The disclosure relates generally to devices and methods for treating a tissue defect, for example, by suturing. In some embodiments, a suturing device may include an elongate member having a working channel, a suture channel, and a suture arm extending from the elongate member. The suturing device may further include a needle passer located within the working channel, the needle passer operable to deliver a needle between the elongate member and a distal end of the suture arm for suturing a target tissue, and a suture extending through the suture channel, wherein the suture is coupled to the needle. The suturing device may further include a plurality of imaging devices, wherein a first imaging device is positioned along a distal face of the elongate member, and wherein a second imaging device is positioned along the suture arm.

A method for performing auto-focus in a camera is disclosed. The method includes: receiving, from a tracking system for tracking a position of a medical instrument, a signal; determining, based on the received signal, that the medical instrument is removed from a field of view of the camera; in response to determining that a continuous auto-focus mode for the camera is enabled: retrieving, from a database, a first focus distance value representing a focus distance that was most recently set with intent for the camera; and automatically updating a focus distance of the camera to the first focus distance value.

An access device for accessing an intervertebral disc having an outer shield comprising an access shield with a larger diameter (˜16-30 mm) that reaches from the skin down to the facet line, with an inner shield having a second smaller diameter (˜5-12 mm) extending past the access shield and reaches down to the disc level. This combines the benefits of the direct visual microsurgical/mini open approaches and the percutaneous, “ultra-MIS” techniques.

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 method of performing a surgical procedure includes storing a software application on a memory associated with a computer, which when executed by a processor causes the software application to develop a model of a patient's anatomical structure, process images of the patient's anatomy, display the images of the patient's anatomy on a user interface associated with the computer, superimpose critical structures within the patient over the displayed images of the patient's anatomy, determine a location within the patient's body cavity where the images of the patient's anatomy were taken, and display the model of the patient's anatomical structure on the user interface, the displayed model indicating the determined location where the images of the patient's anatomy were taken.

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 device includes an elongated hollow member having an open distal end for receiving tissue therein and at least one exterior groove for loading at least one ligation band thereon. The device also includes a band deployment sleeve slidable over the exterior of the hollow member and configured to move from a radially expanded position to a radially contracted position in which, when the band deployment sleeve slides longitudinally over the hollow member, the distal portion engages the at least one ligation band. A closing sleeve slidable over the exterior of the band deployment sleeve is configured to constrain the distal portion from the radially expanded position into the radially contracted position. Retracting the closing sleeve proximally over the distal portion of the band deployment sleeve releases the distal portion from the radially contracted position into the radially expanded position.

A robotic surgical system for treating a patient is disclosed including a surgical tool movable relative to the patient and a user input device including a base and a space joint including a central portion movable relative to the base to effect a motion. The robotic surgical system further includes a control circuit configured to receive a user selection signal indicative of a selection between a first motion scaling profile of the motion of the surgical tool and a second motion scaling profile of the motion of the surgical tool, receive a motion control signal from the user input device indicative of a user input force, and cause the surgical tool to be moved in response to the motion control signal in accordance with the first motion scaling profile or the second motion scaling profile based on the user selection signal. The first motion scaling profile is different than the second motion scaling profile.

A tissue suturing guidance system includes an image capturing device, a display, and a processor in communication with the image capturing device and the display. The image capturing device is configured to capture a suture site. The display is configured to display an image of the suture site. The processor is configured to: determine, based on the image of the suture site, a geometric tissue representation of the suture site; access measured properties of the suture site; determine, based on the measured properties of the suture site, a biomechanical tissue representation of the suture site; and generate, based on the geometric tissue representation and biomechanical tissue representation of the suture site, a suturing configuration for the suture site.

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.