Guides for supporting drive shafts across multi-axis articulation joints in surgical instruments.

A surgical stapling assembly is disclosed. The surgical stapling assembly can include a first jaw, a second jaw, an articulation joint, a closure drive comprising a first flexible rotary drive extending through the articulation joint, and a firing drive comprising a second flexible rotary drive extending through the articulation joint and rotatable independent of the first flexible rotary drive. The surgical stapling assembly can further include a 3D-printed component. The surgical stapling assembly can be configured to form different staple shapes, such as non-planar staples and planar staples, can include an eccentrically-driven firing assembly, and/or can include a floatable component. The surgical stapling assembly can include a staple cartridge including a longitudinal support beam.

The invention concerns a gripping handle (1) comprising: a main body (3), a receiving orifice (4) formed within the main body (3) for receiving a sliding removable working bit (2), a blocking lever (14) rotatably mounted on the main body (3) between: a blocking orientation in which it blocks the sliding of the working bit (2), a release orientation in which it enables the sliding of the working bit (2), an elastic pivot (15, 16) designed to bring, by itself, the blocking lever (14) back in the blocking orientation, the gripping handle (1) being characterized in that the main body (3), the blocking lever (14) and the elastic pivot (15, 16) are integral with each other.

Surgical instrumentation.

A vascular compression assist device to achieve hemostasis comprises a generally C-shaped self-biasing member having a first free end spaced apart from a second free end forming a gap there between and the first end and second end bias in directions toward one another. An opening is provided through the member adjacent to the first end, and the opening is configured to receive one or more fingertips of a user. The member is preferably composed of a medical grade shape memory plastic material so the member is resilient to open the gap adapting the member to receive a body part within which a surgically punctured blood vessel is disposed and the first end and second end bias toward one another upon release of the device.

Improved chain saws, components for chain saws, methods of making chain saws and components, and methods of using chain saws and components are disclosed. In some embodiments, a chain saw comprises a saw bar and a plurality of links, wherein a first link has a hook that engages a recess of a second link, thereby coupling the first link and the second link and allowing them to articulate without decoupling. The saw bar may have a rail, and the links may have grooves such that the links straddle and ride over the rail. The rail may have a projection and the grooves of the links may have notches accommodating the projection such that the projection prevents dislocation of the links. The links may have conical or pyramidal cutting teeth. The chain may be bidirectional. Robotic and automated operation of saws and other instruments are also disclosed.

A tissue-removing catheter for removing tissue in a body lumen includes an elongate body having an axis and proximal and distal end portions spaced apart from one another along the axis. A tissue-removing element is mounted on the distal end portion of the elongate body. The tissue-removing element is configured to remove the tissue as the tissue-removing element is rotated by the elongate body within the body lumen. A motor operatively engages the elongate body for driving rotation of the elongate body and tissue-removing element mounted on the elongate body. A controller is operatively connected to the motor and configured to perform a torque response routine to control a speed of the motor based on a set PWM value of the motor and a detected current applied to the motor during rotation of the elongate body and tissue-removing element.

An ultrasonic instrument includes a body, an actuation assembly, a shaft assembly, and an end effector. The actuation assembly includes an activation member that is operable to move in a first direction to select a mode of operation. The shaft assembly extends distally from the body and includes an acoustic waveguide. The end effector includes an ultrasonic blade that is in acoustic communication with the acoustic waveguide. The activation member is operable to move in a second direction to activate the end effector in a mode of operation selected by movement of the activation member in the first direction.

Embodiments of devices for converting continuous rotational motion into oscillating motion are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, an oscillation device can include an input shaft that rotates about a first axis, a portion of the input shaft defining an eccentric section that defines a second central axis offset from the first axis, a connector rotatably coupled around the eccentric section, an oscillating shaft offset from the input shaft that rotates about a third axis, and a pin coupled to the oscillating shaft and extending towards the connector. The connector includes a sleeve slidably receiving an end of the pin, and continuous rotation of the input shaft about the first axis causes an eccentric movement of the connector, and the eccentric movement of the connector oscillates the sleeve along the pin and oscillates the pin with respect to the oscillating shaft, thereby oscillating the oscillating shaft about the third axis.

An apparatus and corresponding method of use relate to diagnostic ultrasound probing. In particular, the apparatus is suitable for ultrasound guidance for musculoskeletal (MSK) injections. The apparatus is a palm-wearable device configured to removably and replaceably receive and hold a sensor device. The palm-wearable device enables a user to have one hand for manipulating the sensor device and a free hand for performing other tasks such as a MSK injection.

A surgical instrument comprising a handle, a shaft rotatable relative to the handle, and an end effector articulatable relative to the shaft about an articulation joint is disclosed. The shaft comprises a grip and at least one articulation control on the grip.