A hand tool has a pivot connection pivotally attaching a first arm to a second arm, with the pivot connection fixed relative to the first arm and movable to first and second positions relative to the second arm. A spring urges the pivot connection into the first position. When jaws on the front ends of the arms clamp tissue with force greater than a pre-set threshold, the spring force is overcome and the jaws may move linearly apart, allowing for more uniform clamping of the tissue. The first arm may have an arm spring extending between a front segment pivotally attached to a rear segment of the first arm.

A surgical retractor is disclosed herein. In some embodiments, a surgical retractor includes a body extending from a proximal end to a distal end and having a first portion coupled to a second portion via a hinged connection, wherein the first and second portions are configured to rotate about a body axis; a first radiolucent tip coupled to a distal portion of the first portion; a second radiolucent tip coupled to a distal portion of the second portion; a holder coupled to one of the first or second portions; and a deformable member extending through the holder, wherein the deformable member is configured to be deformed to facilitate fixation of the surgical retractor at a desired location.

An apparatus includes a gripping instrument that includes a first arm and a second arm disposed opposite the first arm. The first arm and the second arm are joined at a joint, where an end of the first arm opposite the joint is configured to move towards an end of the second arm opposite the joint in a gripping direction. The apparatus further includes a blade disposed on the first arm, where the blade is oriented at an angle that is non-parallel to the gripping direction.

A branch-crossed surgical instrument includes a female branch and a male branch, each branch having a terminal portion over the longitudinal extension thereof. The terminal portion of the female branch is passed through by a passage opening, which has a distal and a proximal longitudinal end surface, each having two outer edges and adjusted to receive the terminal portion of the male branch such that the two terminal portions form a plug-through closure in an assembly position of the instrument. The passage opening has a length, wherein the outer edges of the longitudinal end surfaces are exposed in all relative positions of the two branches, in particular in a completely closed position and/or in a completely opened position of the instrument, and not covered by the male branch.

An orthopedic clamp to assist in reducing the displacement between bone ends of a fracture, and to position a fixation device, during open fracture reduction surgery is described. The clamp includes a holder to hold the fixation device against the bone. The clamp may also swivel in relation to the holder while the position of the fixation device remains unchanged. The clamp may be modular so that components thereof may be released and/or attached.

A multifunctional surgical instrument for extension of laparotomic, laparoscopic, robotic and thoracotomic incisions allows at the same time the spreading apart of the cutaneous/subcutaneous corners, pinching and lifting of the deep parietal layer, its dissection with the electrosurgical knife and protection of the surrounding and underlying tissues, particularly the intestinal ansae in the peritoneal cavity, during the dissection itself.

Conventional vasectomy techniques suffer from a number of disadvantages and potential complications, including, for example, a substantial risk for the development of hematomas, swelling, and post-surgical pain, a potential for spontaneous regeneration and undesired resumption of fertility, a need for a highly skilled surgical professional, as well as a long recovery period, accompanied by severe limitations on post-surgical activity. The present invention overcomes the disadvantages and deficiencies of the prior art by providing vasectomy instruments, kits, and methods that allow for a rapid, reliable, less invasive male sterilization procedure that may be readily, reliably and successfully performed by minimally skilled personnel around the world in a variety of medical settings.

The suturing instrument uses a tissue suturing method consisting in introducing a quick-hardening biocompatible mass (hereinafter referred to as the ‘mass’) into the tissues to be connected or drawing it from them through hollow needles. The instrument has housing (1) with tissue gripping jaws (2 and 3) with control handles (5, 14). One of the jaws contains needle holder (19) with mechanism (17) moving it both ways. The needle holder contains mass receptacle (25, 28) above needles (18) that is connected to needle mouths via damper (33). A mechanism squeezing the mass out of the receptacle is located above the receptacle: inflatable bladder (29) that is open to external source of elevated pressure (31), rod or lock plate (59) with a device securing it to jaw walls (3) or instrument housing walls (1) on needle withdrawal from tissues. The mass receptacle presses against the fixed lock plate on needle lifting, and the mass is uniformly fed into tissues. The instrument can also be mounted on surgical forceps, (FIG. 1).

A medical or surgical instrument, preferably of the pincers, scissors and/or forceps design, includes at least two legs pivoted relative to each other in a pivoting plane and lockable in at least one pivoting direction and in at least one pivoting position. The legs include locking portions adapted to be brought into locking engagement with each other, with the locking portions offset against each other normal to the pivoting plane by such offset that, when the legs are pivoted in the pivoting plane, the locking portions laterally pass each other in the pivoting plane without getting into locking engagement with each other. The medical or surgical instrument is configured in such way that the locking engagement of the locking portions is implemented only by applying a transverse force normal to the pivoting plane to at least one of the legs while cancelling the lateral offset.

An orthopedic clamp to assist in reducing the displacement between bone ends of a fracture, and to position a fixation device, during open fracture reduction surgery is described. The clamp includes a holder to hold the fixation device against the bone. The clamp may also swivel in relation to the holder while the position of the fixation device remains unchanged. The clamp may be modular so that components thereof may be released and/or attached.