An instrument includes a tubular shaft, an end effector coupled to a distal end portion of the tubular shaft, and a relief feature extending circumferentially along a wall of the shaft and along at least a portion of a length of the shaft. The relief feature defines flexural members on opposing sides of the relief feature. The flexural members can move relative to one another in response to bending the shaft. The flexural members can engage one another on one or both of tension and compression sides of the shaft on the condition the shaft is bent to an angle within a predetermined range of bend angles. Systems and methods relate to instruments including such shafts.

Disclosed is a reusable surgical instrument (1) with an articulated end-effector (3), such as a dissector, scissor or grasper, to enhance a surgeon's performance during various surgical procedures. The longitudinal axis of the instrument is defined by a shaft (2), comprising an internal structural element (2″) covered by an external tube (2′), which may be inserted through a surgical incision into the body of a patient, optionally through a trocar. The articulated end-effector (3) is mounted on the distal extremity of the shaft's internal structural element and comprises a plurality of links interconnected by a plurality of joints, whose movements are remotely actuated by the surgeon's hands. This remote actuation is accomplished via mechanical transmission (5, 6, 7), mainly composed of flexible elements, which are able to deliver motion from a set of actuation elements, placed at a proximal extremity of the shaft (2), to the instrument's articulated end-effector (3). The external tube (2′) can be easily and individually detached from the shaft (2) after each procedure, so that the instrument (1) can be more effectively cleaned and sterilized.

A treatment instrument includes a rotating body and a housing. The rotating body includes a connecting portion including: a supported portion having a cylindrical outer peripheral surface, and an engaged portion that is adjacent to the supported surface. The housing includes a supporting portion that is configured to support the supported portion of the rotating body, the supporting portion being rotatable around a predetermined rotation axis; and an engaging portion that is configured to generate a frictional force larger than a frictional force between the supporting portion and the supported portion by coming into contact with the engaged portion.

A medical device that includes a shaft having a proximal end and a distal end, the shaft defining a lumen extending from the proximal end of the shaft to an opening on a side of the shaft. The medical device includes a grasping tool proximate to the distal end of the shaft and configured to fix the distal end relative to a target site. The medical device further includes a lock at the proximal end of the shaft and configured to fix the proximal end to an ancillary device.

A slip ring assembly is used with a surgical shaft assembly. The slip ring assembly includes a slip ring, a first conductor mounted on the slip ring, a commutator rotatable relative to the slip ring, and a second conductor mounted on the commutator. The slip ring assembly further includes a flexible member disposed between the slip ring and the commutator. The flexible member comprises a body and flexible protrusions extending from the body, wherein the flexible protrusions are elastically deformed against the first slip ring.

An anisotropic surgical instrument is provided having at least one reinforced region that includes at least one reinforcement fiber oriented along a direction that corresponds to a direction of the force applied to the surgical instrument during use. The instrument can further include a weakened region that defines a hinge about which the instrument can iterate between a contracted configuration and an expanded configuration. Methods of fabricating such instruments are also described.

A surgical instrument comprising a shaft, an end effector, a housing, a drive assembly, and a manually-driven actuator is disclosed. The end effector comprises a first jaw and a second jaw rotatable relative to the first jaw between an open position and a clamped position. The housing comprises a rotary input movable by a motor. The drive assembly is operably engaged with the rotary input. The drive assembly is movable by the motor in a motorized mode of operation to transition the second jaw toward the clamped position. The drive assembly is movable in a non-motorized mode of operation by the manually-driven actuator to permit a transition of the second jaw toward the open position to release tissue between the first jaw and the second jaw.

A slip ring assembly is used with a surgical shaft assembly. The slip ring assembly includes a slip ring, a first conductor mounted on the slip ring, a commutator rotatable relative to the slip ring, and a second conductor mounted on the commutator. The slip ring assembly further includes a flexible member disposed between the slip ring and the commutator. The flexible member comprises a body and flexible protrusions extending from the body, wherein the flexible protrusions are elastically deformed against the first slip ring.

A medical manipulator includes a flexible shaft, a distal-end portion, an operating unit with which the distal-end portion is operated, a wire transmitting a motive force of the unit to the distal-end portion, a coil formed from a material having a greater rigidity than the shaft and one end thereof being secured to the distal-end portion and the other end thereof being secured to the unit, and a tube having a greater bending rigidity than the coil. The unit includes a socket connected to the shaft, a ball relatively rotatable to the socket, and a handle with which the wire is pushed/pulled in the longitudinal direction, the coil is disposed at a position at which the coil covers an area surrounding the wire, and the tube is disposed at a position at which the tube covers an area surrounding the coil in spaces in the socket and the ball.

Embodiments of the invention include instruments (100, 200, 400, 1100, 1400, 2100, 2400, 3400) and methods useful in delivering graft material (1) to a surgical site. Some embodiments may particularly be directed to forming a graft (1) and accurately and effectively handling and delivering the graft (1) to a surgical site arthroscopically. Graft material (1) may include blood components such as clotted fibrin derived from a patient's or a donor's blood.