An electrosurgical system may include an electrosurgical generator configured to generate electrosurgical energy; and an electrosurgical instrument coupled to the electrosurgical generator. The electrosurgical instrument may include a motion and/or position sensor, where the electrosurgical generator is configured to control the electrosurgical energy based on a sensor signal from the sensor.

In one embodiment, a medical system includes a catheter configured to be inserted into a chamber of a heart of a living subject, and including multiple electrodes configured to capture electrical activity from electrical activation signals propagating in tissue of the chamber, a display, and processing circuitry configured to automatically select bipolar signals to be captured into an electro-anatomical map from respective electrode pairs of the multiple electrodes responsively to an alignment of the respective electrode pairs with a direction of propagation of the electrical activation signals, and render the electro-anatomical map to the display.

A surgical instrument end effector assembly includes a first jaw member and a second jaw member. The second jaw member includes an ultrasonic blade body and first and second electrodes disposed on either side of the ultrasonic blade body and extending longitudinally along a majority of a length of the ultrasonic blade body. The ultrasonic blade body is adapted to receive ultrasonic energy from an ultrasonic waveguide. The first and second electrodes taper in width proximally to distally and are adapted to connect to a source of electrosurgical energy. The first jaw member is movable relative to the second jaw member between a spaced-apart position and an approximated position for grasping tissue therebetween.

Sphincterotomes and methods for making and using sphincterotomes are disclosed. An example sphincterotome may include an elongate shaft having an outer surface and a distal end region. The sphincterotome may also include a sphincterotome wire assembly having a distal end coupled to the distal end region of the elongate shaft and a body portion extending along the outer surface of the elongate shaft. The sphincterotome wire assembly may be designed to shift the distal end region of the elongate shaft between a first configuration and a curved configuration. The body portion of the sphincterotome wire assembly may include a cutting region and a non-conductive region.

A bipolar surgical instrument (1) comprises a body (2), first and second opposed jaws (18, 20) located at the distal end of a shaft (10), the first jaw (18) being movable with respect to the second jaw (20) between an open position in which the first and second jaws (18, 20) are spaced apart from one another, and a closed position in which the first and second jaws (18, 20) are adjacent one another. The first and second elongate jaw members (18, 20) have respective first and second electrodes. A power cable having a pair of electrically conductive elements, is provided to connect a source of radio frequency electromagnetic energy to the first and second electrodes. A capacitive element is located in the instrument, and is connected in series between a first one of the pair of electrically conductive elements of the cable and the first electrode.

A method for producing a surgical instrument is disclosed. The method comprises obtaining a handle, wherein the handle comprises a distal end comprising a shaft interface surface and a first set of magnetic elements. The method further comprises obtaining a shaft, wherein the shaft comprises a proximal end comprising a handle interface surface, a second set of magnetic elements, and a third set of magnetic elements. The method further comprises attaching the shaft to the handle, wherein the shaft interface surface is configured to engage the shaft at the handle interface surface, wherein an attractive magnetic force is configured to pull the handle towards the shaft when the first set of magnetic elements interact with the second magnetic elements, and wherein a repulsive magnetic force is configured to repel the handle from the shaft when the first set of magnetic elements interacts with the third set of magnetic elements.

Tumor ablation devices and related systems and methods are disclosed. Some tumor ablation devices include an RF energy delivery probe with two conductors and one or more thermocouples. The thermocouple measures a temperature at a location on one of the conductors. A generator can produce a current to be conducted between the first conductor and the second conductor via tissue within a desired ablation region. The ablation regions created by the RF energy delivery probe are symmetric about poles of the first conductor and the second conductor. A distal portion of the RF energy delivery probe may articulate, enabling a user to position the RF energy delivery probe in a proper position to ablate the tumor. The thermocouples may be disposed on a flexible or wired thermocouple circuit that is disposed between insulators.

An electrosurgical lysing device and related methods. In some embodiments, the device may comprise a lysing tip comprising one or more beads. The bead(s) may comprise an at least substantially electrically non-conductive surface and may define, at least in part, both a distally-facing and a proximally-facing recess. At least one electrically conductive lysing member configured to deliver electrosurgical energy may be positioned adjacent to the at least one bead, the at least one lysing member defining at least one lysing segment extending within a recess at least partially defined by the at least one bead.

A return pad of an electrosurgical system is disclosed. The return pad includes a plurality of conductive members and a plurality of sensing devices. The conductive members are configured to receive radio frequency current applied to a patient. The sensing devices are configured to detect at least one of the following: a nerve control signal applied to the patient; and a movement of an anatomical feature of the patient resulting from application of the nerve control signal.

An interactive and dynamic surgical simulation system may be used in the context of a computer-implemented interactive surgical system. The surgical simulation system may provide coordinated surgical imagining. A processor may be configured to execute a simulation of a surgical procedure. The surgical procedure may be simulated in a simulated surgical environment. The processor may generate a first visual representation and a second visual representation. The first visual representation may be of a first portion of the simulated surgical environment. The second visual representation may also be of the first portion of the simulated surgical environment. The processor may coordinate generation of the first visual representation and the second visual representation such that the first visual representation and the second visual representation correspond to a common event in the surgical procedure. And the processor may present the first visual representation and the second visual representation for user interaction within the simulated surgical environment.