A minimally invasive tissue incision system for creating joint capsulotomies and releasing/incising various tissues, tendons, and fibrous band structures is described. The system contains a penetrating needle which is retractable so as to expose a cutting element, and which may be used as a penetrating needle to pierce the skin and other soft tissue structures. The cutting element provided within the penetrating needle may be used to incise subsequent tissue structures after the initial penetration. The system facilitates such procedures by providing the cutting element with the confines of the needle which provides safe introduction of the cutting element directly to the site via the needle.

A biopsy device comprising: a cannula comprising an elongate cannula body extending between a cannula distal end and a cannula proximal end to define a lumen, wherein the cannula comprises a cutting portion at the cannula distal end; a stylet comprising an elongate body having a stylet distal end and a stylet proximal end, the stylet being slidably disposed within the lumen, wherein the stylet comprises a tissue sampling portion. The tissue sampling portion is formed by a notch in the body of the stylet at or near the stylet distal end. The biopsy device further comprises an actuator assembly, the actuator assembly arranged to move the cannula relative to the stylet between a retracted position in which at least part of the tissue sampling portion is exposed and an extended position in which the cannula at least partly surrounds the tissue sampling portion. The actuator assembly comprises a cannula actuator moveable between a primed configuration and an actuated configuration to move the cannula between the retracted position and the extended position. The biopsy device further comprises a selective coupling mechanism arranged to provide a selective coupling between the actuator assembly and one or both of the stylet and the cannula.

Disclosed herein is a medical device. The medical device includes an outer tubular member and an inner tubular member. The outer tubular member has a distal end, an open window disposed at the distal end, and one or more dimples. The inner tubular member has a distal tip and one or more axial grooves. The inner tubular member is configured to be received within the outer tubular member. The one or more axial grooves and the one or more dimples are configured to align the distal tip of the inner tubular member with the open window of the outer tubular member. The open window of the outer tubular member and the distal tip of the inner tubular member are configured to cut tissue.

A core needle biopsy device includes a body, a needle assembly and a drive assembly. The needle assembly extends distally from the body and includes a hollow piercer and a hollow cutter. The piercer is disposed within the cutter. The cutter includes a distal tip and a swaged portion proximate the distal tip. The drive assembly is configured to selectively cock and fire the piercer and the cutter.

A guided robotic system is disclosed. The guided robotic system includes a magnetic resonance imaging apparatus for real-time imaging of a subject, a computer system for analyzing images in real-time, and a robotic system for guiding a robotic arm based on real-time analysis of the images. A method of using a guided robotic system is also disclosed. The method includes acquiring live magnetic resonance images of a subject, analyzing the live magnetic resonance images to continuously identify a target portion of the subject, guiding a robotic arm towards an identified target portion of the subject based on the live magnetic resonance images, and performing a procedure at the target portion of the subject. The non-limiting procedures using the guided robotic system may include, for example, biopsy, stent insertion.

A core needle biopsy device includes a needle assembly, a drive assembly, and a tissue sample holder. The needle assembly includes a piercer and a hollow cutter. The piercer includes a sharp distal tip and a notch proximal to the distal tip. The piercer is slidably disposed within the cutter to sever a tissue sample into the notch of the piercer. The drive assembly is configured to selectively move the piercer and the cutter. The tissue sample holder has a sample chamber and a wiper. The wiper is movable relative to the piercer and cutter to manipulate a severed tissue sample into the sample chamber.

A system and method for guidance of a device having a curved needle to a target tissue includes a tracking system having an imaging component, a processor, and a curved needle with known geometric parameters. The processor is configured to calculate a needle trajectory based on geometric considerations of the needle and the target tissue. Additional features and methods of the invention include a display with an annotated overlay for directing and tracking the curved device.

A tissue cutting device that is especially suited for neurosurgical applications is disclosed and described, as well as alternative systems for tissue preservation and transport. The cutting device includes an outer cannula in which a reciprocating inner cannula is disposed. A tissue collector is also provided and is in fluid communication with the lumen of the inner cannula. A temperature control sleeve may be disposed around the tissue collector to control the temperature of the tissue samples. A preservation system may be supplied that is configured to deliver fluids to tissue samples in the tissue collector. A fluid supply sleeve may be disposed about the outer cannula and is selectively positionable along the length of the outer cannula.

This invention relates to a device (10) for taking at least one sample of soft tissue from an organ, said device comprising a body (11) and a needle (12) formed by a stylet (13) and a cannula (14) coaxial with said stylet, said device comprising a mechanism for arming the needle, designed for sequentially moving the cannula (14) and then the stylet (13) from a rest position wherein the stylet and the cannula are extended towards the outside of the body, to a shooting position wherein the stylet and the cannula are retracted towards the rear of the body, and a triggering mechanism designed to release the stylet then the cannula and to allow their displacement from the shooting position to the rest position, the cannula being coupled kinematically to a cannula slider (24) comprising at least one retaining element (26) for maintaining the cannula slider in a shooting position, the stylet being coupled kinematically to a stylet slider (30) comprising at least one retaining element (32) for maintaining the stylet slider in a shooting position and means for unlocking (34) the cannula slider. At least one of said retaining elements of the cannula slider (26) or stylet slider (32) comprises at least a hook (50) arranged to rest against a corresponding retaining element (27, 33) in a locking position and to release the retaining element (27, 33) in a shooting position. The retaining element is unhooked from said retaining means by a striker (51), this striker comprising elastic blades (52) which number is at least equal to the number of hooks of said retaining element, these elastic blades (52) being arranged to be in contact with said hooks. The striker (51) cooperates with a stressing ring (53) arranged around the elastic blades (52) of the striker (51), this stressing ring (53) being arranged to be movable in a first stressing position, in which said ring acts on the elastic blades (52) of the striker and forces them in order to allow a sufficient force to be applied to the hooks (50) of the retaining element, and a second free position, in which said stressing ring (53) does not apply a sufficient stress to the hooks (50) for unhooking the hooks from the retaining means.

A medical robot system, including a robot coupled to an effectuator element with the robot configured for controlled movement and positioning. The system may include a transmitter configured to emit signals, and the transmitter is coupled to an instrument coupled to the effectuator element. The system may further include a motor assembly coupled to the robot and a plurality of receivers configured to receive the signals emitted by the transmitter. A control unit is coupled to the motor assembly and the plurality of receivers, and the control unit is configured to supply instruction signals to the motor assembly. The instruction signals can be configured to cause the motor assembly to selectively move the effectuator element and is further configured to (i) calculate a position of the transmitter; (ii) display the position of the at least one transmitter; and (iii) selectively control actuation of the motor assembly.