Methods for creating and maintaining an anastomosis between two adjacent blood vessels using percutaneous techniques, for use in hemodialysis procedures are disclosed and described.

A control device (1) for an electrosurgical instrument (2), in particular a high-frequency sealing instrument, including a fixed handle part (3), a movable handle part (4), an activation element (5) for activating a current flow, in particular a first type, preferably a sealing current, wherein the activation element (5) is or can be adjusted between a deactivation position and at least one activation position when the movable handle part (4) is actuated, wherein, when the movable handle part (4) is actuated, the activation element (5) is or can be adjusted about an axis of rotation (7).

A method for characterizing a state of an end effector of an ultrasonic device is disclosed. The ultrasonic device including an electromechanical ultrasonic system defined by a predetermined resonant frequency. The electromechanical ultrasonic system further including an ultrasonic transducer coupled to an ultrasonic blade. The method including applying, by an energy source, a power level to the ultrasonic transducer; measuring, by a control circuit coupled to a memory, an impedance value of the ultrasonic transducer; comparing, by the control circuit, the impedance value to a reference impedance value stored in the memory; classifying, by the control circuit, the impedance value based on the comparison; characterizing, by the control circuit, the state of the electromechanical ultrasonic system based on the classification of the impedance value; and adjusting, by the control circuit, the power level applied to the ultrasonic transducer based on the characterization of the state of the end effector.

A method includes grasping a user input device in communication with a surgical tool of a robotic surgical system, the surgical tool including an end effector with opposing jaws, squeezing the user input device and thereby actuating a motor that closes the jaws and clamps down on tissue at a surgical site, and calculating with a computer system in communication with the surgical tool work completed by the motor to close the jaws and clamp down on the tissue. The computer system generates one or more effort indicators when the work completed by the motor meets or exceeds one or more predetermined work increments corresponding to operation of the motor, and communicates the one or more effort indicators to an operator.

Various surgical systems are disclosed. A surgical system can include a surgical robot and a surgical hub. The surgical robot can include a control unit in signal communication with a control console and a robotic tool. The surgical hub can include a display. The surgical hub can be in signal communication with the control unit. A facility can include a plurality of surgical hubs that communicate data from the surgical robots to a primary server. To alleviate bandwidth competition among the surgical hubs, the surgical hubs can include prioritization protocols for collecting, storing, and/or communicating data to the primary server.

A surgical tool includes a drive housing, a shaft extending from the drive housing, an end effector at an end of the shaft and having opposing jaws and a cutting element, and an unclamp lockout mechanism. The unclamp lockout mechanism including a pawl rotatably mounted to the shaft and positioned proximal to a closure yoke operatively coupled to the shaft, the pawl being pivotable between a stowed position, where the pawl is received within an aperture of the shaft, and a deployed position, where the pawl protrudes out of the aperture, and a biasing device that biases the pawl toward the stowed position. When the pawl is in the stowed position, the closure yoke is movable to a proximal position over at least a portion of the pawl to open the opposing jaws. When the pawl is in the deployed position, the closure yoke is prevented from moving to the proximal position.

A power delivery approach for delivering power to an electrosurgical vessel sealer when the jaws of the sealer surround tissue to be desiccated. Power delivery commences at a starting point that is at least 40 Joules and then decreases over a first predetermined period of time to a predetermined minimum power level to provide approximately 15 Joules in total. When the predetermined minimum power level is reached, power is then continuously increased over a second predetermined period of time to fully desiccate the tissue. Power delivery is terminated prior to over-desiccation of the tissue.

A computer implemented method for controlling an ultrasonic surgical system includes activating an ultrasonic surgical system including an ultrasonic generator, an ultrasonic transducer, and an ultrasonic blade. The method further includes collecting data from the ultrasonic surgical system, communicating the data to a machine learning algorithm, determining the vessel size based on the data, using the machine learning algorithm, communicating the determined vessel size to a computing device associated with the ultrasonic generator, and controlling the activated ultrasonic surgical system in accordance with the vessel size. The data may include an electrical parameter associated with the activated ultrasonic surgical system. When the ultrasonic surgical system is activated, the ultrasonic generator produces a drive signal to drive the ultrasonic transducer which, in turn, produces ultrasonic energy that is transmitted to the ultrasonic blade for treating a vessel in contact with the ultrasonic blade.

A generator, ultrasonic device, and method for controlling a temperature of an ultrasonic blade are disclosed. A control circuit coupled to a memory determines an actual resonant frequency of an ultrasonic electromechanical system comprising an ultrasonic transducer coupled to an ultrasonic blade by an ultrasonic waveguide. The actual resonant frequency is correlated to an actual temperature of the ultrasonic blade. The control circuit retrieves from the memory a reference resonant frequency of the ultrasonic electromechanical system. The reference resonant frequency is correlated to a reference temperature of the ultrasonic blade. The control circuit then infers the temperature of the ultrasonic blade based on the difference between the actual resonant frequency and the reference resonant frequency. The control circuit controls the temperature of the ultrasonic blade based on the inferred temperature.

A foot pedal apparatus for use with a workstation operated by a seated user in controlling a robotic surgery system is disclosed. In some embodiments, the apparatus includes a platform mountable to the workstation proximate a floor surface on which the workstation is located. The apparatus also includes a first pedal mounted on the platform and having an upwardly disposed actuation surface, and a second pedal mounted vertically elevated with respect to the first pedal and having an upwardly disposed actuation surface, the second pedal having at least a proximate portion vertically overlapping a distal portion of the first pedal such that the first and second pedals have a mounted depth in a direction away from the user that is less than a sum of the respective individual depths of the first and second pedals.