A buttress is applied to an end effector of a surgical stapler. The buttress is loaded on a platform of a buttress applier cartridge. The end effector is closed upon the platform. An adhesive layer of the buttress secures the buttress to the end effector. The buttress is thus adhered to the end effector when the end effector is opened. The end effector is then actuated on tissue of a patient, thereby stapling the buttress to the tissue.

A method for preparing a prosthetic valve and a delivery system for an implantation procedure. The method comprises (a) obtaining a tray, the tray containing the delivery system, the prosthetic valve coupled to the delivery system, and a valve cover in which the prosthetic valve is disposed. The tray comprises a storage cavity comprising an open end, a floor, and a peripheral side wall defining the depth of the cavity, wherein the prosthetic valve and the valve cover are disposed in the storage cavity; and a mounting surface that substantially immobilizes and maintains the valve cover and prosthetic valve within the storage cavity. The method further comprises (b) at least partially filing the storage cavity with a first hydrating fluid to completely immerse the prosthetic valve; and (c) removing the delivery device with the prosthetic valve from the tray, including disengaging the prosthetic valve from the mounting surface.

Surgical instruments to properly implant interspinous/interlaminar stabilization devices, and instrumentation kits containing these instruments are provided. These surgical instruments may be configured to be disposable, or for single patient use, and therefore do not require resterilization for reuse, thus reducing risk of infection as a result of reuse and logistical costs associated with these resterilization procedures.

A strainer dish for receiving medical items to be disinfected or sterilized includes a receiving container and at least one handle, which, in a removal position projects out of the receiving container in a grippable manner in order to allow the carrying of the strainer dish, and which, in a locking position, is arranged inside the receiving container to allow the loading of the strainer dish, the handle being shifted from the locking position into the removal position by actuation of a releasable holding element.

A method and system for reprocessing a reusable medical instrument. The method includes providing a container including a tray and a lid, the tray having an opening for inserting therethrough the medical instrument into an inner space of the tray, and the lid being arranged for closing the opening. The method includes inserting the container into a decontamination device, inside the decontamination device decontaminating the tray, the lid and the medical instrument while the lid is positioned away from the opening. The method includes, inside the decontamination device, a container handler of the decontamination device closing the container by closing the lid onto the tray for closing the opening, and removing the closed container containing the decontaminated medical instrument from the decontamination device.

A surgical instrument includes a body assembly, a waveguide, a transducer, and a coupling assembly. In some versions the coupling assembly translates the transducer to couple the transducer to the waveguide. For instance, a gear having arcuate troughs may engage pins on the transducer and/or waveguide to mate the transducer to waveguide. A pawl may selectively engage and prevent rotation of the gear. Alternatively, lever arms may cam the transducer into the waveguide. The lever arms may selectively couple to a casing to prevent decoupling of the transducer and waveguide. In another configuration, a locking tab can be slid and locked into a slot to couple the transducer and waveguide. Further still, levers with self-locking pins may engage and couple the transducer to the waveguide. In another version, a rotatable body portion may engage a tab on the transducer to rotate and couple the transducer to the waveguide.

An improved biopsy tray includes a container having bottom surface and continuous perimeter wall extending upward therefrom to form a cleaning zone which is sufficient to hold an adequate amount of fluid for cleaning a biopsy forceps, and at least one specimen bottle receiving receptacle adjacent the perimeter wall to receive and retain a specimen bottle. A method of obtaining a biopsy specimen includes employing the tray of the invention.

A tray for a soft tissue cutting device includes a housing slot for removably housing the soft tissue cutting device prior to use and a priming slot for receiving the soft tissue cutting device during a priming procedure. The priming slot allows connection of the soft tissue cutting device to a priming syringe for priming the soft tissue cutting device. The tray also includes a safety slot for testing whether the soft tissue cutting device is primed for use and a sterile cover connectable to the tray. The sterile cover substantially encloses the tray when it is connected thereto.

A modularly structured lid for a sterile container includes a lid component, which has at least one gas exchange portion, on which, on the inner side of a lid, at least one filter device can be arranged, and at least one filter covering by which the at least one gas exchange portion can be completely covered on an outside of the lid. The lid component has at least one standardized clip receiving portion and the filter covering has at least one standardized clip portion, by which the filter covering and the lid component can be interlockingly fixed to each other, and can be mounted and removed without tools. A sterile container can include such a lid and a filter covering for such a lid.

A medical sterilization container has a tub-like first container part, a cover-like second container part, a filter device which is disposed or mounted, particularly from outside, on at least one of the container parts, and a sterilization container closure, which includes at least one closing flap that can be disposed on one of the container parts between a closed position and an open position for the purpose of closing the two container parts one to the other. When in the closed position, the closing flap locks and/or fastens and/or secures the filter device to the container part on which the filter device is disposed or mounted.