A surgical instrument includes a housing, a shaft extending distally from the housing, an end effector assembly at a distal end portion of the shaft, and a drive assembly. The drive assembly includes a movable handle, a carriage operably coupled to the movable handle, an inner drive operably coupled to the end effector assembly, and a spring assembly operably coupling the carriage and the inner drive. The spring assembly includes inner and outer coil springs arranged in a nested configuration. Initial actuation of the movable handle slides the carriage such that the spring assembly transfers the sliding of the carriage into translation of the inner drive to apply a jaw force by the end effector assembly. Subsequent actuation of the movable handle slides the carriage to compress the spring assembly to substantially maintain a position of the inner drive, thereby controlling the jaw force.

An instrument includes a body having an interior conduit. A shaft extends distally out of the body and is movable between a retracted position and an extended position. A locking mechanism that selectively secures the shaft in the retracted and extended positions includes grooves in the body and a locking nut having pins that travel through the grooves to move the locking nut between a locked position and an unlocked position. The locking mechanism also includes compression flanges that flex towards and apply pressure/friction to the shaft when the locking nut is in the locked position and release/reduce the pressure/friction from the shaft when the locking nut is in the unlocked position. The compression flanges restrict the movement of the shaft when the compression flanges are flexed towards, and apply pressure to the shaft.

A method for generating and updating a three-dimensional representation of a surgical site based on imaging data from an imaging system is disclosed. The method comprises the steps of generating a first image of the surgical site based on structured electromagnetic radiation emitted from the imaging system, receiving a second image of the surgical site, aligning the first image and the second image, generating a three-dimensional representation of the surgical site based on the first image and the second image as aligned, displaying the three-dimensional representation on a display screen, receiving a user selection to manipulate the three-dimensional representation, and updating the three-dimensional representation as displayed on the display screen from a first state to a second state according to the received user selection.

Apparatus, having an insertion tube that is configured to be inserted into a body cavity. The apparatus also includes a distal tip connected to the insertion tube, the 5 distal tip having an external surface and a cavity formed in the external surface, the cavity being surrounded by a region of the external surface having a curvature. The apparatus further includes a microelectrode configured to fit into the cavity so that a surface of the microelectrode 10 is contoured, located and oriented to conform with the curvature of the region.

A surgical instrument includes a shaft defining a lumen, an end effector assembly disposed at the distal end portion of the shaft, a drive plate, a first electrical wire, and a wire guide. The end effector assembly includes a first electrically-conductive tissue-treating surface. The drive plate extends through the lumen of the shaft and operably engages the end effector assembly such that movement of the drive plate through the lumen of the shaft manipulates the end effector assembly. The first electrical wire also extends through the lumen of the shaft and is configured to supply energy to the first electrically-conductive tissue-treating surface. The wire guide is engaged to a distal portion of the drive plate and is configured to move through the lumen of the shaft in conjunction with the drive plate. The wire guide is also configured to receive the first electrical wire.

Medical devices and methods for making and using medical devices are disclosed. An example medical device includes an ablation system. The ablation system may include an elongate shaft having a distal region. A plurality of ablation tines may be disposed at the distal region. Each of the ablation tines may include a tubular member having a flexible circuit disposed therein. The flexible circuit may include a substrate, one or more electrodes coupled to the substrate, and a temperature sensor coupled to the substrate and positioned adjacent to the one or more electrodes. The plurality of ablation tines may include a first ablation tine and a second ablation tine. A pair of bipolar electrodes may defined by a first electrode disposed at the first ablation tine and a second electrode disposed at the second ablation tine.

An electrosurgical forceps includes first and second shaft members and first and second jaw members extending distally from the respective first and second shaft members. A pivot couples the first and second shaft members with one another such that the first and second shaft members are movable relative to one another between a spaced-apart position and an approximated position to move the first and second jaw members relative to one another between an open position and a closed position. The jaw members are configured to facilitate tissue treatment, tissue division, and blunt tissue dissection.

The present invention relates to a Radiofrequency surgical instrument comprising at least two dry electrodes (3 and 4, or 3 and 5) and a electrode guiding device (6) comprising a main body (7), having a proximal end (73) and a distal end (74), and at least two insertion holes (8 and 81 or 82) guiding said electrodes (3 and 4, or 3 and 5), said insertion holes (8 and 81 or 82) extending through the body (7).

A surgical instrument includes a first shaft, a second shaft, and a hinge. The first shaft includes a proximal handle and a distal jaw member. The second shaft includes a first segment that has a proximal handle and a second segment that has a distal jaw member. One of the first and second shafts is pivotal relative to the other to pivot the jaw members between an open configuration where the jaw members are spaced relative to one another and an activatable configuration where the jaw members are closer to one another and suitable for applying electrosurgical energy to tissue disposed therebetween. The hinge couples the first and second segments to one another. The first and second segments have a straight configuration where the first and second segments align with a longitudinal axis and a pivoted configuration where the second segment is disposed at an angle relative to the longitudinal axis.

An apparatus for stimulation of collateral development in ischemic cardiac regions comprises a mechanism for fluid coupling of the left ventricle of the heart to the anterior interventricular vein to stimulate collateral development in ischemic regions. The fluid coupling of the left ventricle of the heart to the anterior interventricular vein includes a control of the diastolic/systolic pressure in the venous system to be within about 20-50 mmHg. The fluid coupling of the left ventricle of the heart to the anterior interventricular vein includes inserting a transmyocardial conduit into the left ventricle and a tri-directional coupler attached to the anterior interventricular vein. An associated method for stimulation of collateral development in ischemic cardiac regions via the fluid coupling of the left ventricle of the heart to the anterior interventricular vein is disclosed.