An instrument for performing thorascopic repair of heart valves includes a shaft for extending through the chest cavity and into a heart chamber providing access to a valve needing repair. A movable tip on the shaft is operable to capture a valve leaflet and a needle is operable to penetrate a capture valve leaflet and draw the suture therethrough. The suture is thus fastened to the valve leaflet and the instrument is withdrawn from the heart chamber transporting the suture outside the heart chamber. The suture is anchored to the heart wall with proper tension as determined by observing valve operation with an ultrasonic imaging system.

Certain aspects relate to systems and techniques for articulating medical instruments. In one aspect, the instrument includes a wrist having at least two degrees of freedom of movement, and an end effector coupled to the wrist. The end effector can include an upper jaw, a lower jaw, and a firing mechanism configured to form staples in tissue. Actuation of the firing mechanism can be decoupled from the movement of the wrist in the at least two degrees of freedom.

Systems and methods are provided for identifying and locating a plurality of reflector markers implanted within a target tissue region within a patient's body. A probe is provided that is activated to transmit electromagnetic signals into the patient's body, receive reflected signals from the patient's body, and in synchronization with transmitting the electromagnetic signals, deliver light pulses into the patient's body. The markers reflector tags modulate reflected signals from the respective markers based on orthogonal code sequences opening and closing respective switches of the markers to modulate the reflective properties of the markers. The probe processes the return signals to separate the reflected signals based at least in part on the code sequences to identify and locate each of the plurality of reflector tags substantially simultaneously.

In an example, a surgical retractor includes an elongated shaft extending from a first end to a second end, and a retractor blade extending from the second end of the elongated shaft. The elongated shaft defines an internal chamber. The elongated shaft includes a handle portion at the first end of the elongated shaft, a suction conduit in a first lateral portion of the internal chamber, and a light conduit in a second lateral portion of the internal chamber. The suction conduit extends from a suction port at the first end to a suction aperture at the second end. The light conduit extends from a light-input port at the first end to a light aperture at the second end. The suction conduit and the light conduit are substantially coplanar. The surgical retractor also includes an optical waveguide in the light conduit of the elongated shaft.

The present invention relates to a suction instrument, more particularly a bipolar mapping suction instrument, for surgical purposes and to a system for suctioning fluids and tissue and for monitoring nerve tissue. The suction instrument comprises a cannula unit, which comprises an electrically conductive outer cannula tube, an electrically conductive inner cannula tube, and insulation. The electrically conductive inner cannula tube is electrically connected to a first pole of the bipolar electrical connection of the second interface. The electrically conductive inner cannula tube is arranged concentrically in the outer cannula tube which optionally can be insulated from the exterior. The electrically conductive inner cannula tube is mechanically connected to the handpiece and/or the first interface. The electrically conductive outer cannula tube is electrically connected to a second pole of the bipolar electrical connection of the second interface. The insulation is concentrically arranged between the outer cannula tube and the inner cannula tube. The insulation is configured to fully electrically isolate the outer cannula tube and the inner cannula tube in relation to one another.

A medical observation system includes: a plurality of types of sensor units that measure information regarding an internal environment; an acquisition unit (131) that acquires individual sensor values of the plurality of types of sensor units; a comparison unit (132) that compares the individual sensor values of the plurality of types of sensor units acquired by the acquisition unit (131); and a determination unit (134) that determines a sensor unit to be used for observing the internal environment among the plurality of types of sensor units based on a comparison result obtained by the comparison unit (132).

An ultrasound device includes an ultrasound body having a shaft and an ultrasound sensor assembly disposed at a distal end portion of the shaft. The ultrasound sensor assembly is configured to enable ultrasound imaging. A clip is configured for positioning about a portion of a surgical tool. The clip is configured to releasably engage the ultrasound body to thereby releasably couple the surgical tool with the ultrasound body. A surgical system includes the ultrasound device and the surgical tool.

Certain aspects relate to biopsy apparatuses, systems and techniques for biopsy using a biopsy pattern. Some aspects relate to moving a distal portion of a medical instrument to one or more sample locations of the biopsy pattern and guiding the instrument to obtain tissue samples from the sample locations within the biopsy pattern. Some aspects relate to obtaining the biopsy pattern and adjusting the sample locations within the biopsy pattern based on various factors such as anatomical features.

Techniques for measuring metabolic tissue state and oxygenation in human or animal models, through optical techniques capable of simultaneous measurement at single region of interest. Simultaneously measuring CCO, oxygenated hemoglobin (HbO), and deoxygenated (HbR) hemoglobin is performed and metabolic activity of the tissue is determined. The methods employ a super-continuum light source and a probe to deliver light to the individual, and reflected light from the individual is analyzed to determine the metabolic function of the individual.

An illumination system for a medical technology therapy and/or diagnosis system is provided. The system includes a light source, an optical waveguide, and an optical element in the form of a diffuser element. The optical waveguide has a first end that is connectable or assignable to the light source and the diffuser element is arranged at a second end of the optical waveguide so that light from the optical waveguide is injected into the optical element. The optical element has a lateral surface covered by a reflector layer at least in a section thereof. The reflector layer includes a mirror layer. The optical element has a light-reflecting area covered by the reflector layer and a light-transmissive area that is free of the reflector layer. Thus, light injected into the optical element is reflected on the light-reflecting area and emitted from the light-transmissive area.