An ultrasonic surgical instrument comprises a cylindrical shaft and a blade at a distal or free end of the shaft, the blade being unitary and continuous with the shaft, without an intervening joint. The shaft has a longitudinal axis and the blade includes a flat or planar blade body with a proximal end eccentrically disposed relative to the shaft axis. Thus, the blade body or at least a proximal end portion thereof is disposed eccentrically relative to the shaft. The blade in its entirely may be inclined relative to the shaft axis or extend parallel thereto.

An ultrasonic surgical instrument including a blade that treats tissue and a fluid control system to cool the blade by pumping cooling fluid through the blade. The blade defines a blade lumen in fluid contact with an inflow and return conduit of the fluid control system. The inflow conduit defines an open distal end positioned within the blade lumen adjacent the distal end of the blade lumen and the return conduit defines an open distal end positioned within the blade lumen adjacent the proximal end of the blade lumen. The fluid control system may further include a fluid reservoir holding the cooling fluid and an inflow pump. The inflow pump is configured to deliver the fluid from the fluid reservoir, through the inflow conduit and the blade lumen, and into return conduit.

Apparatuses and methods for the treatment of glaucoma are provided. The instrument uses either cauterization, a laser to ablate, sonic or ultrasonic energy to emulsify, or mechanical cutting of a portion of the trabecular meshwork. The instrument may also be provided with irrigation, aspiration, and a footplate. The footplate is used to enter Schlemm's canal, serves as a guide, and also protects Schlemm's canal.

A surgical hand piece has a source of ultrasonic energy connected to a one-piece member that transmits the ultrasonic energy. The one-piece member is connected directly to the source of ultrasonic energy without intervening structure. A distal end of the member is a surgical work tip for performing surgery. The member transmits the ultrasonic energy to the work tip. The member is a one-piece structure, whereby the handpiece is less expensive to make than members with multiple piece structures.

A work tip for a surgical hand piece has a solid knife connected to a source of ultrasonic energy in the hand piece and a sleeve having a generally uniform cylindrical shape that surrounds the distal end of the knife. The distal end of the knife has at least a portion of a conical tip, e.g., a Cobra tip. The sleeve provides irrigation and aspiration fluid channels. Also, a structure in the sleeve blocks the proximal opening in the upper part of the conical tip when the knife is withdrawn into the sleeve. A hole is provided in the sleeve adjacent to, but proximally of the structure so that when a portion of the opening is blocked, aspiration fluid flows through the hole to provide I/A clean up.

An ultrasonic surgical instrument and method for identifying tissue state and energizing the surgical instrument includes an end effector having an ultrasonic blade and an RF electrode, a shaft assembly, a body, and a power controller. A first ultrasonic energy input is configured to be actuated from a first unactuated energy input state to a first actuated energy input state. A trigger input is configured to be actuated from an unactuated trigger input state to an actuated trigger input state. The power controller is operatively connected to the ultrasonic blade, the RF electrode, the first ultrasonic energy input, and the trigger input and configured to direct at least one of the ultrasonic blade or the RF electrode to be selectively driven according to a predetermined drive function based on the tissue impedance, the state of the first energy input, and the state of the trigger input.

A disposable ultrasonic handpiece that contains a transducer and a connecting body that is attached to a tube with a cobra work tip at its distal end. The housing that surrounds the ultrasonic transducer does not require waterproofing for repeated autoclaving. Also, the electrical cord that provides power to the transducer is made of very inexpensive wire, along with a low-cost electrical connector. A power cord can be plugged into and unplugged from a socket at the proximal end of the housing and can be reused. Thus, only the housing and its contents need to be disposed of after a procedure, making the disposable part of the handpiece low cost. In addition, the cobra work tip can be provided with a cutting gap that increases its ability to cut.

An access device for accessing an intervertebral disc having an outer shield comprising an access shield with a larger diameter (˜16-30 mm) that reaches from the skin down to the facet line, with an inner shield having a second smaller diameter (˜5-12 mm) extending past the access shield and reaches down to the disc level. This combines the benefits of the direct visual microsurgical/mini open approaches and the percutaneous, “ultra-MIS” techniques.

An articulating ultrasonic surgical end effector includes a clevis, a transducer housing pivotably coupled to the clevis, an ultrasonic transducer disposed within the transducer housing, a waveguide extending distally from the ultrasonic transducer, an ultrasonic blade disposed at the distal end of the waveguide, a shaft extending distally from the transducer housing about at least a portion of the ultrasonic blade, and a clamp arm pivotably coupled to the shaft and movable relative to the ultrasonic blade between an open position and a clamping position. Ultrasonic energy produced by the ultrasonic transducer is transmitted along the waveguide to the ultrasonic blade for treating tissue therewith.

An ultrasonic surgical instrument and method of limiting an ultrasonic blade temperature includes adjusting at least one power parameter of the ultrasonic energy in response to reaching a predetermined frequency parameter change threshold in the ultrasonic blade limiting the temperature of the ultrasonic blade to an upper temperature limit. The ultrasonic surgical instrument further includes an end effector having an ultrasonic blade, a jaw, and a controller. The jaw is movably positioned relative to the ultrasonic blade and configured to move between an open position and a closed position. The controller operatively connects to the ultrasonic blade and is configured to measure an ultrasonic frequency of the ultrasonic blade. The controller has a memory including a plurality of predetermined data correlations that correlate changes in measured ultrasonic frequency of the ultrasonic blade to a blade temperature of the ultrasonic blade.