A hemostatic sealer includes a handle having a switch to activate a source of thermal 5 energy and a thermal assembly coupled to the handle. The thermal assembly includes an electrically resistive material disposed on an electrically insulative substrate. The resistive material is coupled to the switch to receive the source of thermal energy.

An electromagnetic surgical ablation probe having a tunable helical antenna element includes a coaxial feedline having an inner conductor coaxially disposed within a dielectric, and an outer conductor coaxially disposed around the dielectric. The inner conductor and dielectric extend distally beyond a distal end of the outer conductor. A helical antenna element is operably coupled to a distal end of the inner conductor. During use, the antenna may be tuned by changing at least one dimension of the helical antenna element. Embodiments are presented wherein a dimension of the helical antenna element is changed by state change of a shape memory alloy, by a change in temperature, by activation of a piston by fluidic pressure, by linear motion of a conical tip, and by a manual screw-type adjustment.

A dermatologic treatment device having a source of electromagnetic radiation beneficial to a dermatologic treatment, and a contact element facilitating conveyance of at least some of the electromagnetic radiation emitted by the source to a skin surface. The contact element includes a hydrophilic portion that facilitates movement of the contact element to the skin surface.

The present disclosure provides a radiofrequency genicular nerve denervation probe and methods of using the probe to address chronic knee pain by producing therapeutic lesions or tissue alterations. In many embodiments, the denervation probe is a steerable, multi-electrode probe that includes one or more injection ports that allow one or more fluids to be injected at the target site before, during, or after a denervation procedure. The denervation probe may also include in many embodiments one or more thermocouples configured to provide targeted temperature readings. The denervation probe has the capability to perform a customized or preset sequence of lesions to provide desirable procedural flexibility.

An electrosurgical device for puncturing tissue comprises an electrically conductive elongate member which is capable of force transmission from a distal portion of the electrosurgical device to a proximal portion of the electrosurgical device to thereby provide tactile feedback to a user. The proximal portion comprises a connector system for connecting a source of energy and a source of fluid to an electrosurgical device. The connector system includes a hub which includes an electrically conductive lengthwise member having a lengthwise member distal region and a lengthwise member proximal region. The lengthwise member defines a hub lumen therebetween and is configured to be operatively coupled to an electrosurgical device.

An electromagnetic surgical ablation probe having a tunable helical antenna element includes a coaxial feedline having an inner conductor coaxially disposed within a dielectric, and an outer conductor coaxially disposed around the dielectric. The inner conductor and dielectric extend distally beyond a distal end of the outer conductor. A helical antenna element is operably coupled to a distal end of the inner conductor. During use, the antenna may be tuned by changing at least one dimension of the helical antenna element. Embodiments are presented wherein a dimensions of the helical antenna element is changed by state change of a shape memory alloy, by a change in temperature, by activation of a piston by fluidic pressure, by linear motion of a conical tip, and by a manual screw-type adjustment.

Device and method for sub-xiphoid ablation of patient tissue. A sub-xiphoid access clamp has a handle, an elongate neck coupled to the handle and first and second opposing jaws. The first and second opposing jaws have first and second opposing relief segments being generally co-planar and concave with respect to one another to form a void therebetween, and first and second opposing elongate ablation elements positioned along the first and second opposing jaws and distal of the first and second opposing relief segments relative to the handle. The first and second opposing jaws are articulate between a closed position and an open position to admit, at least in part, a second portion of tissue of the patient within the void created by the first and second opposing relief segments while the first portion of tissue is positioned between the first and second ablation elements in the closed position.

A surgical instrument having a handle, elongate shaft protruding from handle and end-effector located at end of shaft is described. To allow for rotation of the end-effector the shaft is connected to a rotation wheel mounted on handle, towards rearward end of handle proximal to the user. The rotation wheel is in the form of a thumbwheel, having an ergonomically designed shape that tapers from distal direction to proximal direction, with angle of the taper matching angle of the outer surface of the handle. The outer tapered surface of the thumbwheel has a number of shaped cut-out or scalloped portions arranged around the outer circumference of the wheel, and arranged in use to receive the tip of a user's thumb to allow the user to rotate the wheel in order to set the rotational orientation of the end-effector. Such an arrangement provides a comfortable and easy to use instrument.

A surgical instrument having an end effector mounted on the end of an elongate shaft extending from a handle is described, the shaft and end effector being rotatable with respect to the housing, to allow different rotational orientations of the end effector to be attained without rotating the whole instrument. To provide for control over the degree of rotation, shaft rotation control elements are provided to give rotation or torsion control. The shaft rotation control elements may be located at several different longitudinal positions along the shaft. Alternatively, rotation control elements in the form of mutually co-operating stops may be provided elsewhere, such as in a rotatable shaft support member at the distal end of the handle. In other embodiments rotation control stops are provided on both elements, thus providing for effective rotation control, which has a high quality feel to the user.

An improved surgical instrument having several improvements and advantages over the prior art. Surgical instrument has an end-effector capable of several different operations, including grasping, cutting, and sealing and/or coagulating tissue, and one of the operations is controlled by handle that is moveable relative to instrument to move end effector between two conditions. Providing a simplified latching mechanism for this moveable handle, which latching mechanism is formed of single integrally formed component arranged to engage with handle to allow end effector to be retained in one condition, thus leaving user's hand free to perform other functions of instrument. Therefore, a user may use surgical instrument to grasp tissue between end effector by activating end effector using handle, then use latch mechanism to latch handle in the end effector activation position, allowing surgeon to remove his hand from handle and perform some other task.