An apparatus includes a plurality of beads and a linking assembly joining the beads together. The beads include a housing defining a first opening, a second opening, and a chamber extending between the first opening and the second opening. A magnet is contained within the housing. The beads and the linking assembly are arranged in an annular arrangement and sized to form a loop around an anatomical structure in a patient. The loop may move between a contracted and expanded configuration. The loop is magnetically biased toward the contracted configuration by a magnetic bias of the beads. The linking assembly includes a first link element having an elongate body extending in the chamber of the first bead and a sealing element attached to the elongate body housed within the first opening of the first bead to thereby form a hermetic seal.

An external adjustment device for non-invasively adjusting an adjustable implant, the external adjustment device including a controller in communication with an actuator associated with the implant and a sensor configured to receive information from or about the implant. The external adjustment device may include a power source and a display. The external adjustment device may include a magnetic element configured to generate a rotating magnetic field; and a driver configured to drive the magnetic element to generate the rotating magnetic field and configured to rotate a permanent magnet of an implant. Upon placing the external adjustment device in proximity to the implant, the magnetic element is configured to magnetically couple with the permanent magnet. The external adjustment device may be configured to non-invasively determine one or more of a magnetic coupling state and a stalled state of the magnetic element and the permanent magnet disposed within the implant.

A surgical instrument system is disclosed. The surgical instrument system includes an instrument case and a charging plate that may be placed in a sterile surgical field. The charging plate is configured to receive electrical power from outside the sterile surgical field and transmit that electrical power to other devices within the sterile field.

Systems and methods for treating vertebral compression fractures are discussed. In an embodiment, a method includes mixing bone cement precursors thereby causing a first chemical curing reaction characterized by a first time-viscosity profile, controllably applying energy to the bone cement from an external source to modify the first time-viscosity profile to a second time-viscosity profile, and injecting the cement into bone at a substantially constant viscosity greater than about 1000 Pa.Math.s to greater than about 5000 Pa.Math.s over an extended working time. In another embodiment, a bone cement injector system is provided that includes a first handle component that is detachably coupled to a second sleeve component having a distal end for positioning in bone and a flow channel extending through the first and second components. The system includes first and second thermal energy emitters for delivering energy to bone cement flows in a flow channel portion in the first and second components, respectively.

There is provided a method for controlling a flow of sperms in a uterine tube of a female patient. The method comprises electrically stimulating a uterine tube wall portion by controlling an implanted stimulation device from at least one of an external control unit and an internal control unit, wherein the electrically stimulating causes contraction of the uterine tube wall portion along a length of the portion to restrict the flow of sperms in the uterine tube.

Control console for a powered surgical tool (310) that includes a transformer (250) with a secondary winding (264) across which the tool drive signal is present. Also internal to the transformer is a matched current source that consists of leakage control winding (246) and a capacitor. The current sourced by the matched current source at least partially cancels out leakage current that may be present.

A medical device has an artificial contractile structure including at least one contractile element adapted to contract a hollow body organ in such a way that said contractile element is adapted to be in a resting position or in an activated position, the activated position being defined with the contractile element constricting the hollow body organ and the resting position being defined with the contractile element not constricting the hollow body organ. The medical device further includes a tensioning device adapted to apply a force so as to tighten the contractile element around the hollow body organ, the tensioning device having a flexible transmission with a tensioning element arranged in a sheath. The sheath has an inner coiled wire coiled in a first direction, and an outer coiled wire surrounding the inner coiled wire and coiled in a second direction opposite to said first direction.

A surgical instrument includes a slip-ring contact assembly. The slip-ring contact assembly includes an insulative housing defining a plurality of slots. A plurality of slip-ring contacts is operably supported in the insulative housing. Each slip-ring contact is configured to engage one or more electrical contacts formed circumferentially around a rotatable shaft of the surgical instrument. Each slip-ring contact includes a tang extending through a corresponding slot defined in the insulative housing and configured to be operably connected to an external wire connection. The plurality of slip-ring contacts is configured to allow unlimited rotation of the rotatable shaft while maintaining continuous electrical contact between each slip-ring contact and the corresponding electrical contact of the rotatable shaft.

The disclosure describes systems and methods for altering bone sections in a patient. In one embodiment, a system may include an intramedullary implant including: a housing configured to be secured to a first section of bone, where the housing may include one or more shaft engaging grooves axially extending along an inner surface thereof; a distraction shaft configured to be secured to a second section of bone, where the distraction shaft may include one or more grooves axially extending along an inner surface thereof. The system may further include an actuator disposed within the housing and operably coupled to the distraction shaft, and in response to rotation of the actuator, the one or more grooves of the distraction shaft may engage with the one or more shaft engaging grooves of the housing, causing axial displacement of the distraction shaft relative to the housing.

A medical device and methods for altering lung volume are disclosed. The medical device includes a coil formed of a biodegradable material including a first bioabsorbable material that is configured to deactivate a portion of a lung as the coil degrades. The method includes positioning a first coil adjacent a first target within a patient and permitting the first coil to degenerate such that a first bioabsorbable material deactivates a first portion of a lung. The first coil is formed of a biodegradable material and includes the first bioabsorbable material.