The present invention is directed to an endoscopic implant cutting and/or fragmenting apparatus of the bipolar type, operating on direct current, comprising an endoscope instrument having at least two opposing electrodes at its distal instrument head forming a cutting gap inbetween for receiving an electrically conductive implant or implant section to generate punctiform physical contact with the implant, and a DC-impulse generator connected to a control device adapted to generate a direct current in a pulsed way such that in a first phase of physical contact, the current pulse is adjusted to induce electric energy into the implant material being sufficient to melt the implant material exclusively in the area of the contact portion and in a second phase of physical noncontact, the current pulse is adjusted to generate an electric arc between at least one electrode and the melted implant material being sufficient to cut the melted implant material.

An energy treatment device includes a probe, a sheath unit, a fixed handle, a movable handle unit, a rotation axis, a jaw and a thickness-reduced portion. The thickness-reduced portion is one part of the jaw and is provided between the rotation axis and a distal end of the jaw. The thickness-reduced portion flexes in response to a reaction force when one part of the jaw receives the reaction force from a treatment target due to the opening and closing of the movable handle unit to the treatment target. The thickness-reduced portion prevents the deformation of the other parts of the jaw by flexing.

Surgical end effectors with increased stiffness are described herein. Increased stiffness can be accomplished in a variety of manners, including by increasing a height of each jaw member of an end effector. For example, end effector jaw members can include tapered heights that decrease from a proximal end of the jaw member to a distal end thereof. In one embodiment, first and second jaw members can each have a height measured at a proximal end thereof that is greater than half of an overall height of the end effector, while at a distal end thereof a sum of heights of the first and second jaw members can approximately equal the overall height of the end effector. Overlapping or otherwise fitting such jaw members together can create an end effector with greater stiffness that can be used to apply greater compression force to tissue during operation.

An end effector of an instrument is positioned in a patient. An ultrasonic blade of the end effector is positioned against tissue in the patient. The ultrasonic blade is activated to vibrate ultrasonically while the ultrasonic blade is positioned against tissue. At least one electrode of the end effector is positioned against tissue in the patient. The at least one electrode is activated to apply RF electrosurgical energy to tissue against which the at least one electrode is positioned against tissue.

An instrument (10) having a tool (15) of a particularly simple design comprises jaws (16, 17) with jaw supports (46) supported by spaced-apart hinges on a shared socket part 18. The hinge axes (27, 28) of the hinges are oriented parallel relative to each other and are at a distance from each other. A slit (24) for precisely guiding a knife (25) may be provided between the two. The jaw supports (46) of the jaws (16, 17) are guided in their own hinges with minimal play and hence in a precise manner. They are held against each other by transverse interlocking means (37), thereby ensuring a simple assembly and precise guiding.

An instrument (10) having a tool (15) of a particularly simple design comprises jaws (16, 17) with jaw supports (46) supported by spaced-apart hinges on a shared socket part 18. The hinge axes (27, 28) of the hinges are oriented parallel relative to each other and are at a distance from each other. A slit (24) for precisely guiding a knife (25) may be provided between the two. The jaw supports (46) of the jaws (16, 17) are guided in their own hinges with minimal play and hence in a precise manner. They are held against each other by transverse interlocking means (37), thereby ensuring a simple assembly and precise guiding.

An electrosurgical device comprising: (a) a stylet including: (i) a first jaw; (ii) a second jaw that is movable relative to the first jaw from a first position where the first jaw and the second jaw are open to a second position where the first jaw and the second jaw move towards each other to grasp tissue therebetween; and (iii) one or more jaw support rods connected to the first jaw, the second jaw, or both; and (b) a housing connected to the stylet and the stylet extending from the housing, the housing including: (i) an operable mechanism including: (1) a fourth link; (2) a second link; (3) a first link being connected to the fourth link via a first pivot and being rotatable relative to the first pivot, and connected to the second link at a second pivot so that movement of the first link moves the second link relative to the fourth link; and (4) a third link being connected to the second link at a third pivot so that movement of the second link moves the third link, and the fourth link being connected to the third link at a fourth pivot, the third link moving about the fourth pivot to move the one or more jaw supports so that the first jaw and the second jaw are moved between the first position and the second position; and wherein the fourth link is the housing and the first link is a clamp lever that extends outside of the housing and is actuated by a user.

An articulable wrist for an end effector includes a distal linkage provided at a distal end of the articulable wrist, a proximal linkage provided at a proximal end of the articulable wrist, a central channel cooperatively defined at least in part by the distal and proximal linkages and extending between the distal and proximal ends, and flexible member arranged within the central channel and providing one or more lobes arranged about a periphery of the flexible member. One or more stiffening members are arranged within the flexible member and extending at least partially between the distal and proximal ends, wherein at least one of the one or more stiffening members is positioned within a corresponding one of the one or more lobes.

A surgical cautery device, system, and method of use may apply bipolar and/or sesquipolar electrocautery to target tissue via a pair of instruments with other primary surgical functions. The surgical cautery device and system may include first and second elements capable of forming an electrical circuit. The second element may be independently positionable with respect to the first element. The first and second elements may also include a surgical component with an independent surgical function. Exemplary surgical components include a rotary blade, a cutting tool, a grasper tool, a micro-scissors tool, a micro-grasping forceps tool, a dissector, a micro-dissector, curette, and a suction cannula. On some occasions, one of the surgical components may be interchangeable with another surgical component.

A robotic surgical tool includes a shaft extendable through a handle, an end effector arranged at a distal end of the shaft and including a first and second jaws providing first and second jaw extension, a plurality of drive members extending along the shaft and actuatable by the handle, and an articulable wrist interposing the end effector and the distal end. The wrist includes a proximal clevis, a distal clevis rotatably coupled to the proximal clevis, first and second pulleys rotatably mounted to the distal clevis, the first jaw extension being pinned to the first pulley and the second jaw extension being pinned to the second pulley, and a linkage mounted to the jaws. The plurality of drive members terminate at the first and second pulleys and are antagonistically operable to open and close the jaws and articulate the end effector in pitch and yaw.