[Object] To effectively eliminate an effect of smoke that is generated by cauterization of a tissue. [Solving Means] Provided is a control apparatus including a control unit configured to control smoke removal processing on an image of a living body taken during surgery and actual smoke evacuation of smoke in the living body, in which the control unit allows execution of at least the smoke removal processing on the basis of a fact that the smoke has been detected. Also provided is a control system including: an endoscope configured to take an image of a living body during surgery; a control apparatus configured to control smoke removal processing on the image of the living body and actual smoke evacuation of smoke in the living body; and a smoke evacuation apparatus configured to execute the actual smoke evacuation of the smoke on a basis of control by the control apparatus, in which the control apparatus executes at least the smoke removal processing on a basis of a fact that the smoke has been detected.

A valve mechanism (3) for attaching to a proximal end (4) of a trocar cannula (2) for minimising leakage of insufflating and other gases proximally from the trocar cannula (2), comprises a housing (7) adapted for securing to the trocar cannula (2) adjacent the proximal end (4) thereof. The housing (7) defines an instrument bore (22) extending from a proximal end (23) to a distal end (21). A distal valve (28) is located adjacent the distal end (21) of the instrument bore (22) and is pivotal from an open state to a closed state. A proximal valve (40) is located towards the proximal end (23) of the instrument bore (22), and comprises first and second valve members (41) and (42) which are urgeable from a withdrawn state clear of the instrument bore (22) to an engagement state sealably engaging an instrument in the instrument bore (22) for sealing the instrument bore (22). A detecting probe (34) pivotal about a primary pivot axis (35) is urgeable distally from a first state to a second state by the distal end of an instrument passing distally through the instrument bore (22). A drive transmission (74,108) transmits drive from the detecting probe (34) to the proximal and distal valves (40,28), so that as the detecting probe (34) is urged from a first state to a second state the distal valve (28) is urged into the open state and the proximal valve (40) is simultaneously urged from the withdrawn state to the engagement state to minimise leakage of gas proximally through the instrument bore (22) and to minimise contact of an instrument with the proximal and distal valves (40,28).

A method is disclosed comprising providing a biological sample on a swab, directing a spray of charged droplets onto a surface of the swab in order to generate a plurality of analyte ions, and analysing the analyte ions.

One aspect of the invention is a method to vent gas from a body cavity during an endoscopic procedure. A body cavity is in fluid communication with an exhaust gas inlet of a vacuum break device. The vacuum break device has a chamber in fluid communication with both the inlet and an outlet. The chamber may comprise one or more openings in fluid communication with the atmosphere. A conduit in fluid communication with the exhaust gas outlet may be connected directly or indirectly to a suction source. The suction source may be activated.

A surgical instrument includes an end effector having a first jaw, a second jaw movable relative to the first jaw to grasp tissue therebetween, an anvil, a staple cartridge comprising staples deployable into the tissue, wherein the staples are deformable by the anvil, and a sensor configured to provide a sensor signal according to a physiological parameter of the tissue. The surgical instrument further includes a control circuit coupled to the sensor, wherein the control circuit is configured to receive the sensor signal, and assess proximity of the sensor to cancerous tissue based on the sensor signal.

A method for constructing a modular surgical system is disclosed. The method comprises providing a header module comprising a first power backplane segment, providing a surgical module comprising a second power backplane segment, assembling the header module and the surgical module to electrically couple the first power backplane segment and the second power backplane segment to each other to form a power backplane, and applying power to the surgical module through the power backplane.

A method for producing a surgical instrument is disclosed. The method comprises obtaining a handle, wherein the handle comprises a distal end comprising a shaft interface surface and a first set of magnetic elements. The method further comprises obtaining a shaft, wherein the shaft comprises a proximal end comprising a handle interface surface, a second set of magnetic elements, and a third set of magnetic elements. The method further comprises attaching the shaft to the handle, wherein the shaft interface surface is configured to engage the shaft at the handle interface surface, wherein an attractive magnetic force is configured to pull the handle towards the shaft when the first set of magnetic elements interact with the second magnetic elements, and wherein a repulsive magnetic force is configured to repel the handle from the shaft when the first set of magnetic elements interacts with the third set of magnetic elements.

A fluid filtration device having an outer cylindrical surface with a first diameter having a longitudinal axis, and an inner cylindrical surface with an inner diameter substantially centered about the longitudinal axis, and a plurality of longitudinal holes substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis arranged between the outer cylindrical surface and the inner cylindrical surface.

Examples of a module for housing unrelated electronic and electromechanical equipment for use during surgery. The module can include a lower section and a tower-like upper section. The lower section can house unrelated electronic and electromechanical equipment. The tower-like upper section can be located on top of the lower section. A water-resistant cowling can enclose at least a portion of the lower section and the tower-like upper section. A cartridge containing one or more ultraviolet-C producing lights can be protectively housed within the tower-like upper section. The cartridge containing one or more ultraviolet-C producing lights can be configured to emerge upward from a top of the tower-like upper section to substantially seat itself on the top of the tower-like upper section when activated allowing the ultraviolet-C light to disinfect the patient and staff-contacting upper surfaces of the equipment in the operating room.

A surgical smoke evacuation system includes an imaging device configured to capture an image of a surgical site, a smoke evacuator in communication with the imaging device and including a suction generator configured to create a vacuum pressure, an electrosurgical pencil including a nozzle, a suction conduit coupling the nozzle to the smoke evacuator, a processor, and a memory. The memory includes instructions stored thereon which, when executed by the processor, cause the surgical smoke evacuation system to: identify a feature in the captured image of the surgical site; classify an amount of smoke in the image using a machine learning network based on the identified feature; and dynamically adjust the vacuum pressure generated by the smoke evacuator based on the classified amount of smoke in the image.