Intuitive Surgical Operations, Inc.

Ethicon Endo-surgery, Inc.

Intuitive Surgical, Inc.

Symphonix Devices, Inc.

Auris Health, Inc.

Other

Satiety, Inc.

Ethicon, Gmbh

Vibrant Med-el Hearing Technology Gmbh

Christopher Allen Julian

Alex T Roth

Craig R Gerbi

Gary B Weller

Andrew H Hancock

James R Gannoe

Daniel T Wallace

David Joseph Rosa

Dean F Hoornaert

John W Hill

John G Freund

Amir Belson

Robert Matthew Ohline

Geoffrey R Ball

Frederic H Moll

Marc S Kreidler

Charles E Swinehart

Aaron W Brown

Katherine Whitin

Scott J Reiner

Mark Harasym

Enrique Romo

Timothy G Dietz

Bob H Katz

Andris D Ramans

Michael Ikeda

Gilbert Mata, Jr

Eric M Jaeger

Frederick H Moll

August C Pombo

Thomas R Jenkins

Jay Gurusamy

Tracey Ann Morley

Jamy Gannoe

David S Baron

Margaret M Isaac

Crystine M Lee

Thomas G Cooper

John W Gaiser

Robert G Younge

Scott Clinton Anderson

Wade A Keller

Joseph M Tartaglia

Spencer James Witte

Joshua T Oen

Chris Pamichev

Kenneth J Dormer

Gordon L Richard

Jack V Hough

Carson Jay Shellenberger

Tim Dietz

John D Salisbury

James M Culp

Luis Andrade Baez, Jr

Wyndham Robertson, Iii

Gregory Tse

Stephen C Anderson

Carson Jay Shellberger

Joshua Oeh

Dan Wallace

Jack Van Dorn Hough

Gordon Richard

Craig Mar

Jr Luis Andrade Baez

Aaron Wesley Brown

Scott James Reiner

A medical instrument may comprise a first articulatable segment having a first diameter, and a second articulatable segment having a second diameter smaller than the first diameter, wherein the second articulatable segment is coupled to the first articulatable segment and extends in a distal direction past the first articulatable segment. The instrument may also comprise a first force transmission element coupled to the first articulatable segment and extending in a proximal direction from the first articulatable segment to a first connector portion, the first connector portion being configured to be releasably coupled with a first actuator, and a second force transmission element coupled to the second articulatable segment and extending in a proximal direction from the second articulatable segment to a second connector portion, the second connector portion being configured to be releasably coupled with a second actuator. The first and second force transmission elements may be configured to transmit actuation forces, respectively, to articulate the first and second articulatable segments independently of one another.

Connector device for a controllable instrument

Certain aspects relate to systems and techniques for a medical device. The medical device can include an elongated shaft having a proximal end, a distal end, and a bendable section between the proximal end and the distal end. The medical device can include a tip assembly at the distal end of the elongated shaft. The tip assembly include a control member and a distal tip component attached to the control member. At least one cable can extend through the elongated shaft and be anchored to the control member. The at least one cable can be configured to bend the bendable section based on a force applied thereto. At least one electronic component can be embedded in the distal tip component.

Medical instrument with articulable segment

Certain aspects relate to systems and techniques for manually and robotically driving a medical instrument. For example, a system can include a handle configured to receive an elongated shaft of a medical instrument. The handle can include a gripping mechanism for selectively engaging the elongated shaft, and an articulation input and configured for receiving user inputs of commanded articulation of the elongated shaft. The system can include an instrument drive mechanism configured to engage a base of the medical instrument. The instrument drive mechanism can include at least one robotic drive output configured to engage a robotic drive input of the base to cause articulation of the elongated shaft based on the user inputs received at the articulation input, and a first connector configured to removably couple the instrument drive mechanism to an instrument positioning device.

Devices, systems, and methods for manually and robotically driving medical instruments

Certain aspects relate to systems, devices and techniques for vessel sealing and cutting. In particular, an instrument is provided that is capable of performing multiple functions, including sealing and cutting. The instrument can be robotically controlled, and can include a shaft, a multi-DOF wrist, and an end effector. The end effector is capable of generating and delivering heat via different energy modalities to perform the various functions at different temperatures.

Vessel sealer with heating and cooling capabilities

A medical instrument may comprise a plurality of links disposed in series along an axial direction. The plurality of links also may comprise a brake assembly comprise one or more first braking components coupled to a first link in the pair of adjacent links and one or more second braking components coupled to a second link in the pair of adjacent links. The one or more first braking components and the one or more second braking components may have an interleaved arrangement with each other. The braking assembly may be actuatable between an engaged state and a disengaged state, wherein the one or more first braking components and the one or more second braking components inhibit the pair of adjacent links from pivoting relative to one another in the engaged state of the brake assembly, and wherein the one or more first braking components and the one or more second braking components permit the pair of adjacent links pivoting relative to one another in the disengaged state of the brake assembly. The one or more first braking components and the one or more second braking components may be pressed together in the engaged state of the brake assembly.

Segmented instrument having braking capabilities

One embodiment of present invention is a segmented instrument having braking capabilities that includes an elongate body having a plurality of links and a hinge connecting a pair of adjacent links in the plurality of links. There is also brake assembly coupled to each link in the pair of adjacent links and positioned to span the distance between the pair of adjacent links. Another embodiment of the present invention is a segmented instrument having a plurality of links and at least one lockable and articulatable joint positioned to connect a pair of adjacent links in the plurality of links. In addition, the at least one lockable and articulatable joint is adapted and configured to increase the number of frictional surfaces available between the pair of adjacent links. There are also provided methods for controlling a segmented instrument. Exemplary steps of the method include introducing a segmented instrument into a patient where the segmented instrument has a plurality of links wherein adjacent links are joined by a hinge. Next, there is the step of manipulating the links about the hinges to maneuver the segmented instrument to provide access to a surgical site within the patient. In one aspect, the manipulating step produces a sliding motion between a plurality of complementary shaped components within a portion of a brake assembly between adjacent links. Next there is the step of actuating the brake assembly to substantially prevent movement about the hinge of the links attached to the braking mechanism.

A connector assembly for controllable articles is described herein. The connector assembly engages force transmission elements used to transmit force from one or more force generators with the force transmission elements used to manipulate a controllable article. Additionally, the connector assembly provides organization thereby simplifying the process of connecting a plurality of elements, usually with a quick, single movement.

Surgical accessories are presented in vivo and used by surgical tools in the surgical site to perform additional tasks without the need to remove the tools from the surgical site for tool change or instrument loading. The accessories can be introduced into the surgical site by a dedicated accessory introducer, or can be supported on the body of a surgical tool inserted into the surgical site and be manipulated using another surgical tool in the surgical site. The accessory introducer can be resiliently biased to bias the accessories toward a predetermined position in the surgical site.

In vivo accessories for minimally invasive surgery

A system for tissue approximation and fixation is described herein. A device is advanced in a minimally invasive manner within a patient's body to create one or several divisions or plications within a hollow body organ. The system comprises a stapler assembly having a tissue acquisition member and a tissue fixation member. The stapler assembly approximates tissue from within the hollow body organ with the acquisition member and then affixes the approximated tissue with the fixation member. In one method, the system can be used as a secondary procedure to reduce the size of a stoma within the hollow body organ.

Single fold device for tissue fixation

Devices and methods for tissue acquisition and fixation, or gastroplasty, are described. Generally, the devices of the system may be advanced in a minimally invasive manner within a patient's body, e.g., transorally, endoscopically, percutaneously, etc., to create one or several divisions or plications within the hollow body organ. Such divisions or plications can form restrictive barriers within a organ, or can be placed to form a pouch, or gastric lumen, smaller than the remaining stomach volume to essentially act as the active stomach such as the pouch resulting from a surgical Roux-En-Y gastric bypass procedure. Moreover, the system is configured such that once acquisition of the tissue by the gastroplasty device is accomplished, any manipulation of the acquired tissue is unnecessary as the device is able to automatically configure the acquired tissue into a desired configuration.

Devices and methods for placement of partitions within a hollow body organ

A medical device for managing tissue in an organ, such as the stomach, for retracting or positioning tissue and related organs to allow certain regions of the stomach to be acquired for a gastroplasty procedure. The medical device includes an elongated body having a proximal end and a distal end, and a tissue treatment device attached to the distal end of the elongated body. The tissue treatment device includes a first jaw opposite a second jaw, and each jaw is adapted to acquire tissue. A retractor is disposed along the tissue treatment device and adapted to be moveable from a delivery position to a retraction position to move or manage the tissue of the stomach. The medical device also includes a collapsible barrier disposed between the first and second jaws of the tissue treatment device to direct tissue into the first and second jaws separately.

Remote tissue retraction device

Devices, systems and methods related to endoscopic surgery, particularly related to robotic surgical operations, provide a tissue stabilizer for endoscopically stabilizing a target tissue within a patient's body. For stabilizing a beating heart during a closed-chest coronary artery bypass grafting procedure, a stabilizer is inserted through an endoscopic cannula and provides sufficient surface area to contact the heart and effectively stabilize the target tissue area. The stabilizer can straddle a blood vessel, such as a coronary artery, which is targeted for an anastomosis. Vessel occlusion fasteners may occlude the target blood vessel prior to the anastomosis procedure.

Endoscopic beating-heart stabilizer and vessel occlusion fastener

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Los Gatos, CA, United States of America

Christopher Allen Julian