Abstract: A water jet instrument may be used for manually performing eye surgery such as, cataract, or perform micro-surgery (remove cartilage), or any emulsification technique. The water jet instrument may be manually controlled or controlled by a system with a robotic control. The water jet apparatus defines a jet cutting area that is based at least in part on a flow rate meter and a feedback loop.

Abstract: A robotic catheter system includes a controller with a master input device. An instrument driver is in communication with the controller and has a elongate instrument interface including a plurality of instrument drive elements responsive to control signals generated, at least in part, by the master input device. An elongate instrument has a base, distal end, and a working lumen, wherein the guide instrument base is operatively coupled to the guide instrument interface. The elongate instrument preferably comprises and/or defines other lumens to accommodate instruments such as an optics bundle, a light bundle, a laser fiber, and flush irrigation. The working lumen preferably is configured to accommodate a grasping or capturing tool, such as a collapsible basket or grasper, for use in procedures such as kidney stone interventions. The elongate instrument includes a plurality of instrument control elements operatively coupled to respective drive elements and secured to the distal end of the instrument.

Abstract: A flexible spine for use in one or more surgical instruments including a catheter and/or sheath of a robotic instrument system. The spine includes an elongate body that defines a central lumen and that is a unitary structure having a plurality of discrete sections, each of which has a distinguishing structural attribute that differentiates it from the other sections. Such distinguishing structural attributes may include, without limitation, materials, material attributes, shapes, sizes and/or attributes related to apertures in a wall of the elongate body, such as a number, shape, size, spacing and degree of overlap of such apertures. The arrangement of discrete, structurally different sections results in varying flexibility of the elongate spine and of corresponding sections of a surgical instrument incorporating the spine.