An electrosurgical wand is disclosed for treating a plurality of tissues at a variety of tissue locations. The electrosurgical wand includes a handle on a proximal end and an elongate shaft with a combination active electrode at the distal end. The combination active electrode includes with a blade and screen portion; the blade portion extending along and laterally from the wand longitudinal axis, forming a dissecting tip. The screen portion extends from the blade portion at an obtuse angle and has at least one aspiration aperture through it. The wand also includes a second and third electrode, proximally spaced from the combination active electrode. The second electrode spans a portion of an outside surface of the wand adjacent the blade portion, while the third electrode spans a portion of the outside surface of the wand opposite the second electrode.

An auxiliary return system for use with a bipolar electrosurgical device includes a tissue guard defining an open proximal end, an open distal end, and a lumen extending therethrough between the open proximal end and the open distal end. A ground plate is disposed along an inner peripheral surface of the lumen and is operably coupled to a first end of a ground wire extending from the tissue guard. A coupling is included having a bore defined therein for receiving a cable from an electrosurgical device therethrough, the cable including active and ground leads. The coupling has a flange extending therefrom defining a receptacle therein configured to operably receive a plug connected to a second end of the ground wire. The receptacle is configured to provide electrical continuity between the ground lead disposed within the cable and the plug coupled to the ground wire which, in turn, provides electrical continuity to the ground plate.

A surgical system according to one or more embodiments may include: a plurality of surgical instruments each including a flexible shaft and an end effector; an insertion tube to hold the plurality of flexible shafts and to be inserted into a body of a patient from one end of the insertion tube; and a support device for supporting the plurality of surgical instruments and the insertion tube. The support device includes a plurality of supports respectively supporting the plurality of surgical instruments, a support mechanism supporting the plurality of supports together, and an insertion tube holder holding the insertion tube. The plurality of supports independently and movably support the plurality of surgical instruments, respectively.

A septostomy device 10 with a cutting structure or means 140 and tissue capture mechanisms 240, 250 is disclosed, along with a medical procedure for using the device. The system 10 is configured in such a way as to create a permanent interatrial aperture in the heart, including creating a permanent interatrial hole and/or removing tissue.

Provided is a surgical saw for cutting a sternum comprising: a) a body, b) a handle attached to the body; c) a blade positioned in such way to cut the sternum when a user holds the handle, and d) a base below the blade configured to be positioned below the sternum, wherein the user places the base under the sternum and cuts the sternum with the blade.

An interface joint with one or both of a needle actuation mechanism or an integrated shaft rotation mechanism. The interface joint comprises a flexible shaft between a housing and an electrosurgical instrument, e.g. for conveying power and/or fluid therebetween. The needle actuation mechanism comprises an actuation rod extending out of the housing and an actuator movably mounted on the housing. The shaft rotation mechanism comprises a rotation actuator rotatably mounted on the housing and operably coupled to the flexible shaft. Providing an integrated shaft rotation mechanism may obviate the need for a separate torque transmission unit. The improved needle actuation mechanism may use a pivoting connection to enable longer needle extension distances to be achieved for a given actuation distance.

A surgical instrument for removing biological tissue during a surgical procedure comprises an elongate shaft and an end effector connected to the elongate shaft, the end effector including an edge configured to remove tissue, wherein curvature of one or both of the elongate shaft and end effector is adjustable to position the edge along a tissue surface when the curvature of the one or both of the elongate shaft and end effector is adjusted. A method of incising target tissue from an anatomic wall comprises inserting a shaft of a surgical instrument into an anatomic chamber of a patient, positioning a tissue-removal device connected to the shaft proximate the target tissue, deflecting an axis of the tissue-removal device relative to a central axis of the shaft, and shaving a surface of the anatomic wall by moving the tissue-removal device in a deflected state along the target tissue.

Ultrapolar non-telescopic electrosurgery pencil with argon beam capability which is capable of using monopolar energy in a bipolar mode for cutting and coagulation and which is also capable of using an ionized gas for cutting and coagulation. The ultrapolar non-telescopic electrosurgery pencil with argon beam capability includes a handpiece member, an electrosurgery blade assembly positioned within an end of the handpiece member where the electrosurgery blade assembly includes a blade having a non-conductive sharp cutting edge, a return electrode, and an active electrode, and a non-conductive hollow tube member positioned over a top of the blade and at least a portion of the return electrode, a first conductive hollow tube having at least a portion concentrically contained within the non-conductive hollow tube member of the electrosurgery blade assembly, a flexible non-conductive tube contained within at least a portion of ultrapolar non-telescopic electrosurgery pencil which provides a gas to the first conductive hollow tube, and a plurality of electrical conductors for connecting the return electrode, the active electrode, and the first conductive hollow tube to an RF electrosurgical generator for activating the ultrapolar non-telescopic electrosurgery pencil.

A system for improving graft harvesting including a blade guide (320) having a handle (370) and a guide portion with an elongate slot (330). The system may also include a first blade assembly (750) that slides along the elongate slot (330), the blade assembly (750) having a cutting blade (765) rotatably coupled to a handle (780). The cutting blade (765) may include a leading cutting edge and a trailing cutting edge. The blade assembly (350, 750) and blade guide (320) may cooperate to control a depth of blade penetration into a tissue, as the blade slides along the elongate slot (330). The blade guide (320) may include means to stabilize the guide with the tissue.

A surgical forceps comprising: a first working arm and a second working arm configured to move towards and away from each other; and an electromagnetic latching system; wherein the electromagnetic latching system is configured to create a force that is in a direction aligned with closing of the forceps or opposite to the closing of the forceps when an electromagnetic activation button is depressed.