Medical instruments, systems, and methods for applying energy to tissue, and more particularly ablating, sealing, coagulating, shrinking or creating lesions in tissue by means of contacting a targeted tissue in a patient with a vapor phase media wherein a subsequent vapor-to-liquid phase change of the media applies thermal energy to the tissue to cause an intended therapeutic effect. Variations include devices and methods for generating a flow of high-quality vapor and monitoring the vapor flow for various parameters with one or more sensors. In yet additional variations, the invention includes devices and methods for modulating parameters of the system in response to the observed parameters.

An endoscope includes: an elevator configured to swing such that an instrument provided in an insertion portion of the endoscope changes a protruding direction; a shaft member configured to rotate about an axis, the elevator being provided on an end portion of the shaft member on one side in an axial direction that extends along the axis, the shaft member supporting the elevator on one side in the axis direction, and the shaft member being configured to be capable of rotating integrally with the elevator about the axis; a drive member that is fixed to an intermediate portion of the shaft member in the direction along the axis, and is configured to input, to the shaft member, rotation force for rotation of the shaft member about the axis; and a first bearing and a second bearing that support the shaft member so as to be capable of rotating.

A drive assembly for driving an imaging catheter has a rotatable fiber and a rotatable drive shaft. The drive assembly includes a fiber optic rotating junction and a motor configured to rotate the rotatable portion of the fiber optic rotating junction. In some embodiments, the drive assembly includes a sensor configured to detect a rotational position of the fiber optic rotating junction and a processor configured to obtain the detected rotational position and stop the motor only when the fiber optic rotating junction is in a predetermined rotational position. In some embodiments, the motor includes a hollow shaft through which at least a portion of the fiber optic rotating junction extends.

A device for robot-assisted surgery comprises at least one manipulator arm with a non-sterile coupling unit comprising at least one first drive element. Further, the device comprises a sterile instrument unit arranged in a sterile area and comprising at least one second drive element arranged rotatably around an axis of rotation. The first drive element and the second drive element are configured and arranged in a coupled state such that by the first drive element a force can be exerted on the second drive element, for rotation of the second drive element about the axis of rotation, and in the coupled state the first drive element and the second drive element are arranged side by side in a plane of rotation orthogonally to the axis of rotation. Further, the device comprises a sterile barrier which is arranged at least between the first drive element and the second drive element.

A robotic surgical tool includes a drive housing having a first end and a second end, at least one spline extending between the first and second ends and including a drive gear that rotates with rotation of the spline, and a carriage movably mounted to the spline. An elongate shaft extends from the carriage and through the first end, an end effector is arranged at a distal end of the elongate shaft, and a wrist interposes the end effector and the distal end of the shaft. An activating mechanism is housed in the carriage and operatively coupled to the drive gear such that rotation of the drive gear correspondingly actuates the activating mechanism and thereby causes the wrist to articulate the end effector in at least one plane.

A robotic surgical tool includes a drive housing having first and second ends, at least one spline extending between the first and second ends and including a drive gear that rotates with rotation of the spline, and a carriage mounted to the spline. A closure tube extends from the carriage through the first end and has an end effector arranged at a distal end. An activating mechanism is housed in the carriage and includes a driven gear coupled to the drive gear such that rotation of the drive gear rotates the driven gear, and a carrier arranged at a proximal end of the closure tube and coupled to the driven gear such that rotation of the driven gear moves the carrier and the closure tube axially along a longitudinal axis of the closure tube. Moving the closure tube along the longitudinal axis closes or opens end effector jaws.

A robotic surgical system includes a surgical tool including a drive housing having first and second ends, a carriage movably mounted to the drive housing, and an elongate shaft extending from the carriage and penetrating the first end, the shaft having an end effector arranged at a distal end. An instrument driver is arranged at an end of a robotic arm and includes a body having proximal and distal ends and defining a central aperture extending between the proximal and distal ends, the shaft and the end effector penetrate the instrument driver by extending through the central aperture, an outer housing extending between the proximal and distal ends, a tool drive assembly provided at the proximal end and extending into the outer housing, and a drive motor operatively coupled to the tool drive assembly and operable to cause the tool drive assembly to rotate relative to the outer housing.

A method comprises segmenting first modality image data representing a model of one or more passageways within a patient; generating a first set of points based on the segmented image data; registering the first set of points to a second set of points obtained by a second modality by: determining a set of matches between the first and second sets of points, and discarding a first subset of the set of matches based on a heuristic to generate a modified set of matches by ignoring an associated set of matches between the first and second sets of points when computing a corrective motion for the second set of points—an ignored match is included in a second subset of the set of matches when computing a second corrective motion for the second set of points; and displaying a visual representation of the passageways based on the modified set of matches.

A disinfection system is provided. The disinfection system may utilize ultraviolet light and/or ozone for disinfection of infected tissue. For example the system may involve an endoscopic ultraviolet light to disinfect lung tissue. In another aspect, the system may involve a ventilator which provides ozone in small doses to disinfect the tissue. Combinations and variations are further disclosed.

A drape for an input control console of an elongate device may comprise a main drape section configured to fit over the input control console via a main opening at one end of the main drape section. The drape may also comprise a plurality of pockets. Each of the plurality of pockets may include a pocket opening that is attached to a respective secondary opening in the main drape section. Each of the plurality of pockets may be configured to be anchored, at the pocket opening, to a side surface of a respective raised ring or bezel on the input control console using a respective tightening element.