Apparatuses and methods for treating neurological and/or neuropsychiatric disorders are by application of thermal energy to the patient's forehead region, for example, by maintaining a target temperature or temperature range to the forehead of a patient for a time period. In particular, described herein are regional brain cooling mechanisms to treat neuropsychiatric disorders such as depression, anxiety, and autism.

Methods, systems and devices for reducing anxiety, including increasing relaxation and/or calm. In some variations these methods may include reducing anxiety, increase relaxation and/or calm by non-invasive temperature regulation of the frontal cortex prior to and/or during sleep. The subject may have an anxiety disorder, or may not have a diagnosed anxiety disorder.

A compression assembly for a medical tourniquet comprises a strap, a windlass and a buckle assembly and employs a retainer which retains the windlass upon rotation to apply pressure to a limb. The retainer has a pair of C-shaped portions which retain the windlass and a cross piece which is captured by a mounting strip. The buckle assembly preferably comprises a pair of parallel bars, one of which mounts a clasp which engageably retains a D-shaped ring. The strap is pulled through the D-shaped ring and secured in a taut engagement about a limb. The tourniquet is cooperatively configured so that only a relatively small additional rotation of the windlass is typically required to apply the final occluding pressure.

The visualization method includes displaying three-dimensional image data of at least one anatomical feature of a patient, receiving user input of the target for placing an ablation needle in the at least one anatomical feature of the patient, determining the position and orientation of the ablation needle based on the user input, displaying an image of a virtual ablation needle in the three-dimensional image data of the at least one anatomical feature of the patient according to the determined position and orientation, receiving user input of parameters of operating the ablation needle, and displaying a three-dimensional representation of the result of operating the ablation needle according to the input parameters.

A surgical instrument is disclosed. The surgical instrument can include an end effector, comprising an anvil and a staple cartridge. The surgical instrument can further include a shaft defining a longitudinal axis. The surgical instrument can also include an articulation joint, wherein the end effector is rotatably connected to the shaft about the articulation joint between an unarticulated position and at least one articulated position. The surgical instrument can include means for adjusting the length of a firing stroke as a function of the degree in which the end effector is articulated relative to the longitudinal axis. The surgical instrument can include a sensor configured to defect shifting of lateral portions of a flexible firing bar that extends through the articulation joint. Additionally or alternatively, the surgical instrument can include a relief feature configured to accommodate shifting of lateral portions of a flexible firing bar.

A powered endoscopic surgical apparatus is provided and includes a handle including a housing, a power source supported in the housing; an endoscopic portion extending distally from the housing of the handle; an end effector assembly coupled to a distal end of the endoscopic portion, the end effector assembly including a pair of jaws configured to perform a surgical function; a driving member; a drive source including a motor powered by the power source and connected to the driving member; and a gear assembly engaged with the motor. The gear assembly including a gear rack provided on the driving member; and a main gear operatively connected with the gear rack, the motor spinning the main gear such that rotary motion of the main gear moves the driving member in an axial direction such that the driving member actuates the end effector to perform the surgical function.

The following invention is a vocally activated control system for controlling an apparatus in a surgical setting, the system comprises: a. a voice sensor configured to detect vocal commands generated by surgeons during surgery; b. a signal transmitter connected to the voice sensor, the transmitter is configured to convert a vocal command into a transmittable signal and transmit it; c. a processor connected to a signal transmitter configured to receive a transmittable vocal signal, the processor is configured to convert a vocal signal to a predetermined set of operative instructions associated with the apparatus, the predetermined set of operative instructions comprising at least one instruction; and d. control means connected to the processor and apparatus; the control means is configured to receive a predetermined set of operative instructions and to cause the apparatus to operate accordingly; Said voice sensor and said transmitter are integrated within a wearable element.

The apparatus and method for hemostasis that informs the provider as to whether the appropriate magnitude of pressure is being applied to a puncture site on a patient. A visual pulse indicator can visually convey whether or not there is proper blood flow at the puncture site based on the pulsing motion encountered by the visual pulse indicator on the puncture site. The visual pulse indicator can potentially factor in a variety of different input parameters in displaying information that is useful to providers.

A modular energy system including a header module configured to removably connect to an energy module. The energy module can comprise a port configured to deliver one or more energy modalities to a surgical instrument connected thereto. The header module can comprise a display screen configured to display a user interface. The header module can further include a control circuit configured to detect attachment of energy modules to the modular energy system and control the display of the user interface to display UI portions for each connected module and reconfigure the displayed UI portions to accommodate the new UI portions as additional energy modules are connected to the modular energy system.

A surgical robot includes a main body portion, an arm provided on the main body portion to hold an endoscope, an attachment member that detachably attached the main body portion to a table portion of a bed, and a vertical drive mechanism that allows the main body portion to move along a first direction perpendicular to the table portion. The arm is pneumatically driven.