Methods for improving luminal gain when performing angioplasty at a zone of attention located at a blood vessel in a person's vascular system is provided. An intravascular device including an expandable portion secured to a distal portion of a catheter tube is provided. An incising element is provided on the expandable portion. The expandable portion is positioned at a first end of the zone of attention, placed in an expanded position, and moved along at least a portion of the zone of attention such that the incising element contacts at least a portion of atherosclerotic material located therein. An angioplasty device is positioned at the zone of attention and expanded.

Systems and methods are described for correcting sagittal imbalance in a spine including instruments for performing the controlled release of the anterior longitudinal ligament through a lateral access corridor and hyper-lordotic lateral implants.

Systems and methods are described for correcting sagittal imbalance in a spine including instruments for performing the controlled release of the anterior longitudinal ligament through a lateral access corridor and hyper-lordotic lateral implants.

A surgical scalpel including a handle with a proximal end and a distal end and which is hollow defines a notch that encases a blade. The scalpel alternatively may include two blades, wherein the blade which is used to perform the initial is retracted during the remainder of the procedure.

A detachable motor-powered surgical instrument. The instrument may include a housing that includes at least one engagement member for removably attaching the housing to an actuator arrangement. A motor is supported within the housing for supplying actuation motions to various portions of a surgical end effector coupled to the housing. The housing may include a contact arrangement that is configured to permit power to be supplied to the motor only when the housing is operably attached to the actuator arrangement.

A detachable motor-powered surgical instrument. The instrument may include a housing that includes at least one engagement member for removably attaching the housing to an actuator arrangement. A motor is supported within the housing for supplying actuation motions to various portions of a surgical end effector coupled to the housing. The housing may include a contact arrangement that is configured to permit power to be supplied to the motor only when the housing is operably attached to the actuator arrangement.

A cricothyrotomy apparatus includes a frame, a protuberance, and a blade member. The frame includes a blade guide. The protuberance extends in a first direction from the frame, and is located at a distance from the blade guide that corresponds to the distance between a sternal notch of an adult human and an anterior cricothyroid membrane of the adult human. The protuberance is sized and configured to be at least partly received by a sternal notch of an adult human. The blade member is slideably disposed in the blade guide.

Systems and methods are described for correcting sagittal imbalance in a spine including instruments for performing the controlled release of the anterior longitudinal ligament through a lateral access corridor and hyper-lordotic lateral implants.

Scalpel blades, scalpels, scalpel assemblies, and methods thereof can be configured to reduce or even eliminate occurrences of skin bridges from skin-nicking such as when expanding insertion sites for catheters. For example, a scalpel blade can include a blade edge and a back edge, which back edge can include a pair of guidewire clips configured to clip onto a guidewire. The blade edge can terminate with a blade tip at a distal end of the scalpel blade. The pair of guidewire clips can be configured to clip onto the guidewire with sufficient clearance for slidably guiding the scalpel blade along the guidewire when skin-nicking a patient's skin and fascia around an insertion site established by a percutaneous puncture. The scalpels and scalpel assemblies can include the example scalpel blade. The methods can include methods of using any of the scalpel blades, scalpels, or scalpel assemblies disclosed herein.

An improved vascular access dilator apparatus consisting of a wire, a blade with a locking safety mechanism, and straight but malleable dilator with a smooth surface having a lumen just large enough for the wire to slide easily in and out. The safety sheath covers the blade once an incision in the dermis is made, thereby protecting both the patient and caregiver.