The system and method for laparoscopic repair of abdominal wall hernia using umbrella mesh includes an umbrella mesh having a substantially circular mesh attached to an umbrella-like frame having a plurality of radially spaced spokes resiliently mounted at a hub, the spokes being hollow and housing helical tacks. The umbrella mesh is folded and mounted on an umbrella load cartridge. The cartridge may be loaded on the distal end of a pistol-grip laparoscopic instrument having a rotary control for orienting the mesh over the weakened area, a mesh release handle for gradually opening and releasing the mesh, and a firing handle for firing helical tacks from the spokes for fastening the mesh to the supporting abdominal wall.

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.

A surgical visualization system may capture images of an interior of a cavity of a patient with a plurality of cameras. Those images may subsequently be used to create a three dimensional point cloud representing the interior of the cavity of the patient. This point cloud may then be used as a basis for displaying a representation of the interior of the cavity of the patient, which representation may be manipulated or viewed from different perspectives without necessarily requiring movement of any physical camera.

There is provided a surgical system including a monitoring sensor configured to sense a characteristic of a surgical site within a body, in a sensing region of the surgical site which includes at least a part of a region outside a display field of an endoscope, and circuitry configured to detect an occurrence of a medical abnormality in the region outside the display field of the endoscope based on a result of the sensing by the monitoring sensor, and generate notification information regarding the detected medical abnormality.

A catheter and method for managing fluid in a patient, the catheter having an elongated shaft with a distal end and a proximal end. The shaft defines at least one lumen extending substantially therethrough, the shaft further defining a plurality of drainage holes along a distal portion of the shaft, with the drainage holes in fluid communication with the lumen. The catheter further has a substantially transparent tip portion attached to the distal end of the shaft with an outer distal leading surface that is substantially rounded to assist insertion through tissue.

A catheter and method for managing fluid in a patient, the catheter having an elongated shaft with a distal end and a proximal end. The shaft defines at least one lumen extending substantially therethrough, the shaft further defining a plurality of drainage holes along a distal portion of the shaft, with the drainage holes in fluid communication with the lumen. The catheter further has a substantially transparent tip portion attached to the distal end of the shaft with an outer distal leading surface that is substantially rounded to assist insertion through tissue.

An ablation catheter including an elongate shaft, an inflatable balloon positioned at a distal region of the elongate shaft, a first ablation electrode disposed outside of and carried by an outer surface of the inflatable balloon, a first ultrasound transducer disposed outside of the inflatable balloon, and a flexible circuit. The flexible circuit includes a first conductor and a second conductor and is disposed outside of and carried by the outer surface of the inflatable balloon. The first conductor is in electrical communication with the first ablation electrode, and the second conductor in electrical communication with the first ultrasound transducer.

An ablation catheter including an elongate shaft, an inflatable balloon positioned at a distal region of the elongate shaft, a first ablation electrode disposed outside of and carried by an outer surface of the inflatable balloon, a first ultrasound transducer disposed outside of the inflatable balloon, and a flexible circuit. The flexible circuit includes a first conductor and a second conductor and is disposed outside of and carried by the outer surface of the inflatable balloon. The first conductor is in electrical communication with the first ablation electrode, and the second conductor in electrical communication with the first ultrasound transducer.

Methods and systems for detecting undesirable electrocautery arcing events during an electrocautery surgical procedure may include introducing an electrosurgical treatment instrument to a surgical site to perform an electrocautery surgical procedure. A healthcare provider may view the surgical site with a surgical camera assembly having a surgical field-of-view. The healthcare provider also may view a portion of the electrosurgical treatment instrument with an electrocautery arc detection system including an arc detection camera having an arc detection field-of-view different than the surgical field-of-view obtained by the surgical camera. The electrocautery arc detection system may identify thermal infrared emission or tissue color changes as indicators of undesirable electrocautery arcing. Some implementations alert a healthcare provider of undesirable electrocautery arcing.

Systems and methods that can improve the safety and efficacy of chest tube thoracostomy are described. For example, this document provides systems and methods that facilitate direct visual confirmation of the proper placement of a chest tube within the thoracic space.