The present disclosure provides a cutting tool for surgical procedures. More specifically, the present cutting tool is suitable for bi-directional cutting and removal of soft and hard tissues for surgical procedures. The cutting tool includes a substantially rigid shaft having a shaped end portion. The shaped end portion includes a plurality of shaped talons; each talon including a body bent to retain tissue, and each talon including a cutter end. The cutter end includes both acute and obtuse cutting surface relief angles for diverse cutting action with respect to hard and soft tissues.

Disclosed are an extruded honeycomb catalyst, a process for preparing the catalyst, a method for reducing NOx in the exhaust gas from an internal combustion engine by using the catalyst, and a method for treatment of the emission gas generated from power plant comprising exposing the emission gas to the catalyst.

A method and apparatus are disclosed. The method includes removably attaching an input device of a surgical feedback system to a surgical tool having a handle. The input device has at least one sensor configured to collect a plurality of original signals. The plurality of original signals has at least one of an acoustic signal or a vibration signal. The surgical tool contacts tissue of a patient. And, a notification of the type of tissue being contacted by the surgical tool is received.

In one embodiment, an access instrument for creating a surgical working portal includes a body having a first end and a body length, a first slot having a first slot length running along the length of the body from the first end, and a second slot having a second slot length running along the length of the body from the first end, wherein the first slot length and the second slot length are less than the body length.

Devices, systems, and methods for a robot-assisted surgery. Navigable instrumentation, which are capable of being navigated by a surgeon using the surgical robot system, and navigation software allow for the navigated placement of interbody fusion devices or other surgical devices. The interbody implant navigation may involve navigation of access instruments (e.g., dilators, retractors, ports), disc preparation instruments, trials, and inserters.

Methods for accessing a disc space of a patient as a part of an interbody fusion, as well as the tools employed therewith. An exemplary method may include inserting a leading end of a tool into the patient's back at a location on the posterior surface that is laterally offset from a patient's spinous process and disc. The tool's initial entry into the patient may be from a posterior approach. As the tool is advanced along its designated path, it begins to deviate from the posterior approach towards a lateral approach. When the leading end reaches the disc, it may access the disc from a lateral or substantially lateral location. The tool may be used to access the disc location, to remove disc material, to deliver a cutting tool for removing the disc material, and other steps associated with the spinal interbody fusion procedure.

A medical instrument for dislodging vertebral disc material from a vertebral disc in a vertebral disc space via a cannula has a pivoting scoop structure with a scoop that provides a 180° pivot sweep outside of the diameter of the cannula. The medical instrument has an elongate body defining a longitudinal axis with the pivoting scoop structure situated at a distal end of the elongate body. The elongate body has a first elongate shaft and a second elongate shaft situated on and configured for longitudinal axial translation relative to the first elongate shaft. Axial movement of the second elongate shaft controllably swivels the pivoting scoop structure from, through, and between 0° to 180° relative to the longitudinal axis of the elongate body. The scoop structure may also allow for collection and removal of dislodged vertebral disc material.

Proposed are an apparatus and method for spinal surgery planning, the spinal surgery planning method including: acquiring a two-dimensional (2D) spinal image of a patient through a medical imaging apparatus; calculating a registration relationship between coordinates in an image space and coordinates in a surgical space by registering the image space for the spinal image and the surgical space where spinal surgery is performed on the patient; generating a virtual three-dimensional (3D) figure in the surgical space; projecting the 3D figure onto the spinal image based on the registration relationship; adjusting the 3D figure so that the 3D figure can correspond to a predetermined landmark on the spinal image; and setting an insertion position and insertion path of a spinal prosthesis based on the spinal image and the 3D figure.

The present disclosure describes a device and methods for safely and accurately placing screws into bones with a powered driving device. By employing multiple layers of fail-safe features and image-guidance systems, the powered driving device provides safe, accurate, and efficient screw placement. That is, the powered driving device may continuously monitor a screw advancement and placement and may automatically shutdown when improper placement is detected. Monitoring placement may be conducted by a microcurrent-monitoring system, by an image-guidance system, or by any other appropriate sensory system. Additionally, upon detecting that screw insertion is complete, the powered driving device may be automatically shutdown. As screw placement is continuously simulated by image-guidance in real time, multiple redundant verification steps are eliminated, providing highly accurate screw placement while decreasing clinician error, device contamination, and surgical time, the decreased surgical time associated with decreased patient-recovery time and associated medical costs.

System and methods for channeling a path into bone include a trocar having a proximal end, distal end and a central channel disposed along a central axis of the trocar. The trocar includes a distal opening at the distal end of the trocar. The system includes a curved cannula sized to be received in the central channel, the curved cannula comprising a curved distal end configured to be extended outward from the distal opening to generate a curved path extending away from the trocar. The curved cannula has a central passageway having a diameter configured to allow a treatment device to be delivered through the central passageway to a location beyond the curved path.