A minimally invasive heart stabilizer includes a guide tube, a revolute joint, a stabilizing end-effector, and a linkage. The guide tube is sized to allow insertion through an endoscopic cannula. The revolute joint is coupled to a distal end of the guide tube. The stabilizing end-effector is coupled to the revolute joint. The linkage has a distal end and a proximal end. The distal end is pivotally connected to the end-effector. The stabilizing end-effector includes two tissue engaging members in parallel alignment with one another. The two tissue engaging members are joined via an arrangement of links.

An organ restraint device includes a first end portion including a fluid inlet channel, a second end portion including a fluid outlet channel, a medial body portion coupled between the first end portion and the second end portion. The medial body portion includes one or more fluid channels that couple the fluid inlet channel to the fluid outlet channel and a plurality of tension adjustment apertures

The present application discloses an atrium retractor with a plate and a shaft that has a shaft sleeve, an inner rod and an operating mechanism. The operating mechanism is designed to generate a relative movement between the shaft sleeve and the inner rod. An articulation device that is firmly connected either to the plate or the shaft and is detachably connectable to the other from the plate or the shaft is provided in the atrium retractor. The operating mechanism is adapted to optionally lock and release the articulated connection by means of the relative movement between the shaft sleeve and the inner rod.

A surgical tool for minimally invasive surgery is provided, where the tool includes a control handle; at least one vacuum arm deployable from a retracted position to an operative position for engagement with tissue in order to stabilize the tissue with respect to the tool; and a shaft movable with respect to the control handle, the shaft having an operating head movable from a retracted position to an operative position for performing a surgical function on the tissue stabilized by the at least one vacuum arm.

An apparatus for protecting heart tissue from an implanted inlet element of a blood pump. The apparatus includes a flange member having a first radially constricted configuration and a second radially expanded configuration, the flange member being biased in its second radially expanded configuration. The flange member defines an opening there through sized to receiving the inlet element of the blood pump. A retaining element extending from the flange member is included, the retaining element being flexible and sized to be disposed about at least a portion of the inlet element.

The devices and methods relate to devices for stabilizing and/or positioning tissue (e.g., heart) within a surgical area. The device may include an articulating arm and a tissue stabilizing member. The device may include one or more stabilizing segments disposed along at least a portion of the length of the articulating arm. Each stabilizing segment may be configured to compress and expand with respect to an internal channel of the arm. The articulating arm may be configured to move between a fixed state and movable state based on a state of the one or more stabilizing segments. In the fixed state, the one or more stabilizing segments may be compressed against the internal channel. In the movable state, the one or more stabilizing segments may be expanded with respect to the internal channel.

An apparatus for protecting heart tissue from an implanted inlet element of a blood pump. The apparatus includes a flange member having a first radially constricted configuration and a second radially expanded configuration, the flange member being biased in its second radially expanded configuration. The flange member defines an opening there through sized to receiving the inlet element of the blood pump. A retaining element extending from the flange member is included, the retaining element being flexible and sized to be disposed about at least a portion of the inlet element.

A surgical device for stabilizing or immobilizing moved tissue or for positioning organs, especially a part of a beating heart, includes a flexible arm, especially a link arm, fixed or fixable to a base member which arm can be brought into different positions and/or attitudes and at the free end of which at least one retaining element is arranged, and comprising a tightening mechanism by which the arm can be fixed at a desired position. The tightening mechanism is tightened and/or released by means of a manually controllable external power source.

A sternal bridge has a contiguous panel having a first length and a first height, a first U-shaped notch of a second height less than the first height and a first depth on one end of the contiguous panel, a second U-shaped notch of the second height and the first depth on an opposite end of the contiguous panel, a concave shape on a lower surface of the contiguous panel, and a first through hole passing from the lower surface of the panel through both sides of the first U-shaped notch, and a second through hole passing from the lower surface of the panel through both sides of the second U-shaped notch, the first and second through holes enabling the sternal bridge to be sutured onto the chest wall on either side.

A synchronous drive system for simultaneously driving more than two or more rotational tissue screws and a method for simultaneously affixing a medical device to tissue employing the synchronous drive system. The synchronous drive system is particularly configured to affix an apical cuff to cardiac muscle tissue by simultaneously driving a plurality of rotational tissue screws through the apical cuff and into cardiac muscle tissue thereby affixing the apical cuff to the cardiac muscle tissue.