An apparatus for deflecting a distal portion of a catheter, a sheath, a medical device, or other flexible elongate member may generally include a handle portion, a pair of adjusting knobs, and deflection wires. The adjusting knobs may be rotatably coupled to the handle portion and operably coupled to the deflection wires. The deflection wires may be in further communication with the distal portion of the flexible elongate member. Rotation of the adjustment knobs may translate or otherwise displace particular deflection wires with respect to the rest of the flexible elongate member, thereby causing the distal portion of the flexible elongate member to deflect. Further, the deflection wires may be oriented such that the distal portion of the flexible elongate member may be deflected in a multitude of directions.

A medical device includes an inner element and an outer element positioned at least in part around the inner element. At least one of the inner element and the outer element comprises compression-stiffening particles. The compression-stiffening particles are transitionable from a first state to a second state in response to application of pressure. The compression-stiffening particles have a higher rigidity in the second state than in the first state. The medical device also includes a pressure source operably coupled to one or both of the inner element and the outer element to apply pressure sufficient to transition the compression-stiffening particles from the first state to the second state.

A treatment tool includes an elongated shaft that has a bending mechanism at a distal end thereof; a bending operation part that is connected to a proximal-end side of the shaft in order to operate the bending mechanism; a connection sleeve that is provided at a connection section of the bending operation part where the bending operation part and the shaft are connected, and that rotatably holds the shaft; a rotation operation member that is provided at the proximal-end side of the shaft and that rotates the shaft; and a stopper member that can be made to slide outside the connection sleeve along a direction of a longitudinal axis of the shaft and that is engaged with both the rotation operation member and the connection sleeve at a specific position in a range of movement thereof, thereby locking rotation of the shaft with respect to the connection sleeve.

A handheld endoscope has a disposable, single-use portion that includes a fluid hub, cannula, distal tip and is steerable by the operator though actuation of one or two levers. The endoscope also includes re-usable portion that has a handle and display module. The distal tip includes LED illumination and an imaging module that feeds live video to the display module that is rotatable to allow viewing by the operator and others. The single-use and re-usable portions mate and un-mate with each other via physically separated mechanical and electrical connectors. The single use portion can include grasper device that can be actuated by an operator using an actuation tab.

A vascular device is provided having a catheter body and a rotatable cutter assembly located at the distal end of the catheter body. The cutter assembly has at least one helical cutting surface within a housing that is coupled by a torque shaft to a drive mechanism. A conveyor mechanism helically wound about the torque shaft conveys occlusive material conveyed into the housing by the helical cutting blade further proximally along the catheter body for discharge without supplement of a vacuum pump. The catheter body is manipulated to insert the distal end of the catheter body within a body lumen and advance the distal end of the catheter body toward the occlusive material. The drive mechanism is operated to rotate the helical cutting surface to cut and convey the occlusive material from the body lumen proximally into the housing and to convey the occlusive material conveyed into the housing by the helical cutting surface further proximally along the catheter body by the conveyor mechanism for discharge without supplement of a vacuum pump. The distal end of the catheter body is deflected and rotated to sweep the cutter assembly in an arc about the center axis of the catheter body to cut occlusive material in a region larger than the outside diameter of the cutter assembly.

A robotic surgical system includes a hydraulic drive system and a surgical instrument removably positioned in operative engagement with the hydraulic drive system.

A surgical instrument includes a shaft assembly, an end effector, a console, a conductor assembly, and voltage sensors. The shaft assembly has conductive components. The conductor assembly is configured to transfer power from the console to the end effector and includes a ground return path. Each of the conductive components is configured to couple with a corresponding one of the voltage sensors and with the ground return path. The voltage sensors are operable to measure a voltage potential difference of the coupled conductive component relative to a ground potential defined by the ground return path. The console is configured to determine whether the measured voltage potential difference exceeds a maximum threshold value. When the measured voltage potential difference exceeds the maximum threshold value, the console is further configured to initiate a corrective action.

Improved systems for diagnosing and/or treating arrhythmia of a heart makes use of an array of articulation balloons to control movement of a distal portion of a catheter inside the heart, and may be used to align a diagnostic or treatment tool with a target tissue surface region along or adjacent an inner surface of one of the chambers of the heart. The articulation balloons can generate articulation forces at the site of articulation, and the movement may provide greater dexterity than movements induced by transmitting articulation forces proximally along a catheter body that winds through a tortuous vascular pathway. One or more fluid channels may transmit pressure signals that can be used to determine engagement forces between an electrode or other surface near the distal and of an elongate flexible structure and a tissue or other surface, and those same channels may also be used to control inflation of a balloon articulation array, with the pressure signals optionally providing both force and engagement orientation information.

An atherectomy catheter includes an elongate flexible catheter body, a cutter near the distal end of the catheter body, a drive shaft connected to the cutter and extending within the catheter body, an imaging element near the distal end of the catheter body.