A device for dilating an ostium of a paranasal sinus of a human or animal subject may include: a handle; an elongate shaft having a proximal end coupled with the handle and extending to a distal end; a guidewire disposed through at least a portion of the shaft lumen; a dilator having a non-expanded configuration and an expanded configuration; and a slide member coupled with at least one of the guidewire or the dilator through the longitudinal opening of the shaft for advancing the guidewire and/or the dilator relative to the shaft.

A swivel knuckle assembly for interconnecting a motor and a supply line. The knuckle assembly may include a bearing member to reduce a coefficient of friction. A locking mechanism is disclosed to connect members of the knuckle assembly.

A deployment device for a tissue repair system includes a front delivery assembly that is detachable from a base assembly of the deployment device. The front delivery assembly includes at least one prosthesis and at least one driven assembly that actuates the at least one prosthesis. The base assembly includes a driving assembly that may engage the at least one driven assembly of the at least one prosthesis. The front delivery assembly can be rotated so that the position of a prosthesis in the front delivery assembly is moved in and out of alignment with the driving assembly. A kit of parts may be provided that includes a base assembly as well as two or more detachable front delivery assemblies.

A system for performing a medical procedure includes an articulating probe including inner and outer sleeves, and a surgical tool including a functional element positioned at a distal end of a tool shaft, the tool shaft having an articulation region. The articulating probe and the surgical tool are independently controllable.

A device for retarding birth including an upper ring for surrounding a cervix, an anchoring component for anchoring the device, and an elastic component for attaching the upper ring to the anchoring component, wherein the elastic component pushes the upper ring and the anchoring component apart. A device for retarding birth including a sleeve for surrounding a cervix along a greater portion of a length of the cervix, a support strip on the sleeve directed along an axis of the sleeve, and a ring at least partially around the sleeve, in which when a top of the sleeve is pushed to expand radially, the support strip pivots on the ring, such that an end of the support strip near the top of the sleeve moves radially outward, and an end of the support strip near the bottom of the sleeve moves radially inward. Related apparatus and methods are also described.

A method of operating a biopsy device includes providing a sampling mode for taking a tissue sample with a biopsy needle; providing an insertion/removal mode for inserting or extracting the biopsy needle from living tissue; displacing a primary drive member through a continuous range that defines a first interval and a second interval; transmitting a motive force via the primary drive member to a first drive element during the first interval to cause a pump to generate a vacuum in the biopsy needle; and, transmitting a motive force via the primary drive member to a second drive element during the second interval to change the biopsy needle from the insertion/removal mode to the sampling mode.

A knot tying device including a sheath configured for placement over a surgical instrument. The sheath includes a proximal end portion and a distal end portion. The distal end portion is elastically reconfigurable between a straightened configuration and a hook shaped configuration. Position of the sheath on the surgical instrument is adjustable between an extended position in which the sheath extends beyond a distal tip of the surgical instrument and a retracted position in which the sheath is pulled back from the distal tip of the surgical instrument. The distal end portion is in the hook shaped configuration when the sheath is in the extended position and the distal end portion is in the straightened configuration when the sheath is in the retracted position. In exemplary embodiments, the knot tying device may include one or more magnets or one or more magnets as an integral part of a surgical instrument.

Disclosed are nozzles and nozzle assemblies of liquid jet-forming surgical instruments, surgical instruments employing such nozzles and/or nozzle assemblies, and methods of fabricating the nozzle assemblies in forming surgical instruments. Also, disclosed are liquid jet-forming surgical instruments including both liquid jet-forming nozzles and optional evacuation lumens, which when provided can be configured to receive the liquid jet and evacuate the liquid forming the liquid jet. Certain embodiments of such surgical instruments include inventive nozzle alignment component(s) to facilitate alignment of the nozzles and evacuation lumen upon assembly. In certain embodiments, surgical instruments are provided that include a nozzle that is shaped to form a liquid jet, which has surfaces that are optically smooth. In certain embodiments, the nozzle has a configuration enabling the nozzle to form a liquid jet that has the ability to remain collimated over longer distances than is typically achievable with conventional liquid jet surgical instrument nozzles having the same ratio of nozzle length to minimum inner diameter of the jet opening. In certain embodiments, nozzle assemblies comprising an operative assembly of at least two subcomponents, which together provide a nozzle are provided. In certain embodiments, the at least two sub-components may comprise a nozzle-providing component, such as a nozzle ring, and a holder that is configured to retain and position the nozzle-providing component in the nozzle assembly. In certain embodiments, the nozzle-providing component can comprise a liquid flow passage having a diameter that continuously decreases along at least a portion of its length.

A medical apparatus is described for providing visualization of a surgical site. The medical apparatus includes an electronic display disposed within a display housing, the electronic display configured to produce a two-dimensional image. The medical apparatus includes a display optical system disposed within the display housing, the display optical system comprising a plurality of lens elements disposed along an optical path. The display optical system is configured to receive the two-dimensional image from the electronic display, produce a beam with a cross-section that remains substantially constant along the optical path, and produce a collimated beam exiting the opening in the display housing. The medical apparatus can also include an auxiliary video camera configured to provide an oblique view of a patient on the electronic display without requiring a surgeon to adjust their viewing angle through oculars viewing the electronic display.

A swivel knuckle assembly for use in interconnecting a motor and a supply line. The swivel knuckle assembly includes a first portion that has a first section that extends along a first axis and a second section that extends along a second axis where the first axis extends at a non-zero angle to the second axis. A second portion extends along a third axis and includes a first member and a second member. The first member is both axially and rotationally locked to the second member using first and second locking members configured to be received within the first and second members.