A surgical instrument includes a mount body, a joint member, an arm, and a working end. The mount body has a top portion, a distal end, a proximal end and a bottom portion. The joint member is pivotally mounted at a distal end portion of the mount body, to allow positioning of a proximal portion of an arm extending distally from the joint member. The joint member is also configured to at least partially constrain movement of the proximal portion of the arm to a plane. The working end is mounted to a distal end portion of the arm. The surgical instrument can be configured as a heart stabilizer or a heart positioner. The joint member may further be configured as a slotted ball, a disk member, or a combination thereof.

Disclosed embodiments include apparatuses, systems, and methods for facilitating anastomosis between bodily passages. In an illustrative embodiment, an eversion mechanism is configured to engage a first external surface of a receiving passage adjacent a first opening in the receiving passage in order to create a receiving flange presenting a first interior face. A donor support mechanism is configured to support a donor passage with an opening in an end in an everted position that forms a donor flange presenting a second interior face. The donor support mechanism is further configured to present the second interior face of the donor flange against the first interior face of the receiving flange to present a passage juncture. A suturing mechanism is configured to motivate a filament through a helical path around the passage juncture to suture the second interior face of the donor passage to the first interior face of the receiving passage.

A surgical instrument includes a mount body, a joint member, an arm, and a working end. The mount body has a top portion, a distal end, a proximal end and a bottom portion. The joint member is pivotally mounted at a distal end portion of the mount body, to allow positioning of a proximal portion of an arm extending distally from the joint member. The joint member is also configured to at least partially constrain movement of the proximal portion of the arm to a plane. The working end is mounted to a distal end portion of the arm. The surgical instrument can be configured as a heart stabilizer or a heart positioner. The joint member may further be configured as a slotted ball, a disk member, or a combination thereof.

An instrument port for introducing instruments into a surgical site, including a port body having a channel running therethrough from a proximal end to a distal end, an instrument sleeve in slidable contact with the channel, creating a gap therebetween, and fluid flow for removing emboli efficiently from the instrument port, wherein the fluid flow includes the gap is provided. A fluid flow system for use in an instrument port is provided. A method of removably securing an instrument sleeve to a port body by anchoring the instrument port to heart tissue, making at least one flood line in a channel, flushing out emboli, and performing surgery with the instrument port.

An injection instrument set includes a tubular injection instrument in which an injection liquid is contained, and a guide member disposed on a surface of an injection target of the injection liquid. The injection instrument includes an injection needle which is inserted into the injection target to inject the injection liquid into the injection target. The guide member includes a guide passage which is disposed at a predetermined angle with respect to a surface of the guide member which comes into contact with the injection target and which allows the injection needle to be inserted and guides the injection needle onto the surface of the injection target, and an anti-slip portion disposed at a portion at which the guide member comes into contact with the surface of the injection target.

Disclosed embodiments include apparatuses, systems, and methods for facilitating surgical anastomosis between bodily passages. In an illustrative embodiment, an eversion mechanism is configured to partially evert a distal portion of an opening of a receiving passage and further configured to leave a proximal portion of the opening of the receiving passage in a non-everted position. A donor support mechanism is configured to partially evert a distal portion of an opening at an end of a donor passage and further configured to leave a first proximal portion of the end of the donor passage in a non-everted position. The donor support mechanism is further configured to form a passage juncture at the end of the donor passage and the opening of the receiving passage. A suturing mechanism is configured to motivate a filament through a generally helical path around the passage juncture to suture the donor passage to the receiving passage.

A mounting adapter has a proximal end for interfacing with a surgical stabilizer arm and a distal end for interfacing with a tissue manipulator tool. The adapter includes a receiver body defining a bore having an opening at the distal end for receiving the shaft of a manipulator tool. The receiver body has a detent projecting radially into the bore. A ball stem projects at the proximal end and is configured for insertion into a collet of the stabilizer arm. The detent is radially displaceable between 1) a radially outward position when the adapter is in an unlocked state in which the shaft of the manipulator tool is slidable into or out of the bore and 2) a radially inward position when the adapter is in a locked state in which the detent captures the shaft of the manipulator tool.

The present disclosure relates to negative pressure-based gripping system for gripping and retaining a target, preferably a moving target, such as a heart of a human or animal, in a fixed position, comprising: a catheter having a tubular body; a proximal end; and a remotely operable and flexible distal end section with a distal opening; a negative pressure generator, such as a vacuum pump, in connection with the tubular body; and a control unit configured to position the distal end of the catheter, wherein said control unit is further configured to control an operation of the negative pressure generator such that a negative pressure is generated in the tubular body to grip the target by the distal opening of the catheter upon positioning of the distal opening adjacent to the target. The disclosure further relates to method for gripping and retaining a target, preferably a moving target, such as a heart of a human or animal, in a fixed position in relation to the device.

A reconfigurable tool carries suction pods adapted for robotic surgery wherein a distal end with the suction pods is insertable through a small port incised in a living body to reach a working space for performing cardiac repairs. The tool has an articulating hub with a base part and a sliding part, wherein the suction pods pivot from the sliding part. The base part has a keyed surface configured to interlock with a keyed surface of the pods. A pullcord for retracting the suction pods toward a support tube of the tool has a loosened state wherein the first and second keyed surfaces can be spaced apart so that the suction pods can be spread for grasping a tissue to be stabilized at desired locations. The pullcord has a tightened state wherein the first and second keyed surfaces are interlocked so that the suction pods are inhibited from pivoting.

A flexible arm for use in a medical procedure includes a plurality of bushings and a plurality of double-ball members engaged with one another to thereby provide flexibility to the flexible arm. The double-ball members include a concave bore having a convex interior surface. The flexible arm further includes a wire extending through the concave bore of the double-ball members. An exterior diameter of the wire closely approximates or matches an interior diameter of the concave bore at its smallest point such that the curved members are operable to guide the wire as the flexible arm is flexed. The wire may be adjusted to thereby manipulate the amount of engagement between the bushings and the double-ball members to thereby manipulate the flexibility of the flexible arm.