A device for forcefully inserting a surgical implant in a recipient bone by impaction, comprising an impactor (10) that exerts an impaction force on the implant and is associated with at least one sensor (12). The sensor (12) measures a value from among the exerted impaction force and the deformation of the impactor (10) and provides a measurement signal representing the temporal variation of said value during an impact. The sensor (12) is connected to a processing unit (30) that is configured to compute, on the basis of the temporal variation of said value during the impact, an indicator representing the level of contact between the implant and the recipient bone. The indicator corresponds to the duration separating the instant corresponding to the first maximum amplitude peak of the measurement signal from the instant corresponding to the second maximum amplitude peak of the measurement signal. The implant can be a femoral rod (2).

Adapters for surgical drilling systems, and methods of use, are provided for performing surgical procedures, such as surgical drilling into bony structures, while guided by a conductivity sensing system. The adapters may be configured to be coupled to a surgical drilling tool such as a conventional surgical drill and a drill bit having conductivity sensing capabilities, or a surgical hand tool having conductivity sensing capabilities. The adapters further include a controller configured to receive one or more signal indicative of measured electrical conductivity and/or penetration depth measurement, detect a condition associated with a change of measured electrical conductivity based on the signal, and arrest advancement of the surgical drilling tool responsive to detection of the condition.

Systems, devices, and methods for controlling cooperative surgical instruments are provided. Various aspects of the present disclosure provide for coordinated operation of surgical instruments accessing a common body cavity of a patient from different approaches to achieve a common surgical purpose. For example, various methods, devices, and systems disclosed herein can enable the coordinated treatment of surgical tissue by disparate minimally invasive surgical systems that approach the tissue from varying anatomical spaces and operate in concert with one another to effect a desired surgical treatment.

The present invention is directed to a surgical instrument with a robotics system, a memory device and an end effector having an elongate channel, knife position sensor(s) and a firing bar coupled to a knife. In response to drive motions initiated by the robotics system, the firing bar may translate within the elongate channel. As the firing bar translates, the sensor(s) transmit a signal to the memory device. The position of the knife may be determined from the output signals and may be communicated to the robotics system or instrument user. The sensors may be Hall Effect sensors.

An apparatus for automatically separating hair follicles includes a follicle separating unit configured to cut a skin tissue of a scalp cut from a back of a head of an alopecic patient in units of follicles and to classify follicles by a number of hairs included in each follicle in an incisional hair transplant or to classify follicles each directly extracted from the back of the head of the alopecic patient by the number of hairs included in each follicle in a non-incisional hair transplant, and a follicle separation control unit configured to control an operation of the follicle separating unit.

A surgical instrument. The surgical instrument includes an end effector that comprises a staple channel and an anvil that is movably translatable relative to the staple channel. A tool mounting portion is configured to interface with a robotic system and operably communicate with the end effector. The instrument further includes a first sensor that has an output that represents a first condition of a portion of the robotic system. A second sensor has an output that represents a position of the anvil. A third sensor has an output that represents a position of a reciprocating knife within the end effector. An externally accessible memory device communicates with the first, second and third sensors.

Systems and methods and devices are provided for treating conditions such as heart failure and/or pulmonary hypertension by at least partially occluding flow through the superior vena cava for an interval spanning multiple cardiac cycles. A catheter with an occlusion device is provided along with a controller that actuates a drive mechanism to provide at least partial occlusion of the patient's superior vena cava, which reduces cardiac filling pressures, and induces a favorable shift in the patient's Frank-Starling curve towards healthy heart functionality and improved cardiac performance. The occlusion device may include a lumen obstructed by a relief valve that may permit fluid flow through the occlusion device to release an excessive build-up of pressure.

An elongate electrode is configured to flex and generate plasma to incise tissue. An electrical energy source operatively coupled to the electrode is configured to provide electrical energy to the electrode to generate the plasma. A tensioning element is operatively coupled to the elongate electrode. The tensioning element can be configured to provide tension to the elongate electrode to allow the elongate electrode to flex in response to the elongate electrode engaging the tissue and generating the plasma. The tensioning element operatively coupled to the flexible elongate electrode may allow for the use of a small diameter electrode, such as a 5 μm to 20 μm diameter electrode, which can allow narrow incisions to be formed with decreased tissue damage. In some embodiments, the tensioning of the electrode allows the electrode to more accurately incise tissue by decreasing variations in the position of the electrode along the incision path.

Various systems and methods for determining the composition of tissue via an ultrasonic surgical instrument are disclosed. A control circuit can be configured to monitor the change in resonant frequency of an ultrasonic electromechanical system of the ultrasonic surgical instrument as the ultrasonic blade oscillates against a tissue and determine the composition of the tissue accordingly. In some aspects, the control circuit can be configured to modify the operation of the ultrasonic electromechanical system or other operational parameters of the ultrasonic surgical instrument according to the detected tissue composition.

A system and method of collision avoidance includes determining a position and an orientation, the position and the orientation being of a repositionable arm or of an instrument, the repositionable arm being configured to support the instrument; determining, based on the position and the orientation, a plurality of first virtual boundaries around the repositionable arm or the instrument; determining a second virtual boundary around an object; determining a first overlap force on the repositionable arm due to a first overlap between the second virtual boundary and a virtual boundary of the plurality of first virtual boundaries; determining a tip force on a distal end of the instrument based on the first overlap force; and applying the tip force as a first feedback force on the instrument or the repositionable arm.