A surgical tool has an elongate tool body that supports a retractable scalpel blade at a working end of the tool body. A bougie passage extends through the tool body to receive a bougie slidable longitudinally through the passage in the tool body. The tool body may be a single scalpel handle, or a pair of forceps. In either instance, the tool may be used to perform a cricothyrotomy procedure on patient or introduce a thoracostomy tube into a patient. In each instance, the scalpel blade forms an incision, followed by retraction of the blade and insertion of the bougie while the tool remains inserted into the patient. After removal of the tool, the bougie is used to guide subsequent insertion of a tube into the patient.

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.

Single use medical devices that incorporate one or more destruct elements configured to deform during an autoclave cycle, rendering the device visually damaged or unusable. The use of such destruct elements prevents reuse (knowingly or unwittingly) of single use devices on patients after off-label autoclaving.

The biological test kit is a device for drawing and, optionally, testing biological samples. The biological test kit is an array of lancets set in wells in a rigid base. Each lancet well is covered by a protective cover which when deformed permits the lancet to puncture a user or other patient. In one embodiment the biological test kit employs distinct covers for each lancet and in another the covers are formed from sheet material formed into blisters which cover the lancet.

A shield component for an endoscopic surgical blade is disclosed. An endoscopic surgical blade assembly is disclosed. The endoscopic surgical blade assembly contains an endoscopic surgical blade having a distal end, a proximal end, a top edge, a bottom edge and one or more cutting surfaces at the distal end, and a protective shield attached to the blade above the one or more cutting surfaces and extending away from the distal end of the blade. The blade is structurally configured for attachment to the distal end of an endoscope.

A medical device for performing a hysterectomy is provided. The medical device has a tissue incision assembly that includes a first cup nested within a second cup. The tissue incision assembly also includes a spacer assembly between the first cup and the second cup in order to maintain a spacing between the first and second cups. The tissue incision assembly also has a cutting implement that has a portion extending between, and movable with respect to, the first and second cups. The cutting implement can provide a circular cut guided via the spacing between the first and second cups.

A robotic surgical instrument includes a housing having a shaft extending therefrom configured to receive a first end effector including jaw members moveable between a fully open position wherein the jaw members are spaced a maximum distance relative to one another and a closed position wherein a closure pressure between the jaw members is within a predetermined range. A drive rod actuates the first end effector upon translation thereof. The housing includes a spring compression assembly having proximal and distal hubs with the compression spring disposed therebetween. A jaw drive input rotates a drive gear to translate the distal hub relative to the proximal hub to compress the compression spring and actuate the end effector. Once the jaw members are fully open, the jaw drive input rotates a preset number of degrees to compress the compression spring and approximate the jaw members to a closure pressure within the predetermined range.

A system and method for cutting soft tissue with a retractable surgical cutting device (10). The device (10) includes a handle (12) having a first channel (24) extending therethrough and a switch (18) located thereon. The switch (18) is movable between a retracted position and an extended position. An actuator (26) with a blade (16) extends through the first channel (24) and connects to the switch (18) within the handle (12). An outer sheath (14) is connected to the handle (12) and surrounds the actuator (26) and at least a portion of the blade (16). A drive mechanism (28) is connected to the switch (18) within the handle (12) such that when the switch (18) moves from the retracted position to the extended position, the actuator (26) moves from a retracted position to an extended position. In the retracted position, the blade (16) can be entirely within the outer sheath (14) and in the extended position, at least a portion of the blade (16) is positioned outside of the outer sheath (14).

Medical or surgical devices, instruments, systems, and methods for use in optically sensing loads acting on a patient's anatomy may include a surgical device or instrument configured for insertion to a surgical site and an interrogator coupled to the surgical device or instrument via an optical fiber having a sensing area at a location of the surgical device or instrument at which a load is to be sensed. The measured load may be used as being indicative of a load acting on a patient's anatomy. Such measured or determined load may be used to make decisions before, during, or after a patient procedure.

A medical device for performing a hysterectomy is provided. The medical device has a tissue incision assembly that includes a first cup nested within a second cup. The tissue incision assembly also includes a spacer assembly between the first cup and the second cup in order to maintain a spacing between the first and second cups. The tissue incision assembly also has a cutting implement that has a portion extending between, and movable with respect to, the first and second cups. The cutting implement can provide a circular cut guided via the spacing between the first and second cups.