Abstract: Systems, instruments, methods, and compositions are described involving removing a portion of the epidermis within a donor site on a subject, and harvesting dermal plugs within the donor site. An injectable filler is formed by mincing the dermal plugs. The injectable filler is configured for injecting into a recipient site on the subject.

Abstract: A device and method is provided herein for esophageal impingement of a patient's aorta. The device may be inserted into a patient's esophagus and positioned at the location where the esophagus passes over the patient's aorta. In this position, an actuation device is used to apply pressure to the patient's aorta through their esophagus to impinge or occlude the aorta to stop or significantly reduce hemorrhaging. A manually operable actuator handle enables a physician to manipulate a head assembly of the device through three distinct degrees of freedom of movement so as to control placement and direction of force against the patient's esophagus and, in turn, their aorta.

Abstract: A medical apparatus can include an instrument comprising a shaft and a jaw assembly coupled to an end of the shaft; an image capture device; and a controller operably coupled to the image capture device to receive image data from the image capture device. The image data is from images of material gripped between jaw members of the jaw assembly and captured by the image capture device, with the controller programmed to process the received image data using at least one of optical flow and digital image correlation. A medical apparatus can include an instrument comprising a shaft, and a jaw assembly coupled to an end of the shaft, the jaw assembly comprising a pair of jaw members having opposing surfaces configured to grasp material between the opposing surfaces, wherein at least a portion of the opposing surface of a first jaw member of the pair of jaw members is transparent.

Abstract: There is described an endovascular prosthesis delivery device. The subject endovascular prosthesis delivery device comprises a combination of a delivery frame element and a hub insert element that are secured to one another by a first retention element. At a distal portion of the delivery frame element, there is a prosthesis attachment zone for coupling to an endovascular prosthesis. When it is desired to deploy the endovascular prosthesis, the first retention element is broken in a manner to allow relative movement between the hub insert element and the delivery frame element. A pull wire assembly is secured with respect to the hub insert element and comprises a pull wire which is coupled to the endovascular prosthesis in the prosthesis attachment zone of the delivery frame element.

Abstract: A system for closing a blood vessel includes a housing having a proximal end and a distal end and configured to be held in the hand of a user, an elongate body extending from the distal end of the housing, a distal housing having a proximal end coupled to a distal end of the elongate body and having a cavity including an opening on a side of the distal housing, a lumen passing through the elongate body and terminating at the cavity of the distal housing and configured to couple to a vacuum source, a sensor carried by the distal housing adjacent the cavity and configured for identifying a blood vessel, wherein the lumen is configured to maintain a vacuum within the cavity when a probe having a vessel closure module is inserted within the lumen and the vessel closure module is within the cavity.

Abstract: A uterine manipulator can include a shaft including a first end, a second end, and embodiments of a cutting head configured and arranged to receive a cervix. The cutting head can be configured and adapted to be used to cut the tissue joining the vaginal wall to the cervix and uterus to facilitate removal of the uterus in a minimally invasive manner.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an endoscopic treatment instrument, and more particularly, to an endoscopic treatment instrument including a detachable end-effector and a contamination prevention cover. The endoscopic treatment instrument includes an end-effector for performing treatment in the endoscopic surgery or an endoscope treatment, a connection section being detachably coupled to an end of the end-effector, and a contamination prevention cover being coupled to the connection section or the end-effector and surrounding a portion of an outer peripheral surface of the connection section so as to prevent contamination of the connection section. According to an embodiment of the present invention, since only the end-effector is separable for replacement and the cover is formed to protect a control unit, it is possible to prevent cross infection between patients caused by the contamination of the end-effector and the control unit.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to a locking apparatus, and more particularly, to a locking apparatus with improved locking performance as a locking unit is stuck between different members capable of moving relative to each other and in which locking is released as an unlocking unit pushes the locking unit.

Abstract: Systems and methods can be employed for trans-tympanic membrane access to the middle ear for delivery of a therapeutic agent, for example, to the round window niche adjacent to the cochlea under direct visualization. The systems and methods can also be used to improve accessibility and visualization for various otological surgical procedures, such as, but not limited to, cholesteatoma removal, tympanic membrane repair and ossicular chain repair.

Abstract: A surgical instrument includes a steering unit capable of articulation and a locking device connected to the steering unit and configured to lock or unlock at least any one of a pitch motion or a yaw motion of the steering unit, in which the locking device includes a first body part coupled to the steering unit, a second body part coupled to the steering unit and capable of moving relative to the first body part, and a locking unit capable of moving between the first body part and the second body part and simultaneously contacting the first body part and the second body part.

Abstract: A tunnel device includes a base portion, a shaft to be connected to the base portion at one end of the shaft, and a tip portion to be connected to another end of shaft. The base portion is provided with a shaft connection portion to which the one end of shaft is connected. The shaft is provided with a shaft-side screw portion at the one end of the shaft. The shaft connection portion includes a shaft housing portion having an inner diameter substantially same as an outer diameter of the one end of the shaft, and a base-portion side screw portion provided on a further inner side relative to the shaft housing portion. The base portion and the shaft are fixed to each other by screwing between the shaft-side screw portion and the base-portion side screw portion.

Abstract: A control arm for a robotic surgical system includes a base, a swivel member, a vertical member, a horizontal member, and a drive mechanism. The swivel member is rotatably supported on the base about a first axis of rotation. The vertical member is pivotally supported on the swivel member about a second axis of rotation. The horizontal member is pivotally supported by the vertical member about a third axis of rotation. The drive mechanism is disposed on the base and is configured to independently rotate the swivel member about the first axis of rotation, to pivot the vertical member about the second axis of rotation, and to pivot the horizontal member about the third axis of rotation.

Abstract: A laparoscopic clipping machine that is used to apply clips on tissue structures is enclosed in a housing and includes a pair of movable jaws mounted on a stem. Operational movement for clamping the clips is indirectly triggered by a movement of the handle. The clipping machine further includes at least one spring and a mechanism directly triggering the operational movement of the jaws having at least one pusher movably arranged in the axis of the stem supported in the axis of the stem on the spring. An adjustment mechanism adjusts the jaws output opening to at least two different positions adapted to at least two sizes of the clips, resulting in a different output angle between the jaws, wherein the adjustment mechanism includes a movable shutter element having at least two parts, the narrower part of the shutter element and the wider part of the shutter element.

Abstract: A device for suturing an incision in an artery has a handle, a supply of suture stored on spindle housed in the handle, a tube extending from the handle having a lumen through which suture extends, and a curved needle at a distal end of the handle, the curved needle having an opening through which a free end of the suture extends. A method for suturing an incision in an artery includes creating sequential openings in first and second flaps of the incision, with loops of suture extending through openings in one flap, with a free end of suture extending through the second flap being pulled through the loops and secured to another free end of suture extending through the first flap, to close the incision.

Abstract: Systems and methods of delivering a patch to a target site of a patient are described herein. The patch may comprise a biomaterial such as chitosan or extracellular matrix and may be biocompatible and/or bioresorbable. The system may include an endoscope, a patch, and one of an instrument or a cap, the patch being coupled to the respective instrument or cap and detachable therefrom. Methods of delivering the patch to the target site may include introducing an endoscope into a gastrointestinal tract of a patient, e.g., the patch being in a folded or crimped configuration, navigating a distal end of the endoscope proximate a target site; and applying the patch to the target site while releasing the patch from the endoscope.

Abstract: An embodiment in accordance with the present invention provides a device and method for the treatment of urethral stricture. The present invention places and holds a graft at an incised urethral stricture site for 5-21 days, while the graft adherences to the incised urethral stricture site. A device of the present invention includes a delivery component, a graft carrier component, and a removal component. In some embodiments, the delivery and removal components may be combined into the same device. The delivery component, the graft carrier component, and the removal component are all configured to enter and exit the urethra without trauma. A method according to an embodiment of the present invention includes harvesting a graft, loading the graft onto the graft carrier component, introducing the delivery device into the urethra with the graft carrier component and graft loaded, and delivering of the graft to the incised urethral stricture site.

Abstract: An insertion tool for creating a subcutaneous pocket and implanting a device in the pocket. The tool may include a cannula extending from a handle, a dissector tip disposed at a distal end of the cannula, and a rod. The cannula and dissector tip may create the pocket. The cannula may include a passage and an opening into the passage, and the cannula may be disposed in the passage and move along the passage between a retracted position and an extended position. The rod and the cannula may be configured such that, when the rod is at the retracted position, the cannula holds the device in the passage, and as the cannula moves from the extended position to the retracted position, the rod forces the device through the opening at the distal end of the cannula, at least partially out of the cannula, and at least partially into the pocket.

Abstract: The invention relates surgical abdominal methods of treating obesity in a patient by implanting a volume filling device that, when implanted in a patient, reduces the food cavity in size by a volume substantially exceeding the volume of the volume filling device. Also disclosed is a laparoscopic instrument for providing a volume filling device to be invaginated in the stomach wall of a human patient to treat obesity.

Abstract: A trajectory guiding apparatus and one or more methods associated therewith for facilitating precision-guided alignment and implantation of a DBS therapy device in a patient. A base plate and base frame combination provides a platform for a dual-stage slider (DSS) assembly comprising a bottom stage slider (BSS) table and a top stage slider (TSS) table that each have suitably sized apertures or orifices therethrough for allowing the passage of and securely holding an instrumentation column (IC) assembly whose translational movement (i.e., sideways or forward and/or backward directions along a translational plane) and pivotal/rotational movement (i.e., around a perpendicular axis orthogonal to the translational plane and extending through a pivot or fulcrum) are independently controlled by respective slide actuators in order to properly align the IC assembly to a desired trajectory.

Abstract: An embolic protection device comprises a tubular filter body attached to a sheath. The tubular filter body has an open upstream end and a generally closed downstream end for capturing emboli. A self-opening passage through the emboli capture end of the tubular filter body allows multiple catheters to be advanced from the sheath or otherwise into the filter body simultaneously or sequentially. The sheath is attached to a peripheral support structure near the emboli capture end of the filter body to facilitate deployment and retrieval of the filter body through a restraining delivery catheter.