A system is configured to bring about anastomosis between two lumens in a patient or between two sections of a single lumen in a patient. The anastomosis system includes a first tissue-compressing element, a second tissue-compressing element, and an energy source. The energy source can be a thermal energy source or laser energy source. Tissue is interposed between the elements. Magnetic material incorporated into the tissue-compressing elements facilitates the alignment of the elements as well as compression of the interposed tissue. The energy source can deliver energy to tissue. This delivery of energy can cause local changes to the tissue that can help maintain positional stability of the implants, can bring about immediate patency of the anastomosis and can otherwise facilitate achieving desired outcomes for the patient.

An implant injection system and method for introducing a bone implant material into a patient's bone to serve as an anchor or to fill a void in the bone. The system and method provide a quantity of meltable material which is melted in situ so that the melted material can flow and diffuse into, and be anchored to, the cancellous bone portion beneath the cortical bone layer. The flowing of the bone implant material can be accomplished by a heater located at the distal end of the implant injection system. The implant material may be provided in multiple layers with an inner layer having a lower flowing temperature than the outer layers. There can also be a looped suture that passes though the meltable material, with the free ends of the suture extending outwardly to be tied to soft tissue to affix the soft tissue to the bone.

The invention relates to a device suitable for application of a curable fluid composition to encircle a bodily organ. The device comprises a monolithic piece of a flexible material having a length dimension with an inner surface and an outer surface, a first end and a second end, a width dimension, and two spaced-apart sides, wherein a portion of the length dimension proximal to the first end is configured to contact a portion of the length dimension proximal to the second end, the inner surface defining a hollow area between the two spaced-apart sides; and at least one inlet providing fluid communication between the outer surface and the inner surface, for introduction of the fluid into the hollow area. The device deployable around the bodily organ such that when the portion of the length dimension proximal to the first end contacts the portion of the length dimension proximal to the second end, an outer surface of the bodily organ and the hollowed area define an enclosed volume encircling the bodily organ, the enclosed volume suitable for containing the fluid therein.

Methods and apparatus are provided to facilitate the minimally invasive removal of tissue and to facilitate the direct approach to anesthetizing a body wall of a patient. A pull-type cutting device also is disclosed to introduce an opening into the body wall to provide access for intra-chest surgical interventions, for example a minimally invasive biopsy technique as also described for excising target tissue from within a patient, including a nodule from within the patient's lung.

Surgical methods involving cutting and sealing tissue include affixing a first adjunct material to tissue at a treatment site, such as by stapling the adjunct to tissue. A second adjunct material is applied to at least a portion of the first adjunct material such that the second adjunct material interacts with the first adjunct material to form a seal in an area of the tissue covered by at least one of the first and the second adjunct material. The resulting tissue sealing structure, which includes a combination of the two adjuncts, is believed to be superior to the sealing properties of either adjunct alone.

Surgical methods involving cutting and sealing tissue include affixing a first adjunct material to tissue at a treatment site, such as by stapling the adjunct to tissue. A second adjunct material is applied to at least a portion of the first adjunct material such that the second adjunct material interacts with the first adjunct material to form a seal in an area of the tissue covered by at least one of the first and the second adjunct material. The resulting tissue sealing structure, which includes a combination of the two adjuncts, is believed to be superior to the sealing properties of either adjunct alone.

A modular implant system, such as a spinal implant system, having an implant part, for example a (spinal) plate, and at least one fastener, wherein the implant part has a fastener receiving opening. The system also includes thermoplastic material, the thermoplastic material being equipped for being liquefied by mechanical vibration, especially ultrasonic vibration energy. The fastener receiving opening and the fastener can be shaped so that the fastener can be inserted relative to the implant part at a variable angle. The fastener, the plate and the thermoplastic material are equipped for the thermoplastic material, after re-solidification, to secure the fastener against at least one of an axial (back-out) movement of the fastener, a rotation of the fastener relative to the implant part, a variation of the angle of the fastener relative to the implant part.

An assembly for joining tissue portions is provided and includes an anvil assembly and a body portion juxtaposed with respect to one another along a shaft and arranged so as to be approximated with respect to one another; and an applicator disposed between the body portion and anvil assembly and configured for retaining a wound treatment material therein. The applicator has channels arranged for dispensing the wound treatment material therefrom onto an interface between the tissue portions. A method of joining the tissue portions is also provided and includes the steps of dispensing the wound treatment material from the applicator so as to distribute wound treatment material onto an interface between a first tissue portion and a second tissue portion; and approximating the anvil assembly and the body portion to one another so that the first and second tissue portions are in contact with one another.

System and methods of delivering adhesive material are described for occluding target locations within a patient. The systems include a catheter configured to deliver adhesive to a target location and one or more of a light source to harden the adhesive, a retention structure to contain the adhesive prior to curing, a balloon to occupy a target location, and an open cell foam plug to occupy a target location.

An augmentation method is provided, wherein a thermoplastic augmentation element is subject to mechanical energy impact and mechanical pressure by a tool so that augmentation material of the augmentation element is liquefied and pressed into hard tissue to augment the hard tissue, wherein in at least one axial depth, the augmentation element is segmented as a function of the circumferential angle so that at this axial depth the circumferential wall of the initial opening in first regions is in contact with the augmentation element and in second regions is not in contact with the augmentation element.