A device comprising: (a) a first working arm; (b) a shuttle located on the first working arm, and (c) a bias device; wherein the bias device biases the first working arm when the shuttle is in a first position, and wherein the bias device is free of biasing the first working arm when the shuttle is in a second position.

A needle holder is described, comprising first and second handles. Each handle comprises a finger loop at a proximal end of the handle, an arm fixedly attached to the finger loop, extending toward a distal end of the handle and defining a longitudinal axis, and a jaw fixedly attached to the arm, extending along the longitudinal axis toward the distal end of the handle. The needle holder further includes a sliding pivot joint connecting the first and second handles at a connection point between the arms and the jaws, the sliding pivot joint configured to allow the first and second handles to move rotationally with respect to one another about a rotational axis orthogonal to the longitudinal axis at the connection point, and/or translationally with respect to one another along the longitudinal axis. A method of grasping a needle is also described.

A surgical instrument comprising an end effector is disclosed. The end effector comprises a surgical dissector. The surgical dissector can apply mechanical and/or electrosurgical energy to treated tissue.

Locking assemblies for surgical clamping and cutting instruments include a locking member and a switch. A drive member may be configured to releasably engage a knife and/or a shuttle of the surgical instrument for translating the knife and/or shuttle in a distal direction through a firing stroke. The locking member is movable from a first position permitting distal translation of the drive member through the firing stroke, and a second position inhibiting distal translation of the drive member through the firing stroke. A switch, when proximally positioned, releasably engages the locking member to maintain the locking member in the first position. The switch disengages from the locking member when the switch is moved to a distal position.

An ophthalmic surgical instrument for cataract removal surgery includes a helical coil structure including a wire or elongated structure coiled in a plurality essentially similar diameter coils of 360-degree turns in a corkscrew having a coil diameter sufficiently small to fit within an incision of a human ocular lens capsule for entering the human ocular lens capsule during a cataract removal surgery. A pointed sharp end pierces and grasps a human ocular lens under the control of a surgeon upon being inserted in a human ocular lens capsule within said ocular lens capsule during a cataract removal surgery. The corkscrew structure firmly holds the human ocular lens and controls the position and movement of the human ocular lens during said cataract removal surgery.

Forceps that include a hand piece, a jaw assembly connected to the hand piece, and a web. The jaw assembly is moveable between an open position and a closed position. The web is adapted to block an anatomical feature from extending beyond a proximal end of a gripping section of the jaw assembly. The web remains generally stationary relative to the handpiece when the jaw assembly is moved between an open position and a closed position.

Surgical instruments, such as clamping and cutting instruments, are provided. In one aspect, a surgical stapling instrument comprises first and second jaws and a drive member configured to move in a distal direction through at least one of the jaws. The instrument further includes a locking member movable between a first position permitting distal translation of the drive member, and a second position impeding distal translation of the drive member, and a switch movable from a proximal position to a distal position. When the switch is in the proximal position, it releasably maintains the locking member in the first position, and when the switch is in the distal position, it allows the locking member to move to the second position. This inhibits or prevents actuation of a knife when there is a spent or previously fired cartridge loaded in the instrument.

The present disclosure provides a surgical instrument comprising an instrument body with a distal end including a working portion, and a proximal end including a handle. The instrument body includes a first arm and a second arm that are pivotable relative to one another. Each of the first arm and the second arm having a handle portion of the handle and a portion of the working portion. And each of the handle portions of the first and second arms being configured to enable a user to control the instrument body and move the portions of the working portion of the first and second arms between opened and closed positions. The handle portion of the first arm having a thenar eminence contacting surface adapted to contact at least a portion of a thenar eminence of a hand of the user during use, and facilitate at least movement of the handle to move the working portion of the first and second arms from the open position to the closed position

A medical instrument comprising a device for activating or deactivating a function of the instrument. The device comprises first and second parts, which are each movable into an operative position relative to the other part to activate or deactivate a function of the instrument. A second control element for moving the second part into the operative position provides a control portion and comprises, for moving the first part into the operative position, a first control element which provides an additional control portion. The first control element can be moved in an opposite direction the direction from the second control element. Accordingly, the function is activated by moving a control element in a distal direction, and by moving another control element in a proximal direction. A deflection of force by one actuating element for actuating the first part or the second part in the opposite direction is not necessary.

A surgical instrument with a handle for a surgical instrument is provided, comprising a first arm and a second arm, wherein at least one of the arms being movable with respect to the other between an open and closed position. An end effector such as a pair of opposing jaws for grasping tissue may be disposed at the distal end of the two arms. At the proximal end of each arm is a finger loop, or some other suitable means for holding by the handle, which are used to actuate the arms between the open and closed position. At least one of the finger loops is arranged to pivot about the longitudinal axis of the arm from which it extends, for example, the finger loop may be connected to the arm by a hinged connection, or any other suitable connection for enabling the finger loop to be pivotably rotated.