A surgical apparatus comprises a body, an ultrasonic transducer, a shaft, and an end effector. The ultrasonic transducer is operable to convert electrical power into ultrasonic vibrations. The shaft couples the end effector and the body together. The end effector comprises an ultrasonic blade in acoustic communication with the ultrasonic transducer. The ultrasonic blade includes a recess region having a plurality of recesses. The recess region is tapered such that the cross-sectional area of the recess region decreases along the length of the recess region. The ultrasonic blade is also curved such that a central longitudinal axis of the ultrasonic blade extends along a curved path. A reference circuit is used to account for voltage drops of unknown values during operation of the surgical apparatus.

An ultrasonic surgical instrument includes an end effector with an ultrasonic blade, an acoustic waveguide, an ultrasonic transducer assembly, and a carrier. At least a proximal portion of the acoustic waveguide extends along a longitudinal axis. The ultrasonic transducer assembly is operatively coupled with the acoustic waveguide. The carrier is configured to translate the end effector. The carrier includes a carriage and a translation driver. The carriage movably supports the ultrasonic transducer assembly along the longitudinal axis. The translation driver is configured to translate the carriage and the ultrasonic transducer assembly along the longitudinal axis so that the ultrasonic transducer assembly moves from a proximal position along the longitudinal axis to a distal position along the longitudinal axis for inserting the ultrasonic blade into a patient.

In one general aspect, various embodiments are directed to systems and methods for controlling a surgical instrument. The surgical instrument may comprise an ultrasonic transducer, a blade extending distally from the ultrasonic transducer along a longitudinal axis, and a motor coupled to the ultrasonic transducer. The motor, when activated, may rotate the ultrasonic transducer and the blade about the longitudinal axis. A control system may receive an indication to operate the surgical instrument according to an ultrasonic-only mode. The control system may instruct the motor to rotate the blade to a park position, and activate the ultrasonic transducer to longitudinally vibrate the blade.

A method of assembling an ultrasound catheter includes providing an elongated catheter body having a proximal end, a distal end, and at least one lumen extending longitudinally therethrough; coupling a proximal housing to the proximal end of the elongated catheter body, the proximal housing having a distal bore; inserting an ultrasound transmission member through the lumen of the catheter body; positioning a sonic connector on the proximal end of the ultrasound transmission member for connecting the ultrasound transmission member to a separate ultrasound generating device at a connection location, the sonic connector having a proximal section and a front portion, the proximal portion provided for connection to the separate ultrasound generating device; connecting the front portion of the sonic connector to the proximal end of the ultrasound transmission member; and retaining an absorber inside the distal bore of the proximal housing wherein the absorber substantially surrounds the ultrasound transmission member.

The treatment section integrally includes, on the distal side of a probe, a cortical bone abrasion portion which abrades a living body tissue or a bone among treated target parts by mechanical abrasion by ultrasonic vibration, and a cartilage abrasion portion which generates heat by ultrasonic vibration and abrades a cartilage among the treated target parts by dissolutive abrasion.

An energy treatment device includes a sheath including a hollow portion, a fixed handle provided at a proximal end of the sheath, a probe provided in the hollow portion, a movable handle including a jaw having a recessed portion along a rotation axis of the movable handle extending in a direction orthogonal to the central axis, a metal member provided at a position including the rotation axis, and a preventing member which prevents the metal member from falling out from its position. The sheath extends along a central axis of the energy treatment device and includes an attaching portion by which the movable handle is attached to a position offset from the central axis, the metal member is provided around the rotation axis such that the jaw is rotatable with respect to the sheath, and the prevention member is fixed to the recessed portion.

A vibrating hand held surgical instrument for loosening tissue of a patient for liposuction or body contouring procedures. The instrument includes a motor connected to a vibration actuator having an eccentric rotating mass and an end effector for engaging tissue operatively connected to the vibration actuator, wherein the motor rotates the eccentric mass to cause the end effector to vibrate to loosen tissue. A flexible shaft having first end and second ends dampen the vibration to the motor and to the operator handle.

An elongate endovascular element for crossing through an obstruction in a blood vessel comprises: a proximal section; a distal tip section of smaller diameter than the proximal section; and a distally-tapering intermediate section extending between the proximal and distal tip sections; wherein the tapered intermediate section has a length that is substantially ?/2 or a multiple of ?/2, where ? is a wavelength of a driving frequency that will produce longitudinal resonance in the element.

An ultrasonic surgical instrument and method for identifying tissue state and energizing the surgical instrument includes an end effector having an ultrasonic blade and an RF electrode, a shaft assembly, a body, and a power controller. A first ultrasonic energy input is configured to be actuated from a first unactuated energy input state to a first actuated energy input state. A trigger input is configured to be actuated from an unactuated trigger input state to an actuated trigger input state. The power controller is operatively connected to the ultrasonic blade, the RF electrode, the first ultrasonic energy input, and the trigger input and configured to direct at least one of the ultrasonic blade or the RF electrode to be selectively driven according to a predetermined drive function based on the tissue impedance, the state of the first energy input, and the state of the trigger input.

An ultrasonic surgical instrument and method of sealing tissue includes interrogating the tissue with an electrical signal and adjusting an electrical parameter of at least one of the ultrasonic energy or the RF energy in response to the tissue feedback to inhibit transecting the tissue. The ultrasonic surgical instrument has an end effector, a shaft assembly, a body, and a power controller. The power controller is operatively connected to the ultrasonic blade and the RF electrode and configured to direct activation of the ultrasonic blade or the RF electrode. The power controller is further configured to interrogate the tissue with the electrical signal via the ultrasonic blade or the RF electrode to provide a tissue feedback and adjust an electrical parameter of the ultrasonic energy or the RF energy in response to the tissue feedback to inhibit transecting the tissue.