Systems, apparatus and methods are disclosed for medical treatment comprising bone access and dilatation and/or cavity creation or enlargement using a narrow gauge, preferably 11-gauge or smaller, cannula wherein a catheter/expandable element assembly meeting medical protocols for such procedures is designed, adapted and fabricated to fit through the interior of the associated 11-gauge or smaller cannula, and further including apparatus and methods for wrapping and/or folding the expandable element either before or after a procedure to reduce its profile to fit through the cannula.

A surgical robot/instrument system comprising a holding arm whose distal end portion has a gripping or holding device arranged thereon, the latter being designed to hold a trocar or a surgical instrument in an exchangeable fashion, and a surgical instrument with a minimally invasive design comprising an instrument shaft whose distal end portion supports an instrument tip via a joint, said instrument tip supporting an effector of the surgical instrument. The surgical robot/instrument system comprises drives by means of which functions such as actuating the effector, inclining or bending of the effector at its joint to the instrument shaft, rotating the effector around its longitudinal axis and/or rotating the instrument shaft, moving the instrument shaft in its shaft direction as well as moving the instrument shaft transverse to the shaft direction can be effected. The drives for effecting at least the instrument-internal functions, such as actuating the effector, inclining or bending the effector at its joint to the instrument shaft and rotating the effector around its longitudinal axis are provided internally on or in the surgical instrument. The drives for effecting the instrument-external functions, such as moving the instrument shaft transverse to the shaft direction, are provided externally on/in the holding arm.

The disclosure includes systems and methods for performing surgery. In a first aspect, the system includes a trocar having in a nested configuration, an outer cannula, an inner cannula disposed within the outer cannula, the inner cannula defining the central longitudinal lumen at least in part to provide access through the trocar, a tube center component disposed within the outer cannula, and a ring jet assembly disposed within the outer cannula. In a further aspect, the system includes an instrument guide disposed in the central longitudinal lumen of the trocar. The instrument guide has a proximal end, a distal end, and a plurality of channels defined through the instrument guide from the proximal end to the distal end, each channel being adapted and configured to receive a surgical instrument.

The present invention relates to a surgical clip applier, and more particularly, to a surgical clip applier, in which a clip is moved to a launch position of a ligation unit and automatically loaded by pneumatic pressure in a storage unit, such that it is possible to achieve convenience of a patient and a user by improving stability and accuracy in launching the clip, and only a shaft unit installed and coupled to one side of a handle unit is replaced in accordance with the types of clips to be launched through the ligation unit, and the handle unit is used in common, such that it is possible to reduce operation costs and prevent waste of resources.

A vitrectomy apparatus is provided, including a pressure source, a cut valve connected to the pressure source, the cut valve configured to be turned on and off to provide pressure to selectively extend and retract a vitrectomy cutting device, a plurality of sensors provided at a plurality of points between the pressure source and the vitrectomy handpiece, and a controller configured to employ a function correlating a desired cut rate with a pressure source duty cycle and employ a different function when one sensor of the plurality of sensors senses a pressure outside a predetermined pressure range.

A medical device includes two device units having two functional units that can be coupled to each other to actuate the second functional unit via the first functional unit. The first functional unit has a mechanical coupling segment which can be brought into a coupling position to couple with the second functional unit. A detector for detecting a relative position of the two device units or a distance between the two device units is provided on at least one device unit. The electrical or electronic control of the first functional unit is configured such that the mechanical coupling segment of the first functional unit can be brought into the coupling position only if the two device units are in a certain position with respect to each other or fall below a minimum distance from each other.

Catheter apparatuses and methods are provided for repairing heart valves, particularly mitral valves. The method includes providing a catheter having an elongate, flexible body, with a proximal end and a distal end. The distal end can be transluminally advanced from the left atrium through the mitral valve. A distal anchor zone or portion coupled with the proximal end can extend and along the left ventricular outflow tract into the ascending aorta. A valve repair device is deployed to permanently connect leaflets at a mid-section of a mitral valve while permitting medial and lateral portions of the natural leaflets to open and close. The catheter apparatuses may be positionable using a steering device. The valve repair device detachably connects the distal and proximal ends of the catheter. The valve repair device can be detached using low profile devices actuatable from the proximal or distal ends, e.g., at a venous or arterial access site.

One or more apparatus and systems for articulated movement, particularly for an articulated medical device such as an endoscope or medical robot. The apparatus comprises an articulated movement portion with tendon control, a transition portion comprising actuation rods, springs, and distal stoppers, a conduit portion comprising lumen filled with air or hydraulic fluid; a translation portion comprising a proximal stopper; and a power unit.

A transseptal needle or punch wherein the distal end of the transseptal needle is able to articulate laterally out of the longitudinal axis of the steerable transseptal needle. The transseptal needle further comprise a blunted distal end configuration that is minimally traumatic. Under control by the user or a computer, at the proximal end of the transseptal needle can be articulated to generate various curves with high bending force. The transseptal needle is configured for use within a transseptal introducer.

A handheld resector balloon system includes a balloon catheter with a resecting surface and hub coupled to a handheld pump. The hub includes an inflation port that supplies fluid to a first lumen of the catheter to repeatedly inflate and deflate the balloon in pulsed fashion to resect biological material. The hub may also include a delivery port for delivering an agent, such as drugs, to a second lumen of the catheter for delivery to the distal end of the catheter. The hub may also include an aperture for inserting a device, such as an imaging device, into the second lumen of the catheter. In some embodiments, an imaging module is coupled to a handheld pump, which may include a light source for supplying light, and image circuitry for converting an optical signal from the imaging device to electrical data to be output to a computer.