Abstract: A transgastric instrument provides a sterile and repeatable pathway to and through a gastric wall for the purpose of facilitating endoscopic transgastric procedures. The instrument includes at least one guide tube having a proximal end and a distal end, the distal end being shaped and dimensioned for positioning adjacent a desired location along the gastric wall. The instrument also includes a fixation mechanism at the distal end of the guide tube for selectively securing the distal end of the guide tube at a desired location along the gastric wall. An otomy creation device circumferentially smaller than the guide tube extends through the guide tube, the otomy creation device including a distal end shaped and dimensioned for cutting and dilating the gastric wall.

Abstract: A method for intraluminally performing a gastric bypass surgery is provided. Two anastomosis members are inserted transorally and located in a proximal position and a distal position within the digestive system. The stomach and the small intestine are transected to create a gastric pouch, a drainage loop, and a Roux limb. The distal anastomosis member joins the drainage loop to a distal portion of the intestine, and the proximal anastomosis member joins the Roux limb to the gastric pouch.

Abstract: In the present invention, a cordless inductively coupled electrosurgical instrument is adapted to receive electrosurgical energy from a specially designed trocar or trocar adapter. In one embodiment of the present invention, an electrosurgical instrument includes a handle, an elongated tube and an electrosurgical end effector. The handle may include an actuator such as a trigger which is operatively connected to the end effector through the elongated tube. The elongated tube may be, for example, a closure tube which is adapted to close the end effector when the handle actuator is moved. The electrosurgical end effector is adapted to apply electrosurgical energy to biological tissue in order to effect treatment of the tissue. The elongated closure tube includes one or more inductor coils adapted to couple electrosurgical energy to the end effector. The one or more inductor coils are electrically connected to the end effector through one or more electrical conductors.

Abstract: In the present invention, a surgical trocar is adapted to capacitively couple electrosurgical energy to specially adapted cordless electrosurgical instruments. In one embodiment of the present invention, an electrosurgical trocar includes a cannula, a capacitive electrosurgical adapter and a locking connector adapted to connect the cannula to the capacitive electrosurgical adapter. The cannula is an elongated tube which may be inserted into a body cavity, duct or vessel. The electrosurgical adapter includes a housing with an elongated central aperture, an adapter proximal capacitor plate and an adapter distal capacitor plate positioned in and extending axially along the elongated aperture, first and second electrical conductors, first and second external conductors, a compression mechanism, an outer housing and an electrical cord.

Abstract: In the present invention, a surgical trocar is adapted to capacitively couple electrosurgical energy to specially adapted cordless electrosurgical instruments. In one embodiment of the present invention, an electrosurgical trocar includes a cannula, a capacitive electrosurgical adapter and a locking connector adapted to connect the cannula to the capacitive electrosurgical adapter. The cannula is an elongated tube which may be inserted into a body cavity, duct or vessel. The electrosurgical adapter includes a housing with an elongated central aperture, an adapter proximal capacitor plate and an adapter distal capacitor plate positioned in and extending axially along the elongated aperture, first and second electrical conductors, first and second external conductors, a compression mechanism, an outer housing and an electrical cord.

Abstract: A safety-shielded trocar having an obturator with a linear cutting edge surface defining a base width substantially less than the diameter of the safety shield is disclosed. When the trocar is inserted through tissue, the tissue dilates from the width of the linear incision to accommodate the size of the safety shield of the trocar, thus making it possible to provide an access opening greater than the incisional width made by the linear cutting edge surface of the obturator. In a preferred embodiment, the safety shield has a shield tip region which is asymmetric to facilitate the dilation of the tissue as the trocar is inserted.

Abstract: In the present invention, a surgical trocar is adapted to inductively couple electrosurgical energy to specially adapted cordless electrosurgical instruments. In one embodiment of the present invention, an electrosurgical trocar includes a cannula, an inductive electrosurgical adapter and a locking connector adapted to connect the cannula to the inductive electrosurgical adapter. The cannula is an elongated tube which may be inserted into a body cavity, duct or vessel. The inductive electrosurgical adapter includes a housing with an elongated central aperture, a primary inductor coil positioned around and extending axially along the elongated aperture, first and second inductor leads, first and second conductors, an outer housing and an electrical cord.

Abstract: In the present invention, a surgical trocar is adapted to capacitively couple electrosurgical energy to specially adapted cordless electrosurgical instruments. In one embodiment of the present invention, an electrosurgical trocar includes a cannula, a capacitive electrosurgical adapter and a locking connector adapted to connect the cannula to the capacitive electrosurgical adapter. The cannula is an elongated tube which may be inserted into a body cavity, duct or vessel. The electrosurgical adapter includes a housing with an elongated central aperture, an adapter proximal capacitor plate and an adapter distal capacitor plate positioned in and extending axially along the elongated aperture, first and second electrical conductors, first and second external conductors, a compression mechanism, an outer housing and an electrical cord.

Abstract: A safety-shielded trocar having an obturator with a linear cutting edge surface defining a base width substantially less than the diameter of the safety shield is disclosed. When the trocar is inserted through tissue, the tissue dilates from the width of the linear incision to accommodate the size of the safety shield of the trocar, thus making it possible to provide an access opening greater than the incisional width made by the linear cutting edge surface of the obturator. In a preferred embodiment, the safety shield has a shield tip region which is asymmetric to facilitate the dilation of the tissue as the trocar is inserted.

Abstract: A safety-shielded trocar having an obturator with a linear cutting edge surface defining a base width substantially less than the diameter of the safety shield is disclosed. When the trocar is inserted through tissue, the tissue dilates from the width of the linear incision to accommodate the size of the safety shield of the trocar, thus making it possible to provide an access opening greater than the incisional width made by the linear cutting edge surface of the obturator. In a preferred embodiment, the safety shield has a shield tip region which is asymmetric to facilitate the dilation of the tissue as the trocar is inserted.

Abstract: An improved electrosurgical instrument for use with a specially adapted electrosurgical trocar. The improved electrosurgical instrument including a handle, an end effector and an elongated closure tube connecting the handle to the end effector. The elongated closure tube including one or more electrical contacts adapted to provide electrical contact to the interior of a trocar cannula as the electrosurgical instrument is passed through the cannula. The contacts being electrically connected to the end effector of the electrosurgical instrument such that electrosurgical energy passes through the contacts to the end effector.

Abstract: In the present invention, a cordless capacitively coupled electrosurgical instrument is adapted to receive electrosurgical energy from a specially designed trocar or trocar adapter. In one embodiment of the present invention, a capacitively coupled electrosurgical instrument includes a handle, an elongated tube and an electrosurgical end effector. The handle may include an actuator such as a trigger which is operatively connected to the end effector through the elongated tube. The elongated tube may be a closure tube which is adapted to close the end effector when the handle actuator is moved. Alternatively, the closure tube may include a mechanism connecting the handle actuator to the end effector, which mechanism acts to close the end effector when the handle actuator is moved. The electrosurgical end effector is adapted to apply electrosurgical energy to biological tissue in order to effect treatment of the tissue.

Abstract: In the present invention, a surgical trocar is adapted to conduct monopolar electrosurgical energy to specially adapted cordless monopolar electrosurgical instruments. In one embodiment of the present invention, an electrosurgical trocar includes a cannula, an electrosurgical adapter and a locking connector adapted to connect the cannula to the electrosurgical adapter.

Abstract: In the present invention, a surgical trocar is adapted to inductively couple electrosurgical energy to specially adapted cordless electrosurgical instruments. In one embodiment of the present invention, an electrosurgical trocar includes a cannula, an inductive electrosurgical adapter and a locking connector adapted to connect the cannula to the inductive electrosurgical adapter. The cannula is an elongated tube which may be inserted into a body cavity, duct or vessel. The inductive electrosurgical adapter includes a housing with an elongated central aperture, a primary inductor coil positioned around and extending axially along the elongated aperture, first and second inductor leads, first and second conductors, an outer housing and an electrical cord.

Abstract: In the present invention, a cordless inductively coupled electrosurgical instrument is adapted to receive electrosurgical energy from a specially designed trocar or trocar adapter. In one embodiment of the present invention, an electrosurgical instrument includes a handle, an elongated tube and an electrosurgical end effector. The handle may include an actuator such as a trigger which is operatively connected to the end effector through the elongated tube. The elongated tube may be, for example, a closure tube which is adapted to close the end effector when the handle actuator is moved. The electrosurgical end effector is adapted to apply electrosurgical energy to biological tissue in order to effect treatment of the tissue. The elongated closure tube includes one or more inductor coils adapted to couple electrosurgical energy to the end effector. The one or more inductor coils are electrically connected to the end effector through one or more electrical conductors.

Abstract: A surgical method for creating an operative space during an endoscopic surgical procedure is disclosed. The method incorporates the use of an elongate instrument with an atraumatic tip for facilitating manual dissection of layers of tissues by advancing the instrument between the layers desired to be dissected. As the manual dissection is performed, the space between the dissected layers is enhanced by concurrently insufflating the dissected space as the instrument is advanced. Concurrently insufflating while dissecting eliminates the need to use a balloon dissector for creating the operative space. An improved surgical instrument particularly adapted to carry out this procedure is also disclosed. The improved surgical instrument is an optical obturator incorporating a contrasting imaging element displayed on the transparent tip of the obturator.