft stitched chain stitch attached to the first knit portion. The invention also relates to the mesh obtained by this method.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a cap for protecting an imaging instrument from damage caused by impact or poor handling. Exemplary devices can include a rigid outer shell and soft inner lining surrounding a distal tip of the instrument, to be applied between instrument use, and during instrument transport, disinfection, sterilization, and storage.

Abstract: A surgical instrument that includes a surgical end effector that is articulatable relative to a proximal shaft segment of the surgical instrument. The surgical end effector is attached to the proximal shaft segment by an articulation joint that comprises a plurality of movably interconnected links that interface with a centrally disposed drive member to apply articulation motions thereto and which serve to provide improved lateral stability to the articulation joint.

Abstract: An endoscope (1) including a handle (2) arranged at a proximal end and an insertion tube (3) extending from said handle (2) towards a distal end, a bending section (7) arranged at the distal end and controllable by and operator via control input means (8) arranged at the handle (2); and at least one insertion tube part with at least one lumen, wherein the bending section (7) is displaceable in said lumen so as to be movable relative to the insertion tube (3) from a retracted position within said lumen to an extended position at least partially outside said lumen.

Abstract: An endoscope observation assistance apparatus includes an image information acquiring part to acquire and display a captured image of a luminal organ captured by the endoscope device on a display, a lesion information acquisition part to detect a predetermined lesion based on the captured image and to acquire lesion information regarding the lesion, a lesion disappearance determination part to track the lesion based on the captured image and the lesion information and to determine whether or not the lesion has disappeared from the captured image, and a notification part to notify a determination result when the lesion disappearance determination part determines that the lesion has disappeared from the captured image. Alternatively, the notification part may notify a lesion detection when a short time period passes after the lesion detection by the lesion information acquisition part.

Abstract: Medical devices including a housing, an actuator, a body having a passageway extending through the body, a drive shaft extending through the passageway, and a clip coupled to the body and the drive shaft to fix the body relative to the drive shaft. The medical device further including features to couple the clip to at least one of the body and/or the drive shaft such that back out of the clip is inhibited.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention include an apparatus including at least one illumination source configured to emit illumination energy and an illumination control system to receive the illumination energy. The illumination control system is configured to control the illumination energy to output a sequence of different illumination wavelengths using the illumination energy. The apparatus also includes a plurality of optical fibers connected to the illumination control system and configured to sequentially output the different illumination wavelengths. Each optical fiber is configured to transmit a different illumination wavelength of the sequence to output the sequence of different illumination wavelengths from the optical fibers toward an object.

Abstract: A stent delivery system is described. The system includes an outer sleeve assembly with an outer sleeve body, an outer sleeve handle fixed to one end of the outer sleeve body, and an outer sleeve tip connected to an opposing end of the outer sleeve body. The system also includes an inner sleeve assembly, which has a push tube sleeved in the outer sleeve body, an inner sleeve handle fixed to the rear end of the push tube, a stent placing tube connected to the front end of the push tube, and an inner sleeve tip set at the front end of the stent placing tube. The system also includes a snap ring fixed on an outer wall of the push tube and provided between the outer sleeve handle and the inner sleeve handle. The outer sleeve tip includes a stepped surface.

Abstract: Forceps including a housing, a first body, a second body and a drive shaft. The first body has a passageway extending therethrough. The drive shaft extending through the passageway and connected to the first body such that the first body and the drive shaft are slidable with respect to the housing to drive jaws located at a distal portion of the drive shaft between an open position and a closed position. The second body having a second passageway. The drive shaft extending through the second passageway such that the second body is guided by the drive shaft and is slidable relative to the first body and the drive shaft to displace a blade shaft between a retracted position and an extended position.

Abstract: A device may include an elongated housing formed of an optically transparent material, the housing extending from a proximal end to a distal end and including a lateral wall extending from the proximal end to a distal tip of the housing, the housing defining a lumen extending into the housing from a proximal opening in the proximal end of the housing. The device also may include a first port extending through the lateral wall of the housing to open the lumen of the housing to an exterior of the housing, the first port being sized and shaped to receive therein a target portion of tissue to be inspected and/or treated.