A drill sleeve, including: an outer sleeve with an internal collet at a distal end of the outer sleeve and an inner opening; a handle connected to the outer sleeve; an inner sleeve with an inner opening configured to receive and guide a drill bit, wherein the inner sleeve is configured to slide inside the inner opening of the outer sleeve; a trigger connected to the inner sleeve; and a biasing member configured to apply a biasing force between the handle and the trigger wherein the biasing force drives the inner sleeve into the outer sleeve, wherein when a distal end of the inner sleeve engages the internal collet, the internal collet is configured to engage a screw hole in a bone plate, align the drill sleeve with a nominal axis of the screw hole, and secure the drill sleeve to the screw hole.

A tool for surgically removing tissue of a patient includes a body, a flexible rotating shaft that drives a distal cutting tool and is drivingly coupled to a motor supported by bearings in a flexible tubular sheath to allow the shaft to rotate and be shifted longitudinally. Steering cables in the sheath control the flexion of the sheath. A processor controls the operation to ensure that the cutting tool operates within a predetermined resection area, controlling a combination of motor speed, sheath flexion, and shaft retraction to assist surgery in the resection area.

A device for cutting tissue including (a) an elongated shaft body defining a drive lumen, (b) a cutting head extending from a distal end of the elongated shaft body and being rotatable via a drive shaft disposed within the drive lumen, and (c) a retainer for keeping the cutting head attached to the shaft body if the cutting head becomes detached from the drive shaft or if the drive shaft breaks. A flexible drive shaft including (i) a core configured for resisting helixing, and (ii) at least one outer layer configured for transferring torque. A method of producing a flexible drive shaft including providing a core configured for resisting helixing, and wrapping the core with at least one outer layer of wires configured for maintaining high torsional rigidity. Related apparatus and methods are also described.

A medical device includes an elongated sleeve having a longitudinal axis, a proximal end and a distal end. A cutting member extends distally from the distal end of the elongated sleeve and has sharp cutting edges. The cutting head is formed from a wear-resistant ceramic material, and a motor coupled to the proximal end of elongated sleeve rotate the cutting member. The cutter is engaged against bone and rotated to cut bone tissue without leaving any foreign particles in the site.

A surgical bone cutting device, including a handle configured to facilitate operation and control of said device by an operator, and an elongated hollow member extending from the handle, the hollow member having a proximal end and a distal end; wherein the hollow member includes an opening at the distal end thereof and a rotatable cutting element extending through the opening, and wherein the hollow member includes a first bend at the proximal end thereof, such that the part of the hollow member distal to the proximal bend is offset a central axis of the hand.

A surgical handpiece system (10) includes a high-speed surgical bur assembly (102) and a surgical handpiece assembly (104). The high-speed surgical bur assembly has a nose tube (17, 106) and a driveshaft (24, 110) at least partially disposed within the nose tube. A cutting tool (18, 114) is coupled to a distal region of the driveshaft. The cutting tool and the driveshaft are configured to rotate relative to the nose tube. The surgical handpiece system comprises a hub (14, 146) and a rotatable drive chuck (30, 34, 172) for alignment and coupling to the nose tube and the driveshaft. A motor (12) is configured to rotate the rotatable drive chuck, the driveshaft, and the cutting tool when the driveshaft is coupled to the rotatable drive chuck.

A bone screw extraction device includes a shaft extending longitudinally from a proximal end to a distal tip, a distal portion of the shaft including a tissue-receiving cavity extending proximally thereinto from the distal tip, the distal tip including a plurality of fingers configured to be received within a driving recess of a bone screw and a plurality of channels extending longitudinally along an exterior surface of the distal portion, each of the plurality of channels extending between adjacent ones of the plurality of fingers.

Irrigation systems and methods are disclosed. An irrigation system includes a body defining a proximal portion and a distal portion. The proximal portion defines a cavity sized and configured to receive a working end of a hand-piece therein. An inlet tube extends through a portion of the body and is configured to receive a fluid flow therethrough. An outlet tube assembly is coupled to the distal portion of the body and extends distally beyond a distal edge of the body. The outlet tube assembly includes an inner tube and an outer tube. The inner tube and the outer tube define a fluid path therebetween. The inlet tube is in fluid communication with the outlet tube assembly such that the fluid flow received through the inlet tube flows through the fluid path of the outlet tube assembly and exits the outlet tube assembly at a distal end.

A system for cutting bone is provided and may comprise a cutting tool configured to rotate and a shield. The system may also comprise a first robotic arm configured to hold the cutting tool and a second robotic arm configured to hold the shield. A processor and a memory storing instructions for execution by the processor that, when executed, may cause the processor to cause the second robotic arm to orient the shield proximate an anatomical element along a cutting path of the cutting tool.

A method of diagnosing, minimizing symptoms and/or treating the pathology of intervertebral disc degeneration includes introducing a first cannula through a vertebra along an axis of at least one pedicle of the vertebra from a generally posterior to a generally anterior direction and inserting a second cannula within a lumen of the first cannula, the second cannula constrained to a relatively straight configuration within at least a portion of the first cannula and assumes a nonlinear or curvilinear geometry external to the first cannula within at least a portion of a vertebral body of the vertebra and away from a longitudinal axis of the first cannula. The method includes forming a channel with the second cannula, the channel extending to or adjacent to a vertebral endplate of the vertebral body in order to create a defect through the vertebral endplate of the vertebra. Related systems, devices, and methods are described.