An arthroscopic cutting probe includes an elongated shaft assembly having a distal end, a proximal end, and a longitudinal axis therebetween. A working end at the distal end of the elongated shaft assembly includes a first active electrode and a second active electrode The shaft assembly is rotates the first electrode relative to the second electrode about the longitudinal axis, and a return electrode is carried on the shaft assembly proximal of the working end. The first and second active electrodes are electrically coupled to each other and electrically isolated from the return electrode.

A vibrating hand held surgical instrument for loosening tissue of a patient for liposuction or body contouring procedures. The instrument includes a motor connected to a vibration actuator having an eccentric rotating mass and an end effector for engaging tissue operatively connected to the vibration actuator, wherein the motor rotates the eccentric mass to cause the end effector to vibrate to loosen tissue. A flexible shaft having first end and second ends dampen the vibration to the motor and to the operator handle.

A tissue cutting device has an outer sleeve with a distal window and an inner cutting sleeve which moves past the window to cut tissue. The inner cutting sleeve has a lumen which may have a larger proximal diameter than distal diameter. A perimeter of the window may comprise a dielectric material. A distal edge of the inner sleeve may be displaced inwardly.

A medical instrument includes a tubular cutter extending along an axis and having a windowed outer sleeve and a moveable inner cutting sleeve. An ultrasound transducer is operatively coupled to the inner cutting sleeve in order to induce motion in the inner cutting sleeve to enhance cutting or resection of tissue by the inner cutting sleeve as it is reciprocated or otherwise moved past the cutting window. The instrument typically will include a motor drive configured to reciprocate and/or rotate the inner cutting sleeve relative to the windowed outer sleeve, usually at a reciprocation rate between 1 and 10 Hz.

A rotary valve includes a rotor housing having a first centrally-located aperture extending axially through the rotor housing, an inlet port, and an outlet port. The inlet port and the outlet port each extend radially and open into the first centrally-located aperture. The rotary valve further includes a rotor to be disposed within the first centrally-located aperture. The rotor includes a main body and a dwell space extending radially inwardly into the main body and circumferentially around a portion of the main body. The rotor further includes a second centrally-located aperture that extends axially through a distal end of the rotor and into the dwell space within the main body.

A tissue-removing catheter includes a drive assembly operatively connected to a drive shaft to impart rotation and reciprocation to the drive shaft and thereby rotate and reciprocate a tissue-removing element of the catheter. The drive assembly includes a prime mover configured to generate a rotational drive force and a reciprocating rotor operatively connected to the prime mover to receive the rotational drive force. The rotor is also operatively connected to the drive shaft to impart rotation and reciprocation to the drive shaft. The drive assembly can include a stator configured to constrain rotation and reciprocation of the reciprocating rotor relative to an axis of the rotor. The rotor can define a race that extends around the rotor axis, and the stator can define one or more bearing projections that track through the race as the prime mover rotates the rotor about the rotor axis to drive reciprocation of the rotor.

A distal aspiration catheter comprises catheter body having a central lumen and at least one luminal channel. An aspiration source is configured to attach to a proximal end/luer hub of the central lumen. Each luminal channel includes one mandrel and a distal portion of the mandrel extends into a distal portion in the central lumen. When the aspiration source is activated, a clot/emboli lodged in a blood vessel is partially ingested into the distal portion of the central lumen. The distal portion of the mandrel can move into the partially ingested clot to induce clot fatigue. The fatigued clot can be removed completely by a single pass of the distal aspiration catheter.

A differential dissecting instrument for differentially dissecting complex tissue is disclosed. The differential dissecting instrument comprises a handle and an elongate member having a first end and a second end, wherein the first end is connected to the handle. The differential dissecting instrument comprises a differential dissecting member configured to be rotatably attached to the second end and further comprises at least one tissue engaging surface. The differential dissecting instrument comprises a mechanism configured to mechanically rotate the differential dissecting member around an axis of rotation, thereby causing the at least one tissue engaging surface to move in at least one direction against the complex tissue. The at least one tissue engaging surface is configured to selectively engage the complex tissue such that the at least one tissue engaging surface disrupts at least one soft tissue in the complex tissue, but does not disrupt firm tissue in the complex tissue.

An aspiration control device may include a conduit having a distal end and a proximal end and defining a conduit lumen, wherein the conduit defines a vent that is open to the conduit lumen, a coupling configured to couple the proximal end of the conduit with a vacuum source and an inner cannula such that a vacuum is supplied to each of the conduit lumen and the inner cannula, a sleeve movably disposed about the conduit and configured to move relative to the vent to achieve a desired level of vacuum delivered to the inner cannula.

Arthroscopic cutters are used for resecting tissues, such as meniscal tissues, in meniscectomies or other arthroscopic procedures. The arthroscopic cutters have a shaft assembly with openable-closeable jaws at a working end of the shaft. A handpiece having a motor drive may be detachably coupled to a hub on a hub end of the handpiece. When the shaft is coupled to the handpiece, the motor drive will couple to the jaw structure to open and close the jaw structure to cut meniscal and other tissues.