Disclosed is a method of operating an electrosurgical instrument including an end effector with segmented electrodes.

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 surgical instrument assembly is disclosed. The surgical instrument assembly comprises a shaft, an articulation region, and an end effector attached to the shaft by way of the articulation region, wherein the end effector is configured to be articulated relative to the shaft. The shaft comprises an outer housing, an inner spine positioned with the outer housing, and a core member positioned within the inner spine. The core member comprises a distal end attached to a component the end effector and a proximal end attached to the proximal housing, wherein the core member comprises a material different than a material of the inner spine, and wherein the core member defines a maximum system stretch of the inner spine.

The present disclosure relates generally to a surgical system. The surgical system comprises one or more surgical instrument assemblies and a surgical navigation system. The surgical instrument assemblies comprises a tracking device capable of being tracked by the surgical navigation system. The surgical system is also configured to allow the user to define one or more alert zones relative to anatomical structures of the patient and/or a surgical pathway. The surgical system further comprises an alert device in communication with the surgical navigation system, such that the alert device is configured to provide a user-perceptible alert to the surgeon or medical professional based on the position of the surgical instrument, as determined by the surgical navigation system, relative to the defined alert zones and/or surgical pathway.

A battery-powered, modular surgical device comprising an electrically powered surgical instrument that requires a pre-determined minimum amount of electrical energy to complete a surgical procedure, and a power module assembly that has a battery that powers the surgical instrument and has a current state of electrical charge, and a control circuit that is electrically coupled to the battery and the surgical instrument and has a memory and a microprocessor. The microprocessor determines the current state of electrical charge of the battery, compares the current state of electrical charge to the pre-determined minimum amount of electrical energy, permits the battery to discharge if the current state of electrical charge is above the pre-determined minimum amount of electrical energy, and maintains the battery in a non-discharge state if the current state of electrical charge is below the pre-determined minimum amount of electrical energy.

The ultrasonic transducer has a cylindrical shape having a first end surface and a second end surface, and includes a piezoelectric material that generates ultrasonic vibration for treating biological tissue with ultrasonic energy, a first electrode that is disposed in contact with the first end surface and to which an ultrasonic driving voltage is applied for generating ultrasonic vibration to the piezoelectric material, a second electrode that is disposed in contact with the second end surface and to which a reference voltage is applied for generating ultrasonic vibration to the piezoelectric material, an insulating plate that opposes the second end surface with the second electrode interposed therebetween, a third electrode that opposes the second electrode with the insulating plate and to which high-frequency power for treating biological tissue is supplied with high-frequency energy, and a short-circuit prevention unit that prevents short-circuiting between the first and third electrodes.

A system, and method of using the system, for changing the angle of a bone of a subject is provided by the present disclosure. In one embodiment the system includes a non-invasively adjustable implant configured to be placed inside a longitudinal cavity within the bone and comprising an outer housing and an inner shaft telescopically disposed in the outer housing, at least one of the outer housing and inner shaft associated with a first anchor hole and a second anchor hole, the first anchor hole configured to pass a first anchor for coupling the adjustable implant to a first portion of bone and the second anchor hole configured for to pass a second anchor for coupling the adjustable implant to the first portion of bone, the inner shaft configured to couple to a second portion of bone that is separated or separable from the first portion of bone, such that non-invasive elongation of the adjustable implant causes the inner shaft to extend from the outer housing and to move the first portion of bone and the second portion of bone apart angularly; a driving element configured to be remotely operable to telescopically displace the inner shaft in relation to the outer housing; and wherein the first anchor hole is configured to allow the first anchor to pivot in at least a first angular direction and the second anchor hole is configured to allow the second anchor to translate in at least a first translation direction.

A surgical system is disclosed including an end effector, a control circuit, a closure member, and a firing member. The end effector includes a first jaw, a second jaw, and an electrode. The first jaw is rotatable relative to the second jaw between an open position and a close position to capture tissue therebetween. The electrode is configured to conduct a sub-therapeutic RF current to the tissue. The control circuit is operably coupled to the electrode. The control circuit is configured to measure impedance of the tissue over time based on the sub-therapeutic RF current. The closure member is configured to move the first jaw towards the second jaw at a closure rate based on the impedance of the tissue. The firing member is configured to move within the end effectors towards a fired position at a firing rate based on the impedance of the tissue.

A MRI-guided stereotactic surgery method including the following steps: assigning coordinates of a surgery target point of a surgery cannula and an insertion direction of the surgery cannula; performing coordinate transformation to transform the coordinates of the surgery target point into an insertion position of the surgery target point; substituting the insertion position and the insertion direction into an inverse kinematics model to obtain five parameters respectively corresponding to five degrees of freedom of a MRI-compatible stereotactic surgery device; controlling the MRI-compatible stereotactic surgery device according to the parameters to start a stereotactic surgery procedure, thereby inserting the surgery cannula; obtaining an actual cannula position according to a magnetic resonance (MR) image; comparing the actual cannula position with the surgery target point to obtain a position error vector; and withdrawing the surgery cannula to finish the stereotactic surgery procedure when the position error vector is acceptable.

An ultrasonic transducer assembly of an ultrasonic surgical instrument includes a piezoelectric stack, an ultrasonic horn secured to and extending distally from the piezoelectric stack and including a body and a nose extending distally from the body, an overmold seal formed about the body of the ultrasonic horn, and a casing disposed about the piezoelectric stack, the body of the ultrasonic horn, and the overmold seal. The casing defines a distal opening through which the nose of the ultrasonic horn extends. The overmold seal establishes a hermetic seal with the casing to define a hermetically sealed interior enclosing the piezoelectric stack and the body of the ultrasonic horn therein.