The present invention relates to a joining member for an anastomosis system for realizing anastomosis between first and second hollow structures, such as end-to-side anastomosis. The joining member is annular and is adapted for joining the first and second hollow structures. The joining member includes a plurality of interconnected loops forming the annular body and a plurality of joining elements for joining the hollow structures connected to the annular body at locations where adjacent loops are interconnected to each other, and wherein the loops are configured to permit radial expansion of said annular body to expand said joining member from a first position to a second position having a second, larger diameter than the first position.

Methods and apparatus are provided for affecting an appearance of skin by harvesting small portions of tissue from a donor (first) site and applying them at a recipient (second) site. A plurality of micrografts can be formed from a piece of graft tissue and attached to a dressing material. The dressing material can then be expanded to increase a separation distance between the micrografts, and the dressing material having spaced-apart micrografts attached thereto can be applied to a prepared recipient site. An apparatus can be provided that expands the dressing material using a pressurized fluid. A further method can include providing a suspension of small portions of graft tissue in a solution. The solution can be injected into blisters formed at a recipient (second) site and the tissue portions allowed to attach and proliferate. A method and apparatus can also be provided for forming corresponding blisters at a donor site and at a recipient site. The raised (removed) portions of the blisters can be removed and attached to a dressing material, and the portions from the donor (first) site can be placed onto the exposed blister areas at the recipient site.

A living cell transplanting device has a flexible tube capable of accommodating living cells and a cell pushing shaft inserted into the tube. The tube has a lumen penetrating therethrough and a reduced diameter front end open portion. The shaft has a small diameter end portion having a diameter smaller than that of the reduced diameter front end open portion and an enlarged diameter portion having an outer diameter larger than an inner diameter of reduced diameter front end open portion. Owing to contact between the enlarged diameter portion of the shaft and the reduced diameter front end open portion of the tube, a progress of the shaft is regulated. By pushing the shaft into the tube after the contact between the enlarged diameter portion and the reduced diameter front end open portion finishes, the enlarged diameter portion of the shaft passes through said reduced diameter front end open portion with expanding the reduced diameter front end open portion of the tube and projects beyond the reduced diameter front end open portion of the tube.

A magnetic vascular anastomosis device for rapid liver transplantation includes a magnetic ring assembly and a base member assembly. The magnetic ring assembly includes an O-shaped magnetic ring and a C-shaped magnetic ring coupled at a donor liver blood vessel and a receptor liver blood vessel respectively. The base member assembly includes an O-shaped base member and a C-shaped base member. The base member is categorized into a slotted base member, a columned base member, and a hooked base member for different surgical suture methods. The magnetic vascular anastomosis device incorporates with the magnetic attraction between magnetic rings, such that the entire liver transplantation vascular anastomosis process is fast, safe, and reliable. The vascular anastomosis device is able apply for different operations involving vascular anastomosis such as kidney transplantation, lung transplantation, heart transplantation, and maxillofacial surgery.

An apparatus for harvesting a subcutaneous blood vessel is disclosed. The apparatus comprises a guidewire with an angled tip, an intra-vascular catheter to receive the guidewire and having a lateral orifice to allow the angled tip thereof to perforate the subcutaneous blood vessel. The apparatus further comprises a flexible pulling device having a pair of circumferential grooves, one adjacent to each end thereof, to allow for securing the subcutaneous blood vessel thereat; and a flexible pushing device having a concave-cup shape at a distal end thereof to facilitate pushing of the subcutaneous blood vessel secured with one of the pair of circumferential grooves of the flexible pulling device. The flexible pulling device and the flexible pushing device are operable in conjunction to cause inversion and eversion and separation from the surrounding tissues of the subcutaneous blood vessel for removal and harvesting thereof.

In one representative embodiment, a method of perfusing organs in a patient's body is provided. The method comprises isolating the visceral arteries and the visceral veins from blood circulating through the patient's heart and perfusing the visceral arteries, the visceral veins, and the abdominal organs with a perfusion fluid that is fluidly separated from the blood circulating through the patient's heart. While the visceral arteries and the visceral veins are isolated, and the visceral arteries, the visceral veins, and the abdominal organs are being perfused, the patient's blood is allowed to continue to circulate through the heart.

A workstation having a pair of posts on either side of a clamping plate where a donor bone may be placed on sequentially cut in three separate cutting paths. Cutting gates are attached to the posts and used to provide cutting paths that can be precisely oriented with respect to the meniscus of the donor bone part using visual alignment without any manual measurements. The graft is affixed to a machining clamp and shaved to appropriately shape the sides and form a radius on the bottom of the graft. A tibia is then prepared by using a drill guide to form a pilot hole and then to drill out a large hole for the graft. The drilled hole is expanded and shaped using a rod guide and chisel and then a rasp. The shaped graft may then be implanted into the shaped hole and sutured in place.

This disclosure details a surgical system and method for changing one or more dimensions of harvested tissue, such an autograft, which is harvested from one location in a patient's body and used for a surgical repair or reconstruction procedure in another location in the patient's body. An example surgical system includes a first press component defining a cavity configured to receive harvested tissue, and a second press component including a projection insertable into the cavity. Further, at least one of the first and second press components are made of a transparent or semi-transparent material such that when harvested tissue is in the cavity and when the projection is inserted into the cavity, the harvested tissue is visible through at least one of the first and second press components.

A cartilage repair technique employs a cutter-tissue trap combination device to harvest cartilage tissue from a low-weight-bearing site of a subject. Cut tissue is aspirated though a lumen of a tissue cutter. The lumen includes an outer shaft having a first distal window and an inner shaft having a second distal window. Edges of the first distal window and the second distal window cooperate to provide a cutting action there-between upon rotation of the inner shaft within the outer shaft. A tissue trap coupled to the tissue cutter is configured to collect tissue shavings of a desired size to efficiently deliver the collected shavings to a repair site during surgery. The tissue trap includes a filter in a housing configured between a removable inflow chamber and a removable outflow chamber.

Systems and methods are disclosed for harvesting tissue from a donor site. Exemplary embodiments include a first and second conduit through which a flexible saw component is guided. Certain embodiments include a mechanism which facilitates insertion of the flexible cutting member component parallel to the transverse plane and slicing the graft parallel to the coronal plane to extract the graft.