Catheter system, devices and methods for diagnosing and treating lateral stenosis causing back pain and or leg pain. The devices comprise a tubular part for insertion into a working cannula to self-position itself safely within the foramen, and minimize the risk of displacement medially or laterally, to prevent nerve or dura injury. An expandable membrane is configured to maintain the catheter device within the foramen. Expansion of this membrane would decompress the nerve within the foramen by opening the foraminal canal as the membrane expands.

A robotic surgical instrument includes a housing having a shaft extending therefrom. A spring compression assembly is supported within the housing and includes: a proximal hub configured to secure a drive rod disposed therethrough, the proximal hub including teeth; a distal hub spaced from the proximal hub and including teeth; and a compression spring mounted between the proximal and distal hubs. A drive gear includes a proximal portion extending therefrom having threads disposed thereabout configured to engage the teeth of the proximal and distal hubs such that rotation thereof translates the hubs relative to one another and actuates the end effector assembly. A thumb wheel is included that has a portion exposed outside the housing for external manipulation thereof. The thumb wheel is selectively positionable between a disengaged position spaced relative to the drive gear and an engaged position to matingly engage the drive gear.

A surgical instrument, system and method for adjusting a compression force applied by a surgical instrument are disclosed. The method includes determining tissue impedance of tissue in contact with an end effector of the surgical instrument, determining a tissue type based on the tissue impedance, selecting a first energy modality to deliver to the surgical instrument, generating a first signal waveform based on the first energy modality, selecting a second energy modality to deliver to the surgical instrument, generating a second signal waveform based on the second energy modality, outputting the first and second signal waveform to deliver energy to the end effector, and adjusting a compression force applied by the end effector by changing a size of a gap between the tissue and the clamp arm based on a proportion of the first signal waveform to the second signal waveform.

A surgical device for clipping tissue is disclosed. The surgical device comprises a clip magazine comprising a plurality of clips, an end effector movable between an open position and a closed position, and a jaw actuator operably responsive to a first rotatable input. The jaw actuator is configured to move the end effector between the open position and the closed position. The surgical device further comprises a reciprocating feeder drive and a controller. The reciprocating feeder drive is operably responsive to a second rotatable input. The controller is configured to advance a clip from the clip magazine into the end effector by way of the feeder drive when the end effector is in the open configuration. The controller is further configured to actuate the jaw actuator to move the first jaw and the second jaw toward the closed position without advancing a clip into the end effector.

A method of stapling tissue is disclosed. The method can include obtaining a staple cartridge including a plurality of staples, wherein each staple has a base and a leg extending from the base. The stapling method can also include firing the staples from the staple cartridge, wherein the staples are fired into tissue in a staple line. The staple line can include a first portion having a first flexibility and a second portion having a second flexibility, wherein the second flexibility is different than the first flexibility. A method of stapling tissue can also include adapting an anvil with an anvil plate having an arrangement of staple-forming pockets that differs from the staple-forming pockets in the anvil.

A surgical end effector is provided having upper and lower jaws pivotally coupled to one another by at least one connecting member that is configured to allow a gap between the jaws to be set at a desired height. In one embodiment, the connecting member can be pivotably coupled to the upper jaw and fixed within a slot in the lower jaw. The connecting member can be fixed within the slot in one of multiple positions so as to position first and second tissue contacting surfaces of the upper and lower jaws at a predetermined distance from one another when the first and second jaws are in the closed position. The connecting member can include a pin formed thereon that extends into a bore formed in the upper jaw. Alternatively, the upper jaw can include a pin formed thereon that extends into a bore formed in the connecting member.

A surgical instrument is provided and includes a housing having a shaft. An end effector assembly operatively connects to the shaft and has a pair of first and second jaw members. A jaw insert is operably associated with the first and second jaw members. The jaw insert includes one or more cam slots defined therein configured to receive a cam pin that upon movement thereof rotates the first and second jaw members from an open position to a clamping position and an opening defined therein configured to securely house a pivot pin that provides a point of pivot for the first and second jaw members. The jaw insert is manufactured from an insulative medium to dielectrically isolate the first and second jaw members.

RF tissue ablation devices are provided. Aspects of the RF tissue ablation devices include an elongated member having a proximal and distal end, first and second jaws at the distal end, wherein the first and second jaws are configured to apply intra and inter RF energy to tissue disposed between the jaws during use, and a connector at the proximal end for operatively connecting to a RF energy source. Also provided are systems that include an RF tissue ablation device operatively coupled to a RF energy source, as well as kits that include the devices and methods of using the devices in RF tissue ablation applications, including cardiac applications.

Methods for resetting a fuse in a surgical instrument are disclosed.

A BFRT cuff and motor/pump unit and a method for exercising using said cuff. The method incudes providing a BFRT cuff and a motor/pump unit, placing the BFRT cuff on a user's limb, connecting the BFRT cuff to the motor/pump unit, selecting a pressure value or percent of limb occlusion pressure (LOP), causing the motor/pump unit to supply air to the BFRT cuff until the LOP of said limb is obtained, terminating air flow to the BFRT cuff and then reducing the pressure in the BFRT cuff, and exercising the user's limb while the BFRT cuff is at a selected pressure or a selected percent of LOP.