A surgical instrument comprising a motor assembly, a shaft defining a shaft axis, a distal head, a rotary drive member, and a distal head lock member movable between a first position where the distal head is unlocked from the shaft and a second position where the distal head is locked to the shaft is disclosed. The motor assembly comprises a motor and a controller configured to operate the motor in first and second operating modes. The distal head comprises an end effector movable between an open configuration and a closed configuration. The distal head is rotated about the shaft axis when the distal head lock member is in the first position and the rotary drive member is actuated. The end effector is moved from the open configuration toward the closed configuration when the distal head lock member is in the second position and the rotary drive member is actuated.

An arthroscopic cutter according to one embodiment of the present disclosure includes an elongated outer sleeve that extends about a longitudinal axis with an interior bore having an open distal end. An inner sleeve is rotatable in the interior bore in the outer sleeve. The inner sleeve carries a distal housing having a longitudinal metal member and a longitudinal ceramic member that respectively form longitudinal-extending sides of the housing around an inner channel that communicates with a negative pressure source. The arthroscopic cutter also includes an electrode that is disposed in an outer surface of the longitudinal ceramic member.

Systems and methods for endometrial ablation. The systems include a handle and elongated introducer sleeve extending to an expandable working end having a fluid-tight interior chamber. A thin dielectric wall surrounds at least a portion of the interior chamber and has an external surface for contacting endometrial tissue. The thin dielectric wall surrounds a collapsible-expandable frame and receives an electrically non-conductive gas. First and second polarity electrodes are exposed to the interior and exterior of the chamber, respectively. A radiofrequency power source operatively connects to the electrode arrangement to apply a radiofrequency voltage across the first and second electrodes, wherein the voltage is sufficient to initiate ionization of the neutral gas into a conductive plasma within the interior chamber, and to capacitively couple the current in the plasma across the thin dielectric wall to ablate endometrial tissue engaged by the external surface of the dielectric structure.

Methods, systems and devices for evaluating the integrity of a uterine cavity. A method comprises introducing transcervically a probe into a patient's uterine cavity, providing a flow of a fluid (e.g., CO.sub.2) through the probe into the uterine cavity and monitoring the rate of the flow to characterize the uterine cavity as perforated or non-perforated based on a change in the flow rate.

A device for endometrial ablation having an elongated shaft with a working end comprising an expandable-contractable frame, a complaint energy-delivery surface carried by the frame, the surface and the frame being configured to engage against the interior of a patient's uterine cavity when the working end is inserted into the cavity and the frame is expanded.

A surgical system comprising a generator and a surgical instrument configured to receive power from the generator is disclosed. The surgical instrument comprises a housing, a shaft defining a longitudinal axis, an end effector, and an internal charge accumulator. The housing comprises a motor. The end effector is operably responsive to actuations from the electric motor, transitionable between an open and closed configuration, and rotatable about an articulation axis transverse to the longitudinal axis. The generator is incapable of supplying a sufficient power directly to the motor to perform the actuations. The internal charge accumulator is in electric communication with the generator and supplies power to the motor. The internal charge accumulator is chargeable by the generator to a threshold value at a charge rate dependent on a charge level of the internal charge accumulator. The charge rate is independent of a charge expenditure by the surgical instrument.

An electrical apparatus includes a spiral electrode and an interface circuit. The spiral electrode is disposed on a distal end of a probe for insertion into a body of a patient. The interface circuit is configured to (a) transfer a radiofrequency (RF) ablation signal to the electrode for ablating tissue in the body, (b) output a voltage that develops across the electrode in response to an external magnetic field, for measuring a position of the distal end in the body, and (c) transfer electrical current through the electrode for measuring a resistivity that is indicative of tissue temperature in a vicinity of the electrode.

An electrosurgical resector tool comprising an energy conveying structure for carrying radiofrequency (RF) electromagnetic (EM) energy and microwave EM energy having an instrument tip mounted at a distal end thereof. The instrument tip comprises first and second jaws. The second jaw is movable between a closed position and an open position, in which the second jaw is spaced from the first by a gap for receiving biological tissue. The first and second jaws respectively comprise first and second pairs of electrodes that are electrically isolated. The first and second pairs of electrodes are respectively coupled to the energy conveying structure, such that each pair is operable as active and return electrodes for delivering RF EM energy carried by the energy conveying structure. The first and second pairs of electrodes are operable as a microwave field emitting structure for emitting microwave EM energy carried by the energy conveying structure.

Electrosurgical systems and components thereof configured to deliver RF energy to a target site of a human or other animal patient with selectable RF energy delivery profiles, temperature sensors and controls, and/or electrodes configured to more uniformly or effectively delivery energy to target tissue.

An electrical apparatus includes a spiral electrode and an interface circuit. The spiral electrode is disposed on a distal end of a probe for insertion into a body of a patient. The interface circuit is configured to (a) transfer a radiofrequency (RF) ablation signal to the electrode for ablating tissue in the body, (b) output a voltage that develops across the electrode in response to an external magnetic field, for measuring a position of the distal end in the body, and (c) transfer electrical current through the electrode for measuring a resistivity that is indicative of tissue temperature in a vicinity of the electrode.