A balloon dilator device, comprising an annularly shaped, cylindrical type structure having walls that are expandable from a radially collapsed state to a radially expanded state by inflation of a balloon inserted within the annular structure. Once the walls have been expanded, they remain in the expanded state even if the balloon is deflated, because the radially expanded state is a state of minimum mechanical potential energy, and in order to return to the collapsed state, the structure would have to pass a state of higher potential energy. The device walls require sufficient stiffness in their longitudinal direction to enable the device to be pushed into a minimally invasive incision made in the subject. This device stiffness can be achieved either by its mechanical material properties, or by its substantially closed wall structure, or by use of a stiff protector sheath used to protect the walls during insertion.

Methods are provided for extracting bone marrow cells from bone obtained from deceased donors, for preparing the bone marrow for cryopreservation and for obtaining desired cells from cryopreserved and fresh bone marrow.

Methods for forming an implantable layer onto a staple cartridge are disclosed.

A novel method of blackening surgical needles is disclosed. Surgical needles having outer surfaces are first placed into a first pretreatment bath having a novel composition. The needles are then placed into a second blackening bath having a novel composition for a sufficient period of time to effectively blacken the surfaces of the needles. The novel methods for blackening the surfaces of a stainless steel alloy surgical needle provide a chromium (VI)-free alternative to current needle manufacturing processes. Another unique feature of this novel method is its short processing time. The blackening processes of the present invention can be utilized for in-line treatment processes which can be easily incorporated into high speed needle manufacturing processes, such as strip mounted processes. In addition, the processes of the present invention are readily adaptable to batch processes. Also disclosed are novel systems for blackening surgical needles and novel blackening baths for surgical needles.

A surgical device includes an adapter assembly including a tubular housing having a proximal end portion configured to couple to a handle assembly, and a load sensing assembly disposed with the tubular housing. The load sensing assembly is configured to measure a load exerted on the tubular housing and includes: a sensor body including a pocket defined therein; a load sensor circuit disposed within the pocket and coupled to the sensor body; a signal processing circuit disposed within the pocket and electrically coupled to the load sensor circuit; a cover defining a cavity and disposed over the pocket and enclosing the load sensor circuit and the signal processing circuit therein, the cover being coupled to the sensor body thereby forming a first hermetic seal therebetween; and a thermal management material disposed within the cavity and in contact with the load sensor circuit and the signal processing circuit.

A vaso-occlusive device is constructed out of dissimilar metallic materials that are in contact or otherwise in close proximity with one another, thereby causing the device to undergo galvanic corrosion when exposed to an electrolytic medium, such as blood or other body fluid, wherein one of the dissimilar metallic materials is zirconium or zirconium alloy to create a corrosive product including zirconia having a relatively high hardness, a relatively high fracture toughness, and a relatively high stability when the device is implanted in a vasculature site, such as an aneurysm.

A surgical fastener deployment system may include a plurality of coil fasteners having a head and coil body. In some embodiments, the head is comprised of a bioabsorbable polymer. In one embodiment, the coil body may be comprised of a shell and a core and one of the shell and the core may be comprised of one of a magnesium alloy or a bioabsorbable polymer, and the other of the shell and core is formed of the other of the magnesium alloy and the bioabsorbable polymer. The coil body may also include an internal channel which may have a support coil disposed within.

An aspect of the present disclosure provides a suturing instrument comprising: a plurality of hollow tubes; at least two stitching arms coupled to first end of the plurality of hollow tubes, the at least two stitching arms capable of moving between an open position and a closed position, wherein in the open position the at least two stitching arms are away from each other, and in the closed position the at least two arms are closer to each other; a needle coupled to at least one of the at least two stitching arms, wherein a suture is looped through the needle to enable suturing when the both arms are moved to the closed position; and a handle comprising at least two members coupled to a second end of the plurality of hollow tubes such that first member of the at least two members is fixed and a second member is movably coupled to the first member, wherein when the at least two members are closer the at least two stitching arms are in closed position, and when the at least two handles are moved away the at least two arms move from the closed position to the open position.

Connectors for connecting or linking one instrument or object to one or more other instruments or objects are disclosed herein. In some embodiments, a connector can include a first arm with a first attachment feature for attaching to a first object, such as a surgical access device, and a second arm with a second attachment feature for attaching to a second object, such as a support. The connector can have an unlocked state, in which the position and orientation of the access device can be adjusted relative to the support, and a locked state in which movement of the access device relative to the support is prevented or limited. Locking the connector can also be effective to clamp or otherwise attach the connector to the access device and the support, or said attachment can be independent of the locking of the connector.

A surgical staple cartridge is disclosed comprising a plurality of staples removably stored within the surgical staple cartridge. The staples comprise staple legs which extend from a staple base portion. The staple legs comprise staple tips configured to pierce tissue and contact a corresponding forming pocket of an anvil of surgical stapling instrument. The staples further comprise zones having different hardnesses.