Organ manipulation devices for atraumatically grasping the surface of an organ and repositioning the organ to allow access to a location on the organ that would otherwise be substantially inaccessible. Methods of accessing a beating heart, retracting the heart using an organ manipulation apparatus, and stabilizing a surgical target area with a stabilizer. Both the organ manipulator and stabilizer are fixed to a stationary object which may be a sternal retractor. A system for performing beating heart coronary artery bypass grafting includes a sternal retractor, organ manipulator and stabilizer.

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.

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 medical device includes two device units having two functional units that can be coupled to each other to actuate the second functional unit via the first functional unit. The first functional unit has a mechanical coupling segment which can be brought into a coupling position to couple with the second functional unit. A detector for detecting a relative position of the two device units or a distance between the two device units is provided on at least one device unit. The electrical or electronic control of the first functional unit is configured such that the mechanical coupling segment of the first functional unit can be brought into the coupling position only if the two device units are in a certain position with respect to each other or fall below a minimum distance from each other.

A fixation device for securing together leaflets of a heart valve is provided. The fixation device may comprise two plates that are disposed on either side of the tricuspid valve. The plates may be secured to one another by a locking clip, thereby securing the valve leaflets between the plates.

A stabilizer for operations on a heart includes a fastening shaft and a tissue contact component with two elongated bearing elements provided on a base section and adapted to be arranged on two opposing sides of a blood vessel such that at least one section of the blood vessel runs between the two bearing elements, wherein the base section is affixed to one end of the fastening shaft. At least one bearing element has a slit extending longitudinally at least over a section thereof. The fastening shaft has an axially proceeding channel which extends at least over a section of the fastening shaft and is connected to at least one connecting channel in the region of the end of the fastening shaft on which the base section is mounted, the connection channel connecting the axially proceeding channel to the surroundings, wherein the axial end of the fastening shaft is closed.

A surgical fixing tool for vascular anastomosis inhibits an operation site on a surface of a living body such as a heart from moving along a height direction of the surface of the living body. The fixing tool has a position adjusting unit disposed in a support unit 10 that adjusts a relative position between the support unit and the fixed living body local site. A displacement position detection unit detects a displacement position of a local site. Based on a detected displacement, the position adjusting unit changes and adjusts a relative position between the support unit and the fixed local site.

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.

Organ manipulation devices for atraumatically grasping the surface of an organ and repositioning the organ to allow access to a location on the organ that would otherwise be substantially inaccessible. Methods of accessing a beating heart, retracting the heart using an organ manipulation apparatus, and stabilizing a surgical target area with a stabilizer. Both the organ manipulator and stabilizer are fixed to a stationary object which may be a sternal retractor. A system for performing beating heart coronary artery bypass grafting includes a sternal retractor, organ manipulator and stabilizer.

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.