Apparatus and methods provided to remove biopsy specimens from bone and/or associated bone marrow. A powered driver may rotate a biopsy needle at an optimum speed to obtain the biopsy specimen. A thread or a groove may be disposed on interior portions of the biopsy needle. The thread or groove may engage a biopsy specimen and enhance removal of a bone marrow core from cancellous bone. Manufacturing procedures are provided for bonding a single helical thread with interior portions of the biopsy needle. The apparatus may also include a biopsy sample ejector and/or ejector funnel. A biopsy needle set may include a cannula and a trocar with respective tips having optimum configurations, dimensions and/or orientations relative to each other to optimize penetration of a bone and/or bone marrow with minimum patient trauma and enhanced reliability of obtaining a biopsy specimen.

An atherectomy catheter having an inner drive shaft which rotates a distal rotary tissue borer with a helical cutting surface which enables the catheter to cut through and cross a CTO. Additionally, the atherectomy catheter has a distal cutting element rotated by an outer drive shaft configured to cut material from the wall of a vessel at a treatment site as the catheter is pushed distally through the treatment site. The atherectomy catheter includes a collection chamber positioned proximally of the cutting element and rotary tissue borer. The atherectomy catheter directs material cut from the treatment site into the collection chamber, breaks down larger portions of material that may block or clog the collection chamber and transports the material collected from the treatment site to a proximal opening in the atherectomy catheter.

Described here are devices and components for use in performing an atherectomy. Generally, the atherectomy devices may have a handle, a cutter assembly, and a catheter or catheter assembly therebetween. The cutter assembly may include a housing and a cutter comprising a proximal cutter and a distal cutter, each of which may be rotated relative to the atherectomy device to cut occlusive material.

Devices and methods for tissue removal are disclosed herein, including those in which a powered rotary tool actuates a cutting blade to sever tissue and drives an auger to transport the severed tissue proximally through the device. The severed tissue can be collected in an on-board collection chamber for subsequent use as graft material or otherwise (e.g., assay, analysis, post-processing, etc.). Devices of the type disclosed herein can reduce or eliminate the need to move the device in and out of the surgical site, reduce user input force, and provide improved ergonomics and increased user focus.

A surgical instrument system that includes a housing and a rotatable drive shaft, a motor operably coupled to the drive shaft, and a plurality of replaceable end effectors that can be connected to the housing. Each replaceable end effector includes a drive screw that is turned a fixed number of revolutions by the motor-driven rotatable drive shaft when the end effector is connected to the housing. Each end effector further comprises a firing member operably coupled with the drive screw of the end effector. The drive screw is configured to displace the firing member over a firing length as a result of the fixed number of revolutions. In certain embodiments, each replaceable end effector can include a drive screw with a thread pitch set to the firing length divided by the fixed number of revolutions.

According to an aspect of the present invention, a medical device is provided, which comprises the following: (a) a hollow elongate body (e.g., a elongate cylinder, such as a needle) having distal and proximal ends; and (b) a rotatable member comprising a tissue morselizer and an elongate shaft (e.g., an auger-like tissue-drilling bit). In the devices of the present invention, the elongate shaft is disposed within the hollow elongate body and cooperates with the hollow elongate body to (i) advance material (e.g., morselated tissue) toward the proximal end of the hollow elongate body when the shaft is rotated in a first direction, and (ii) advance material (e.g., a therapeutic agent and/or a bulking agent) toward the distal end of the hollow elongate body when the shaft is rotated in a second direction that is opposite the first direction. According to another aspect of the invention a method of treatment is provided that comprises: (a) inserting the a medical device like that above into the tissue of a patient; (b) morselizing and removing tissue from within the patient while rotating the shaft in a first direction, thereby creating a void within the patient; and (c) introducing a therapeutic agent and/or a bulking agent into the void.

A device suitable for removing material from a living being is provided, featuring at least an aspiration pump, powered by a motor. The aspiration pump and any optional infusate pump preferably feature a helical pumping mechanism, and operate at a high rate of rotation, thereby ensuring adequate pumping performance and flexibility. The helical pumping mechanism may be a helical coiled wire about a central core tube. The helical coil wire, whether together with, or independent of, the core tube, may be rotated to cause a pumping action. Additionally, a narrow crossing profile is maintained, ensuring that the device may reach more tortuous regions of the vasculature. In one embodiment, the system comprises a wire-guided mono-rail catheter with a working head mounted on a flexible portion of the catheter that can laterally displace away from the guide wire to facilitate thrombus removal. The working head may be operated to separate and move away from the guide wire to come within a closer proximity of the obstructive material to more effectively remove it from the vessel.

A biopsy device comprises a coring and transport assembly and a distal beak assembly. The distal beak assembly may be coupled to or near a distal end of the coring and transport assembly and may comprise at least one movable cutting element. The distal beak assembly may be configured to rotate about an axis, and assume at least a first open configuration operative to enable the at least one cutting element to core through tissue and a second closed configuration operative to enable the at least one cutting element to move through the tissue and to sever a cored specimen from the tissue.

In one aspect, a surgical retractor having sliders configured to have tissue engaging members connected thereto and slider drives including operating members. The operating members are rotatable to cause the slider drives to shift the sliders relative to one another. The surgical retractor includes a coupler having a coupling configuration wherein the coupler connects the slider drives and rotation of one of the operating members causes movement of the sliders. The coupler also has a decoupling configuration wherein the coupler disconnects the slider drives and rotation of the one operating member causes movement of fewer sliders than the sliders that are moved with the coupler in the coupling configuration. The retractor has an actuator connected to the coupler and movable between a dependent slider movement position and an independent slider movement position to shift the coupler between the coupling configuration and the decoupling configuration.

A vascular device is provided having a catheter body and a rotatable cutter assembly located at the distal end of the catheter body. The cutter assembly has at least one helical cutting surface within a housing that is coupled by a torque shaft to a drive mechanism. A conveyor mechanism helically wound about the torque shaft conveys occlusive material conveyed into the housing by the helical cutting blade further proximally along the catheter body for discharge without supplement of a vacuum pump. The catheter body is manipulated to insert the distal end of the catheter body within a body lumen and advance the distal end of the catheter body toward the occlusive material. The drive mechanism is operated to rotate the helical cutting surface to cut and convey the occlusive material from the body lumen proximally into the housing and to convey the occlusive material conveyed into the housing by the helical cutting surface further proximally along the catheter body by the conveyor mechanism for discharge without supplement of a vacuum pump. The distal end of the catheter body is deflected and rotated to sweep the cutter assembly in an arc about the center axis of the catheter body to cut occlusive material in a region larger than the outside diameter of the cutter assembly.