A suture passing instrument for manipulating and passing suture through a tissue is disclosed. 5 The instrument includes a handle, an elongate shaft extending from the handle, a hook movably disposed within the elongate shaft. The elongate shaft includes a distal portion having an open end. The hook is movable from a retracted configuration in which at least a portion the hook is situated within the elongate shaft, and a deployed configuration in which the hook extends distally from the open end. The hook is operatively coupled to an actuator of the handle via a 10 coupling member and the hook is moved from the retracted configuration to the deployed configuration be applying tension to the coupling member.

The present invention refers to a reusable meniscus suture device that comprising a handle for handling the device; a single-part needle comprising an elongated solid body which extends from the handle and a free end opposite the handle endowed with a cutting tip; and at least a portion of the elongated body gradually tapers in thickness towards the cutting tip, forming a portion of greater thickness in the region near the handle, and a portion of lesser thickness in the region near the tip, and wherein the portion of lesser thickness is malleable and curvable; and wherein the tip of the distal end has a lumen for the passage of the suture thread.

A surgical assembly includes a surgical instrument and a holder. The surgical instrument includes an elongate body and an end effector. The elongate body has a proximal portion and a distal portion that defines a longitudinal axis therealong. The proximal portion is movable relative to the distal portion between a first condition and a second condition. In the first condition, the proximal portion is parallel to the longitudinal axis. In the second condition, the proximal portion is non-parallel to the longitudinal axis. The holder is configured to be coupled to the elongate body to selectively retain the proximal portion of the elongate body in the first condition.

Shaped liver biopsy sheaths and methods for transfemoral transcaval liver access are disclosed. The present invention provides methods of obtaining a tissue sample from the liver of a patient, the methods comprising inserting a hollow sheath, such as a stiffened sheath with an angled tip, through a femoral vein into a portion of the inferior vena cava (IVC) adjacent to the liver, wherein the sheath's tip is in the intrahepatic IVC and wherein the sheath has a shape that brings the tip of the sheath adjacent to the wall of the IVC at an angle that is optimal to allow penetration of the wall of the IVC by a biopsy needle, and inserting a biopsy needle through the sheath and through the wall of the NC into the liver to obtain a tissue sample from the liver.

An apparatus includes a cylindraceous sleeve body, a navigation sensor, and an interface feature. The cylindraceous sleeve body includes an open proximal end, an open distal end, and a lumen extending from the open proximal end to the open distal end. The lumen is sized and configured to receive a shaft of a medical instrument. The navigation sensor is positioned at the open distal end of the cylindraceous sleeve body. The interface feature is configured to couple the navigation sensor with an image guidance system. The navigation sensor is configured to cooperate with an image guidance system to provide feedback indicating a position of the navigation sensor in three-dimensional space.

This disclosure is directed to surgical fixation devices (e.g., staples, screws, etc.) which are able to bring bone fragments into close proximity with each other, generate a compressive load, and maintain that compressive load for a prolonged period of time while healing occurs. The surgical fixations devices are manufactured from a shape memory material (e.g., a material capable of exhibiting superelasticity and/or a temperature-induced shape change).

A method of surgical stapling that uses a surgical instrument operable to compress, staple, and cut tissue. The instrument includes a body, a shaft, and an end effector with a pair of jaws. A placement tip extends distally from one of the jaws of the end effector. The method includes positioning the end effector at a desired site for surgical stapling. The method also includes controlling one or more of the jaws of the end effector to place the end effector in an open position. The method also includes positioning the end effector such that tissue is located between the jaws. The method also includes clamping the tissue between the jaws by moving at least one of the jaws toward the other jaw. The method also includes advancing a firing beam of the apparatus from a proximal position to a distal position.

A medical tool includes a handle, a tubular member, and a bendable shape memory element (SME). The tubular member is attached to and extends from the handle and is configured to be inserted into an orifice of a patient. The tubular member has a distal-end section that is configured to be bent so as to perform a medical procedure in the orifice. The bendable shape memory element (SME) is coupled to the distal-end section of the tubular member, wherein the SME is configured to straighten when heated into a pre-formed shape, thereby straightening the distal-end section.

An access device for accessing an intervertebral disc having an outer shield comprising an access shield with a larger diameter (˜16-30 mm) that reaches from the skin down to the facet line, with an inner shield having a second smaller diameter (˜5-12 mm) extending past the access shield and reaches down to the disc level. This combines the benefits of the direct visual microsurgical/mini open approaches and the percutaneous, “ultra-MIS” techniques.

The disclosed invention provides a transseptal insertion device which is suitable for facilitating precise and safe transseptal puncture of a cardiac interatrial septum. The transseptal insertion device includes a sheath that defines at least one lumen therein, one or more positioning balloons that are connected to a distal end of the sheath, a puncture member movably positioned within the at least one lumen, and a puncture member balloon located on the puncture member. The sheath has one or more deflation ports to deflate the one or more positioning balloons. The puncture member balloon, when inflated, is capable of sealing the one or more deflation ports in the sheath, permitting the inflation of the one or more positioning balloons. When the puncture member moves toward fossa ovalis, the inflated puncture member balloon moves away from the deflation ports, allowing the positioning balloons to be deflated.