An ultrasonic medical instrument is disclosed including a single medical ultrasonic blade having a proximal blade portion and a distal blade portion. The proximal blade portion has a first transverse area and the distal blade portion has a second transverse area. The second transverse area is smaller than the first transverse area. The distal blade portion includes at least two longitudinal vibration nodes and is more bendable than the proximal blade portion. A user-actuated articulated sheath surrounding at least a portion of the single medical ultrasonic blade comprises a plurality of support members, each of the support members extending inwardly from the user-actuated articulated sheath and contacting the distal blade portion at one of the at least two longitudinal vibration nodes such that articulation of the user-actuated articulated sheath causes the distal blade portion to articulate at the at least two longitudinal vibration nodes.

A catheter device including an internal elongated and hollow body extending between a proximal end and a distal end along a longitudinal axis, the internal elongated and hollow body defining a longitudinal aperture that extends between the proximal and distal ends thereof, the longitudinal aperture being shaped and sized for receiving a guide wire therein, and at least one mechanical waveguide secured to the internal elongated and hollow body and extending longitudinally along at least a portion of the internal elongated and hollow body, with the at least one mechanical waveguide capable of propagating at least one mechanical wave therealong.

A surgical instrument for treating body tissues through narrow body passages employs an elongated cantilevered beam having a proximal end supported in a rigid block and a narrower distal end extendable through the narrow passages. One or more piezoelectric actuators are fixed to the beam surface and energized from an AC source provided by an electrical excitation system through electrodes interspersed with the piezoelectric actuators to produce oscillatory motion of the beam distal end in multiple modes of movement.

A method of assembling an ultrasound catheter includes providing an elongated catheter body having a proximal end, a distal end, and at least one lumen extending longitudinally therethrough; coupling a proximal housing to the proximal end of the elongated catheter body, the proximal housing having a distal bore; inserting an ultrasound transmission member through the lumen of the catheter body; positioning a sonic connector on the proximal end of the ultrasound transmission member for connecting the ultrasound transmission member to a separate ultrasound generating device at a connection location, the sonic connector having a proximal section and a front portion, the proximal portion provided for connection to the separate ultrasound generating device; connecting the front portion of the sonic connector to the proximal end of the ultrasound transmission member; and retaining an absorber inside the distal bore of the proximal housing wherein the absorber substantially surrounds the ultrasound transmission member.

The present disclosure is directed to end effectors. An end effector includes an outer shaft extending along a longitudinal axis and an inner shaft partially located within the outer shaft. The end effector may include an ultrasonic blade. The inner shaft may include biased and unbiased portions. The inner shaft and outer shaft may be translatable relative to one another. At one translatable position, the biased portion of the inner shaft may be located within the outer shaft and the unbiased portion may be substantially straight along the longitudinal axis. At another translatable position, the biased portion of the inner shaft may be located outside of and distally positioned from the outer shaft such that the biased portion of the inner shaft is bent away from the longitudinal axis.

The present disclosure provides a system for delivery of therapeutic energy. The system includes an energy unit configured to convert the acoustic energy signals transmitted to therapeutic ultrasound directed to fragment tumors and carcinogenic tissue in the body. The system also includes an energy unit configured to convert the acoustic energy signal transmitted from the energy unit to ultrasonic energy to image and monitor the treatment site with ultrasound. The system also includes a control unit including a computer for data storage and display.

This disclosure disclosed an ultrasonic needle and apparatus used for removal of the vitreous body and other tissues. An ultrasonic vitrectomy needle, comprising: a connector, a connected inner needle, and an outer sheath. The length of the outer sheath at the distal end is slightly longer than that of the inner needle; the sheath distal end is of blind with smooth surface, but there is an open cut at the side of the distal end used for aspirating the vitreous body. The benefits of this disclosure: due to the difficulty if not impossible in the prior arts making a slim long center bore needle for ultrasonic surgical system, this disclosure clears the way to make the ultrasonic vitrectomy a practical reality; the ultrasonic vibration inherent advantages of the quietness, minuscule displacement, liquid repulsion and viscosity reduction improve safety of the surgery; the possibility of integrating ultrasonic vitrectomy and ultrasonic phaco emulsification procedures simplifies the complexity from prior arts, thus brings ease to the ophthalmic surgeries and reduces the cost.

Various embodiments are directed to articulatable surgical instruments and surgical systems comprising articulatable surgical instruments. Some embodiments comprise an end effector to comprising an ultrasonic blade. A hollow shaft may extend proximally from the end effector along a longitudinal axis. The hollow shaft may comprise a rigid portion and a flexible portion at a first position on the longitudinal axis distal from the rigid portion. A waveguide may extend through the shaft and may be acoustically coupled to the ultrasonic blade. The waveguide may comprise a flexible portion at the first position on the longitudinal axis such that the end effector is pivotable away from the longitudinal axis from the first position.

The present disclosure provides a system for delivery of therapeutic energy. The system includes an energy unit configured to convert the acoustic energy signals transmitted to therapeutic ultrasound directed to fragment tumors and carcinogenic tissue in the body. The system also includes an energy unit configured to convert the acoustic energy signal transmitted from the energy unit to ultrasonic energy to image and monitor the treatment site with ultrasound. The system also includes a control unit including a computer for data storage and display.

An ultrasonic catheter is disclosed. The ultrasonic catheter comprises a body having a longitudinal axis and a distal end. A Piezoelectric Micromachined Ultrasonic Transducer (pMUT) array is disposed within the distal end of the body. Further, the pMUT array comprises a plurality of pMUT array elements arranged on a substrate. Further, an insulating material is disposed at the distal end over an imaging window, to provide electrical isolation and transmission of ultrasound signals. The insulating material corresponds to a polyether block amide (PEBA) or Pebax, or thermoplastic elastomer (TPE).