Abstract: Systems and methods for preventing the seeding of cancerous cells during morcellation of a tissue specimen inside a patient's body and removal of the tissue specimen from inside the patient through a minimally-invasive body opening to outside the patient are provided. One system includes a cut-resistant tissue guard removably insertable into a containment bag. The tissue specimen is isolated and contained within the containment bag and the guard is configured to protect the containment bag and surrounding tissue from incidental contact with sharp instrumentation used during morcellation and extraction of the tissue specimen. The guard is adjustable for easy insertion and removal and configured to securely anchor to the body opening. Protection-focused and containment-based systems for tissue removal are provided that enable minimally invasive procedures to be performed safely and efficiently.

Abstract: The present invention provides a surgical training device for training laparoscopic first entry surgical techniques. The training device includes a simulated abdominal wall that is penetrable with an optical trocar. A receptacle containing a tissue simulation is located inside the receptacle. The tissue simulation is observable via scope placed inside the optical trocar. Upon penetration of the one or more of the simulated abdominal wall and receptacle, the tissue simulation appears to translate distally relative to the simulated abdominal wall. The distal translation is effected by a variety of ways including the release of negative pressure inside the receptacle upon penetration and the expansion of an elastic wall of the receptacle with the introduction of fluid under pressure into the receptacle.

Abstract: Systems and methods for preventing the seeding of cancerous cells during morcellation of a tissue specimen inside a patient's body and removal of the tissue specimen from inside the patient through a minimally-invasive body opening to outside the patient are provided. One system includes a cut-resistant tissue guard removably insertable into a containment bag. The tissue specimen is isolated and contained within the containment bag and the guard is configured to protect the containment bag and surrounding tissue from incidental contact with sharp instrumentation used during morcellation and extraction of the tissue specimen. The guard is adjustable for easy insertion and removal and configured to securely anchor to the body opening. Protection-focused and containment-based systems for tissue removal are provided that enable minimally invasive procedures to be performed safely and efficiently.

Abstract: Systems and methods for preventing the seeding of cancerous cells during morcellation of a tissue specimen inside a patient's body and removal of the tissue specimen from inside the patient through a minimally-invasive body opening to outside the patient are provided. One system includes a cut-resistant tissue guard removably insertable into a containment bag. The tissue specimen is isolated and contained within the containment bag and the guard is configured to protect the containment bag and surrounding tissue from incidental contact with sharp instrumentation used during morcellation and extraction of the tissue specimen. The guard is adjustable for easy insertion and removal and configured to securely anchor to the body opening. Protection-focused and containment-based systems for tissue removal are provided that enable minimally invasive procedures to be performed safely and efficiently.

Abstract: The present invention provides a surgical training device for training laparoscopic first entry surgical techniques. The training device includes a simulated abdominal wall that is penetrable with an optical trocar. A receptacle containing a tissue simulation is located inside the receptacle. The tissue simulation is observable via scope placed inside the optical trocar. Upon penetration of the one or more of the simulated abdominal wall and receptacle, the tissue simulation appears to translate distally relative to the simulated abdominal wall. The distal translation is effected by a variety of ways including the release of negative pressure inside the receptacle upon penetration and the expansion of an elastic wall of the receptacle with the introduction of fluid under pressure into the receptacle.

Abstract: A simulated abdominal wall model that is ideal for practicing laparoscopic first entry surgical techniques is provided. The model includes a simulated abdominal wall portion captured between two frame elements of a support. The support is connectable to a surgical trainer. When connected to the trainer, the model provides a penetrable abdominal tissue portion for accessing an internal cavity of the trainer. The simulated abdominal wall includes a plurality of layers including a skin layer, a fabric posterior rectus sheath layer, a simulated fat layer of low-resilience polyurethane foam and at least two layers that provide distinctive haptic feedback upon penetration of the simulated transversalis fascia and muscle layers. The simulated abdominal wall includes a simulated umbilicus across several layers of simulated tissue.

Abstract: Pressure conditioning systems for supplying insufflation gas to an open-ended body conduit such as a rectal cavity during a transanal minimally invasive surgery (TAMIS) procedure can reduce billowing of walls of the body conduit. A pressure conditioning system can include a pressure storage component, an accumulator, and a flow restrictor. The pressure storage component can include a variable volume reservoir that is biased to a relatively low volume state. The flow restrictor can include insufflation tubing with a restrictor plate having a relatively low diameter orifice. The pressure storage component, accumulator, and flow restrictor can be fluidly connected in various orders in series or as side branches from a gas flow conduit. Despite a pulsed or otherwise discontinuous insufflation gas flow and leakage and absorption from the body conduit, the pressure conditioning system can maintain a constant pressure within the body conduit.

Abstract: A simulated abdominal wall model that is ideal for practicing laparoscopic first entry surgical techniques is provided. The model includes a simulated abdominal wall portion captured between two frame elements of a support. The support is connectable to a surgical trainer. When connected to the trainer, the model provides a penetrable abdominal tissue portion for accessing an internal cavity of the trainer. The simulated abdominal wall includes a plurality of layers including a skin layer, a fabric posterior rectus sheath layer, a simulated fat layer of low-resilience polyurethane foam and at least two layers that provide distinctive haptic feedback upon penetration of the simulated transversalis fascia and muscle layers. The simulated abdominal wall includes a simulated umbilicus across several layers of simulated tissue.

Abstract: A medical tubing being flexible and kink-free as gas insufflation tubing and non-collapsible as suction/irrigation tubing is provided. The tubing is lightweight and thin-walled. The tubing has a generally rigid but thin walled with a structural shape or is generally soft and thin-walled tubing with a hard re-enforcement.

Abstract: The invention relates to a tissue morcellator for minimally invasive surgery. The morcellator has a metallic cutting ring mounted on a visually transparent hollow cylinder, which in combination with a visually transparent outer morcellator tube enables a surgeon to visualize the inside of the morcellator shaft for detection of loose tissue fragments in the device. A tenaculum used with the morcellation device has a spacer for preventing contact with the blade. The cutting tube can oscillate, rather than rotate, along the longitudinal axis of the cutting tube. The morcellator utilizes an extendable tissue guide on the outer tube of the morcellator shaft for preventing the tissue from rotating along the longitudinal axis of the morcellator tube. This allows the tissue to be continuously rotated into the morcellator device for continuous peel. The tissue guide can also be fully retracted to allow for coring of the bulk tissue.

Abstract: Pressure conditioning systems for supplying insufflation gas to an open-ended body conduit such as a rectal cavity during a transanal minimally invasive surgery (TAMIS) procedure can reduce billowing of walls of the body conduit. A pressure conditioning system can include a pressure storage component, an accumulator, and a flow restrictor. The pressure storage component can include a variable volume reservoir that is biased to a relatively low volume state. The flow restrictor can include insufflation tubing with a restrictor plate having a relatively low diameter orifice. The pressure storage component, accumulator, and flow restrictor can be fluidly connected in various orders in series or as side branches from a gas flow conduit. Despite a pulsed or otherwise discontinuous insufflation gas flow and leakage and absorption from the body conduit, the pressure conditioning system can maintain a constant pressure within the body conduit.

Abstract: Embodiments of a circumferential retractor having an attached supporting, manipulating or positioning tool are described. The retractor optionally includes a sealing member associated with an external member of the retractor and an external support structure that may be used with the retractor and positioning tool as needed.

Abstract: A cannula assembly having a retention member and a method of manufacture of the cannula assembly is provided. The cannula assembly includes a cannula and a sleeve disposed around the cannula from a proximal end to a distal end. The sleeve can be pre-formed by a stretch blow molding process then advanced over the cannula. The sleeve includes an inflatable balloon and an annular ring distal the inflatable balloon. The cannula includes an annular recess. The annular ring is sized to have an interference fit with the annular recess.

Abstract: An electrosurgical system can include an electrosurgical generator, a feedback circuit or controller, and an electrosurgical tool. The feedback circuit can provide an electrosurgery endpoint by determining the phase end point of a tissue to be treated. The electrosurgical system can include more than one electrosurgical tool for different electrosurgical operations and can include a variety of user interface features and audio/visual performance indicators. The electrosurgical system can also power conventional bipolar electrosurgical tools and direct current surgical appliances.

Abstract: A cannula assembly having a retention member and a method of manufacture of the cannula assembly is provided. The cannula assembly includes a cannula and a sleeve disposed around the cannula from a proximal end to a distal end. The sleeve can be pre-formed by a stretch blow molding process then advanced over the cannula. The sleeve includes an inflatable balloon and an annular ring distal the inflatable balloon. The cannula includes an annular recess. The annular ring is sized to have an interference fit with the annular recess.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to tack-free gels and to methods for manufacturing a tack-free gel pad, in which a discontinuous layer of fluorinated ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene is permanently bonded to the gel pad to provide a tack-free coating. The gel pad may be incorporated into a gel cap to provide a surgical access device having a tack-free surface.

Abstract: Pressure conditioning systems for supplying insufflation gas to an open-ended body conduit such as a rectal cavity during a transanal minimally invasive surgery (TAMIS) procedure can reduce billowing of walls of the body conduit. A pressure conditioning system can include a pressure storage component, an accumulator, and a flow restrictor. The pressure storage component can include a variable volume reservoir that is biased to a relatively low volume state. The flow restrictor can include insufflation tubing with a restrictor plate having a relatively low diameter orifice. The pressure storage component, accumulator, and flow restrictor can be fluidly connected in various orders in series or as side branches from a gas flow conduit. Despite a pulsed or otherwise discontinuous insufflation gas flow and leakage and absorption from the body conduit, the pressure conditioning system can maintain a constant pressure within the body conduit.

Abstract: A simulated abdominal wall model that is ideal for practicing laparoscopic first entry surgical techniques is provided. The model includes a simulated abdominal wall portion captured between two frame elements of a support. The support is connectable to a surgical trainer. When connected to the trainer, the model provides a penetrable abdominal tissue portion for accessing an internal cavity of the trainer. The simulated abdominal wall includes a plurality of layers including a skin layer, a fabric posterior rectus sheath layer, a simulated fat layer of low-resilience polyurethane foam and at least two layers that provide distinctive haptic feedback upon penetration of the simulated transversalis fascia and muscle layers. The simulated abdominal wall includes a simulated umbilicus across several layers of simulated tissue.

Abstract: A cannula assembly having a retention member and a method of manufacture of the cannula assembly is provided. The cannula assembly includes a cannula and a sleeve disposed around the cannula from a proximal end to a distal end. The sleeve can include a balloon formed by a stretch blow molding process following local heating once advanced over the cannula. Once formed, the balloon can be conditioned to constrict against the cannula. A conditioning aid can be advanced over the balloon when it is still formable to constrict the balloon against the cannula.

Abstract: A guard for providing a cut-resistant pathway through a body orifice or incision to circumferentially protect tissue at the margin is provided. The guard is made of flexible, cut-resistant mesh material having a plurality of interwoven thermosetting filaments. The guard has a central lumen and at least one flared end. The flared end, which serves to anchor the guard in the body opening, is deformable into a reduced configuration to facilitate its insertion and removal. The layer of mesh stretches laterally to increase the diameter of the central lumen. The flexibility and expandability of the guard allows the guard to conform to body openings of different sizes. The guard may include a drawstring to cinch the flared distal end from the proximal end. The guard is thermoset with the flared distal end that is biased to spring back to its normal, undeformed configuration when released from a deformed configuration.