A medical device includes a handle; flexible tubing extending from the handle and having a proximal end fixed to the handle; flexible tip attached to the distal end of the flexible tubing; a tip actuator assembly adjusting the bending plane of the tip relative to the distal end and adjusting the degree of bending of the tip in the bending plane; user operable controls on the handle and moveable in a first, rotational direction relative to the handle and to a tip actuator assembly around an axis causing the tip actuator assembly to adjust the bending plane of the tip substantially and moveable relative to the handle and the tip actuator assembly along a second, substantially linear direction towards and away from the proximal end of the flexible tubing, causing the tip actuator assembly to adjust bending of the tip in the bending plane without adjusting the bending plane.

An intravascular device delivery system has an elongated member with a flexible hypotube. The hypotube can be rotationally keyed to a steerable catheter. The flexible hypotube includes one or more cuts to allow bending of the flexible hypotube within a first plane. The steerable catheter is steerable to bend the flexible hypotube within the first plane, and longitudinally movable relative to the flexible hypotube to allow distal movement of the steerable catheter relative to a distal end of the flexible hypotube.

A manipulator includes: an operating unit, and a bending assembly that is bent by operation of the operating unit, wherein: the bending assembly includes: a first link member having a first arc portion, a second link member having a second arc portion, an intermediate link member that includes a first intermediate arc portion and a second intermediate arc portion in opposition to the first intermediate arc portion, and is mounted between the first link member and the second link member.

A basket apparatus is described that assists in removing objects from within a patient. The apparatus includes a number of pull wires, each pull wire physically coupled to a different capstan that individually actuates one of the pull wires. The apparatus also includes an outer support shaft itself including a number of channels through which the pull wires traverse. The portions of the pull wires extending out of the outer support shaft form a basket of adjustable size, shape, and position. The pull wires are attached together at a tip located at a distal end of the basket apparatus. By controlling the actuation of the various pull wires, the basket's shape, position size can be manipulated to reposition the basket around an object located within a patient, independent of or in conjunction with motion of the remainder of the apparatus or an associated endoscope.

An articulating rotary cutting tool configured to articulate a distal cutting tip upon a trigger being operated. The trigger can be locked into various articulating positions. The velocity of rotation of a cutting bit is substantially constant in both articulating and non-articulating positions. An articulation joint is one of a hex ball joint or a flexible spring joint. A button is included to release a locking pressure holding the trigger in a locked position. The trigger may employ articulating sliding surfaces that provide constraint to a flexed head in both directions of articulation.

A dexterous operation arm driven by modular joint time-sharing switching, the operation arm comprising a plurality of completely identical sub-sections, each sub-section comprising three parts: an external elbow assembly, an internal transmission assembly, and an elbow drive unit. The tail end of the operation arm can be connected to end effectors, such as claws, tweezers, scissors, and the like, to form a dexterous micro-device, which is mounted at the tail end of a minimally invasive surgical robotic system to assist in minimally invasive surgery. The operation arm modularizes operation arm joints, and separates the drive of each joint, which improves the flexibility of the operation arm, and can enable dexterously delivering an end effector to the vicinity of a lesion for surgery.

The present invention relates to a convenient, minimally invasive surgical instrument, and more particularly to a minimally invasive surgical instrument to allow a user to operate an end effector by manipulating a handling unit or the like to perform a minimally invasive surgery in a delicate and convenient manner. According to one aspect of the invention, there is provided a minimally invasive surgical instrument comprising: a shaft; an end effector being connected to one end of the shaft via a joint unit; a rotation manipulation unit being connected to the other end of the shaft, the rotation manipulation unit comprising a gyro link including a gyro wheel; and a plurality of wires being connected between the joint unit and the gyro wheel, wherein the end effector carries out joint motion by the joint unit according to the action of at least some of the plurality of wires caused by a manipulation of the gyro wheel.

The present invention relates to a catheter for treating ectopic pregnancy, of which one end is inserted into the fallopian tube through the vaginal cavity, and the other end is exposed to the outside of the body, wherein the catheter comprises: at least one passage portion forming a liquid passage entering through the one end or the other end; a penetrative portion connected to the one end, and including a foremost end for penetrating the gestational sac; and a connecting portion connected to the other end, and capable of being coupled to at least one syringe tool for injecting or suctioning the liquid. Accordingly, side effects from open surgery can be prevented, and excellent treatment effects can be obtained by more safely and quickly treating ectopic pregnancy.

Systems and methods of delivering a patch to a target site of a patient are described herein. The patch may comprise a biomaterial such as chitosan or extracellular matrix and may be biocompatible and/or bioresorbable. The system may include an endoscope, a patch, and one of an instrument or a cap, the patch being coupled to the respective instrument or cap and detachable therefrom. Methods of delivering the patch to the target site may include introducing an endoscope into a gastrointestinal tract of a patient, e.g., the patch being in a folded or crimped configuration, navigating a distal end of the endoscope proximate a target site; and applying the patch to the target site while releasing the patch from the endoscope.

A growable continuum instrument includes a growable tube and one or more serially connected continuum structures. The growable tube includes an inner layer, an outer layer, and a fluid chamber between the inner and outer layers. The growable tube includes a turnable region where the inner and outer layers are connected and turnable. The continuum structure is located in the growable tube. The continuum structure includes a plurality of spacer discs and a plurality of connecting structures. The connecting structure includes one or more flexible structural bones, the two ends of which are respectively fixedly connected with the adjacent spacer discs, and are distributed along the circumferential direction of the spacer discs. The plurality of connecting structures include at least a first and second connecting structures, and the flexible structural bones of the first and second connecting structures are distributed differently along the circumferential direction of the spacer disc.