A surgical instrument includes a housing, a shaft extending from the housing, an end effector assembly extending from the shaft and configured to rotate and/or articulate relative to the housing, a motor disposed within the housing and operably coupled to the end effector assembly to rotate and/or articulate of the end effector assembly relative to the housing, and a sensing assembly configured to sense movement of the housing relative to a reference position and to drive the motor to rotate and/or articulate of the end effector assembly relative to the housing based upon the sensed movement. The sensing assembly is configured to operate in each of a standard mode, wherein movement of the housing effects rotation and/or articulation of the end effector assembly in a similar direction, and a reversed mode, wherein movement of the housing effects rotation and/or articulation of the end effector assembly in an opposite direction.

According to an aspect, a medical device includes an elongate member, a needle, and a suture. The needle is movably coupled to the elongate member. The suture is disposed within a lumen defined by the elongate member. The suture has a coupling member coupled to a first portion of the suture. The coupling member is configured to be coupled to a second portion of the suture.

An ultrasonic device may include an electromechanical ultrasonic system defined by a predetermined resonant frequency, in which the system may include an ultrasonic transducer coupled to an ultrasonic blade. A method of estimating a state of an end effector of the ultrasonic device may include applying a drive signal defined by a magnitude and a frequency to the ultrasonic transducer, sweeping the frequency of the drive signal from below a first resonance to above the first resonance of the electromagnetic ultrasonic system, measuring and recording, impedance/admittance circle variables R.sub.e, G.sub.e, X.sub.e, and B.sub.e, comparing, the measured impedance/admittance circle variables R.sub.e, G.sub.e, X.sub.e, and B.sub.e to reference impedance/admittance circle variables R.sub.ref, G.sub.ref, X.sub.ref, and B.sub.ref, and determining, a state or condition of the end effector based on the result of the comparison. An electromechanical ultrasonic system may include a control circuit to effect the method.

Certain aspects relate to systems, devices and techniques for vessel sealing and cutting. In particular, an instrument is provided that is capable of performing multiple functions, including sealing and cutting. The instrument can be robotically controlled, and can include a shaft, a multi-DOF wrist, and an end effector. The end effector is capable of generating and delivering heat via different energy modalities to perform the various functions at different temperatures.

A surgical instrument for use with a robotic system that has a control unit and a shaft portion that includes an electrically conductive elongated member that is attached to a portion of the robotic system. The elongated member is configured to transmit control motions from the robotic system to an end effector.

Devices and methods are provided for stabilizing fasteners post-deployment. Devices and methods are also provided for facilitating ejection of surgical fasteners from a cartridge. Devices and methods are also provided for guiding surgical fasteners. Devices and methods are also provided for facilitating closing and clamping of an end effector of a surgical device. Devices and methods are also provided for securing fasteners and adjunct materials to tissue. Devices and methods are also provided for removably coupling a cartridge to an end effector of a surgical device. Devices and methods are also provided for locking a surgical device based on loading of a fastener cartridge in the surgical device. Devices and methods are provided for adjusting a tissue gap of an end effector of a surgical device. Devices and methods are also provided for manually retracting a drive shaft, drive beam, and associated components.

Disclosed is a reusable surgical instrument (1) with an articulated end-effector (3), such as a dissector, scissor or grasper, to enhance a surgeon's performance during various surgical procedures. The longitudinal axis of the instrument is defined by a shaft (2), comprising an internal structural element (2″) covered by an external tube (2′), which may be inserted through a surgical incision into the body of a patient, optionally through a trocar. The articulated end-effector (3) is mounted on the distal extremity of the shaft's internal structural element and comprises a plurality of links interconnected by a plurality of joints, whose movements are remotely actuated by the surgeon's hands. This remote actuation is accomplished via mechanical transmission (5, 6, 7), mainly composed of flexible elements, which are able to deliver motion from a set of actuation elements, placed at a proximal extremity of the shaft (2), to the instrument's articulated end-effector (3). The external tube (2′) can be easily and individually detached from the shaft (2) after each procedure, so that the instrument (1) can be more effectively cleaned and sterilized.

Medical device for transcatheter heart valve repair comprising a grasping tweezer (1) and a plicating tweezer (2), said grasping tweezer (1) being adapted to grasp a leaflet rim (3) and said plicating tweezer (2) comprising two rotatable flaps (4,5) and a central shaft (6) around which said flaps (4,5) may rotate in a “butterfly manner”, in such a way that the plicating tweezer (2) may adopt a closed or an open configuration. The invention also relates to a method for using this medical device.

Various exemplary methods, systems, and devices for initializing a surgical tool are provided. In general, a surgical tool can include an end effector, an elongate shaft, and a wrist that couples the end effector to a distal end of the shaft. The wrist can be configured to facilitate movement of the end effector relative to the shaft. The surgical tool can include multiple flexible members configured to move, either individually or as a group including any plural number of the flexible members, to cause the movement of the end effector relative to the shaft by pivoting at the wrist. The movement of the end effector can include movement between an unarticulated position and an articulated position. The surgical tool can also include one or more homing members configured to be selectively actuated to force the end effector into the unarticulated position.

A surgical device is provided that includes a jaw portion with a first jaw and a second jaw moveable relative to the first jaw. The surgical device also includes a shaft portion coupled to a proximal end of the jaw portion. A driver is configured to cause relative movement of the jaw portion and the shaft portion. The driver may be configured to cause the jaw portion to pivot relative to the shaft portion about a pivot axis that is perpendicular to first and second longitudinal axes defined by the jaw portion and the shaft portion, respectively. The driver may also be configured to cause at least a portion of the jaw portion to rotate relative to the shaft portion about the first longitudinal axis. Advantageously, the surgical device includes a surgical member, e.g., a cutting element and/or a stapling element, disposed within the first jaw.