Abstract: An endoscopic vessel harvesting device and a method of endoscopic harvesting of vessels from a patients body. The method comprises locating the vessel, and inserting the vessel harvesting device through an incision. Dissecting the vessel from the surrounding tissue, and capturing side branch vessels in a vessel capturing means. Ligating and transecting the side branch vessels using electrodes and a knife located in the vessel capturing means. Finally, ligating and transecting the vessel, and removing the vessel from the patients body. The vessel harvesting device comprises a head piece, a shaft having a lumen for receiving an endoscope, and a vessel capturing means located on the head piece for capturing the side branch vessels in the receiver.

Abstract: An endoscopic device including a shaft having a lumen for insertion of an endoscope therethrough, a transparent headpiece defining a workspace and disposed at a distal end of the shaft, a handle disposed at a proximal end of the shaft, a plunger disposed at the distal end of the shaft and movable between a retracted and extended position, wherein in the extended position the plunger interacts with at least a portion of the headpiece to capture a vessel therebetweeen, an actuator for moving the plunger between the retracted and extended positions, and a ligator for cauterizing the vessel captured between the plunger and the portion of the headpiece.

Abstract: An instrument for exerting an end of a vessel over an end of a tubular workpiece. The instrument has a body having an axial bore, and a mandrel mounted within the axial bore and partially extending from the distal end of the axial bore. The mandrel is made from a sheet of spring-like material rolled into a conical shape. The distal end of the mandrel is insertable into the lumen of the vessel. A plunger substantially contained within the axial bore and axially moveable, extends into the proximal end of the mandrel and presses against an inner surface of the mandrel when the plunger is moved from a retracted position to an extended position, thereby causing the distal end of the mandrel to expand radially and the proximal end of the mandrel to contract radially. An optional spring mounted to the body provides a biasing force to move the plunger to the retracted position and to allow the mandrel to return to the conical shape.

Abstract: A bipolar electrosurgical instrument useful in harvesting blood vessels such as veins and arteries. The instrument has a pair of jaws and a central cutting element displaceable distally and proximally to dissect tissue contained between the jaws. The central cutting element has an electrode surface.

Abstract: An endoscopic vessel harvesting device and a method of endoscopic harvesting of vessels from a patients body. The method comprises locating the vessel, and inserting the vessel harvesting device through an incision. Dissecting the vessel from the surrounding tissue, and capturing side branch vessels in a vessel capturing device. Ligating and transecting the side branch vessels using electrodes and a knife located in the vessel capturing device. Finally, ligating and transecting the vessel, and removing the vessel from the patients body. The vessel harvesting device comprises a head piece, a shaft having a lumen for receiving an endoscope, and a vessel capturing device located on the head piece for capturing the side branch vessels in the receiver.

Abstract: A surgical instrument useful in harvesting blood vessels such as veins and arteries. The instrument has a pair of jaws and a central cutting element displaceable distally and proximally to dissect tissue contained between the jaws.

Abstract: A surgical instrument for dissecting a vessel in a patient. The surgical instrument includes a spoon retractor having a proximal end and a distal end, said spoon retractor defining a working space in the tissue of a patient, a dissecting element proximate to the spoon retractor for dissecting tissue from a vessel, and a handle for manipulating the spoon retractor near the vessel. Also provided is a method for dissecting a vessel including the steps of providing the surgical instrument for dissecting a vessel in a patient described above. Making an incision in a patient. Inserting the spoon retractor into the incision. Creating a working space in the tissue of the patient near the vessel being dissected, and manipulating the dissecting element to further dissect tissue surrounding the vessel being dissected.

Abstract: The present invention is a medical device for use on a bodily organ of a patient. The medical device includes a concave support element that is removably attachable to the surface of the bodily organ, thereby defining an enclosed space adjacent to the bodily organ. The enclosed space is fluidly connected to a fluid management system for circulating a fluid inside of the enclosed space. The medical device also has an energy transfer element mounted to the concave support element and electrically connected to a control unit. In some embodiments, the energy transfer element transmits intense ultrasound energy in a frequency range of 1-30 megahertz, and the fluid acoustically couples the energy transfer element to the bodily organ, and the fluid also cools the energy transfer element.

Abstract: A surgical instrument useful in harvesting blood vessels such as veins and arteries. The instrument has a pair of jaws and a central cutting element displaceable distally and proximally to dissect tissue contained between the jaws. A sequencing element prevents the cutting element from being engaged when the jaws are in the open configuration.

Abstract: A surgical device including: a punch slidingly disposed in a housing for forming a hole in a first vessel; a cartridge movably disposed in the housing between a cutting and deploying positions, the cartridge having a second vessel and a coupler for coupling the first and second vessel loaded therein; a punch actuator for sliding the punch between the cutting and deploying positions; a cartridge actuator for moving the cartridge between the cutting and deploying positions, wherein while in the cutting position, the punch and cartridge are in position to permit the punch to form the hole in the first vessel and while in the deploying position, they are in position to deploy the second vessel; and a deployment mechanism for deploying the second vessel and coupler into the hole of the first vessel while the punch and cartridge are in the deploying position to create an anastomosis.

Abstract: An endoscopic device including a shaft having a lumen for insertion of an endoscope therethrough, a transparent headpiece defining a workspace and disposed at a distal end of the shaft, a handle disposed at a proximal end of the shaft, a plunger disposed at the distal end of the shaft and movable between a retracted and extended position, wherein in the extended position the plunger interacts with at least a portion of the headpiece to capture a vessel therebetweeen, an actuator for moving the plunger between the retracted and extended positions, and a ligator for cauterizing the vessel captured between the plunger and the portion of the headpiece.

Abstract: A surgical instrument for dissecting a vessel in a patient. The surgical instrument includes a spoon retractor having a proximal end and a distal end, said spoon retractor defining a working space in the tissue of a patient, a dissecting element proximate to the spoon retractor for dissecting tissue from a vessel, and a handle for manipulating the spoon retractor near the vessel. Also provided is a method for dissecting a vessel including the steps of providing the surgical instrument for dissecting a vessel in a patient described above. Making an incision in a patient. Inserting the spoon retractor into the incision. Creating a working space in the tissue of the patient near the vessel being dissected, and manipulating the dissecting element to further dissect tissue surrounding the vessel being dissected.

Abstract: A cardiac stabilizer for use during cardiac surgery. The stabilizer has a cardiac engagement member having at least two vacuum ports, wherein each vacuum port is connected to a separate pressure tube. The pressure in each vacuum port is individually controlled by a multiplexing unit.

Abstract: An instrument is provided for everting an end of a vessel over an end of a tubular workpiece. The instrument comprises a body having an axial bore, a piston slideably contained inside of the axial bore, and a plunger coaxially mounted within the axial bore and axially movable between an extended position and a retracted position. The instrument further comprises a spring mounted within the axial bore and biasing the plunger and the piston to separate. The instrument further comprises a plurality of filaments, each filament having a distal end attached to the plunger and a proximal end attached to the piston, and each of the filaments tensioned by the spring. The instrument further comprises a plurality of guides circumferentially spaced apart in the distal end of the body, each guide supporting one of the filaments radially apart from the plunger, the plunger and the filaments insertable into the lumen of the vessel when the plunger is in the extended position.

Abstract: A surgical device for applying radio frequency energy to a portion of a captured vessel is provided. The device including: a first tube having an internal lumen for passage of a viewing device therein, the first tube having a substantially transparent first window at a distal tip thereof; a second tube slidingly disposed over the first tube, the second tube having a substantially transparent second window at a distal tip thereof, the second tube further having a slot for capturing a portion of the vessel; an actuator for sliding the second tube relative to the first tube between open and closed positions, wherein in the closed position an inner surface of the second window is aligned with an outer surface of the first window and captures the portion of the vessel therebetween; and at least one electrode affixed to one of the inner or outer surfaces and facing the other of the inner or outer surfaces for applying radio frequency energy to the captured portion of the vessel.

Abstract: An instrument is provided for everting an end of a vessel over an end of a tubular workpiece, wherein a portion of the vessel is positioned within an axial bore of the tubular workpiece. The instrument comprises a conical holder comprising a first end, a second end, a longitudinal axis, and a lumen therethrough. The conical holder is positionable coaxially with the axial bore of the tubular workpiece. The lumen at the first end has a first diameter smaller than the diameter of the end of the tubular workpiece when extended distal to the end of the tubular workpiece. The first end is radially expandable so that the lumen at the first end is larger than the end of the tubular workpiece. The instrument further comprises a mandrel having a first end, a second end, and a longitudinal axis therebetween. The first end of the mandrel is insertable into the first end of the conical holder. The mandrel is tapered from a smaller diameter at said distal end to a larger diameter at said proximal end.

Abstract: A surgical device for applying radio frequency energy to a portion of a captured vessel is provided. The device including: a first tube having an internal lumen for passage of a viewing device therein, the first tube having a substantially transparent first window at a distal tip thereof; a second tube slidingly disposed over the first tube, the second tube having a substantially transparent second window at a distal tip thereof, the second tube further having a slot for capturing a portion of the vessel; an actuator for sliding the second tube relative to the first tube between open and closed positions, wherein in the closed position an inner surface of the second window is aligned with an outer surface of the first window and captures the portion of the vessel therebetween; and at least one electrode affixed to one of the inner or outer surfaces and facing the other of the inner or outer surfaces for applying radio frequency energy to the captured portion of the vessel.

Abstract: An instrument is provided for everting an end of a vessel, preferably over an end of a tubular workpiece. The instrument has a curved mandrel having a proximal end and a distal end. The distal end of the curved mandrel is insertable to a predetermined depth into the lumen of the vessel contained in the bore of the workpiece. The curved mandrel holds the vessel against the bore surface of the workpiece at three spaced-apart contact regions when it is inserted into the bore of the workpiece and the vessel lumen to the predetermined depth. The curved mandrel is mounted to a handle.

Abstract: A surgical instrument useful in harvesting blood vessels such as veins and arteries and for manipulating and grasping tissue. The instrument has a pair of jaws and a closing tube to open and close the jaws.

Abstract: A bipolar electrosurgical instrument useful in harvesting blood vessels such as veins and arteries. The instrument has a pair of jaws and a central cutting element displaceable distally and proximally to dissect tissue contained between the jaws. The central cutting element has an electrode surface.