Ethicon Endo-surgery, Inc.

Ethicon, Gmbh

Amazon Technologies, Inc.

Cilag International Gmbh

Emrge, LLC

Solarant Medical, Inc.

Devicor Medical Products, Inc.

Surx, Inc.

Symphonix Devices, Inc.

Ams Research Corporation

Brij Medical, Inc.

Brijjit Medical, Inc.

Solorant Medical, Inc.

Timothy G Dietz

Jeffrey L Aldridge

David A Witt

Foster B Stulen

William Eugene Clem

Richard William Timm

Kevin L Houser

Daniel W Price

Ashvani K Madan

Zhifan F Huang

William D Dannaher

Sora Rhee

Mary E Mootoo

Jeffrey David Messerly

Cory G Kimball

Donna L Korvick

Gregory W Johnson

Craig T Davis

Gavin Martin Monson

John B Schulte

Frederick E Shelton, IV

Michael J Stokes

Craig N Faller

Kevin D Felder

Stephen J Balek

Michael R Lamping

David O Kazmer

John W Willis

Matthew C Miller

Prasanna Malaviya

David Keith Norvell

Aron O Zingman

Robert J Laird

Jason L Harris

Sean P Conlon

Ryan M Asher

Gary W Knight

Patrick A Weizman

Richard C Smith

Michael J Andreyko

Garry L Carter

Jeffrey S Swayze

Omar J Vakharia

Jacob Spencer Gee

Brian D Bertke

Jeffery Kirk

David C Yates

John A Hibner

James Walden Voegele

Daniel J Mumaw

Bret William Smith

Michael A Murray

Keshava Datta

Paul B Guerra

Tylor C Muhlenkamp

William David Kelly

Amy L Marcotte

Beth A Marcus

Mark Tsonton

Benjamin M Boyd

John A Weed, Iii

Eric B Smith

Jerome R Morgan

Andrew T Beckman

John V Hunt

Frank W Ingle

Christopher Allen Julian

Scott A Woodruff

Christopher J Schall

Geoffrey R Ball

Bob H Katz

William A Olson

Kip M Rupp

William C Horton

John F Cummings

Chad Paul Boudreaux

Barry C Worrell

Eugene L Timperman

Galen C Robertson

Tamara S Widenhouse

David N Plescia

Paul T Franer

Robert J Beetel, Iii

Eitan T Wiener

Shailendra Kumar Parihar

Geoffrey S Strobl

James R Giordano

Simon Cohn

Carine Hoarau

George L Matlock

Thomas P Ryan

Kevin Shaun Weadock

Jessica Pyzoha Leimbach

Gregory Edward Tierney

Parris S Wellman

Emmanuel V Tanghal

Jonathan T Batross

Scott A Nield

Oren A Mosher

Howard A Stone

An apparatus includes a shaft assembly, an ultrasonic blade, and a clamp assembly. The shaft assembly includes an acoustic waveguide operable to transmit ultrasonic vibrations to the blade. The clamp assembly includes a clamp arm pivotable toward and away from the blade about a pivot axis, to clamp tissue between the clamp arm and the blade. A rotation feature may provide rotation of the blade relative to the clamp arm about the longitudinal axis of the waveguide. Alternatively, the rotation feature may provide rotation of the clamp arm relative to the blade about the longitudinal axis. The rotation feature may be driven based on pivotal positioning of the clamp arm relative to the blade about the pivot axis. The rotation feature may selectively lock and unlock the angular position of either the blade or the clamp arm about the longitudinal axis at any of a number of predetermined angular positions.

Rotation features for ultrasonic surgical instrument

Force modulating tissue bridges, and associated applicators, kits and methods are provided. A force modulating tissue bridge can be a medical article for at least partially covering a wound and/or scar tissue. The medical article can include an elastic arch extending over an area, and a medial strut connected to the arch and extending into the area over which the central section extends.

Force modulating tissue bridges, associated tools, kits, and methods

Robotic end effectors may include a suction cup, one or more grasping fingers, and one or more flexible nails to securely and reliably engage, grasp, and cage items. The grasping fingers may move between open and closed positions to grasp items. In addition, the flexible nails may be coupled to ends of the grasping fingers to facilitate caging of items by the fingers and nails. For example, the flexible nails may bend, flex, or slide under, around, or relative to items and thereby enable grasping and caging of portions of items by the fingers and nails. The nails may be formed of various materials, with various layers or thicknesses of materials, and/or with variable flexibility or friction properties. Further, the nails may be transitioned or actuated between multiple configurations, including a sliding configuration and a grasping configuration.

Robotic end effectors having fingers and nails to grasp and cage items

Autonomous mobile robots having vertical height extension systems for augmented visibility may include a drive mechanism, a lift mechanism, and a vertical height extension including an extension mechanism and a vertical indicator. The vertical height extension may be actively or passively actuated between lowered and raised positions. In addition, the vertical height extension may include a breakaway feature to prevent raising or cause lowering of the vertical indicator in the presence of a payload above the robot. Further, the vertical height extension may include various actuators, emitters, or elements to communicate various attributes of the robot to human associates in proximity, thereby promoting safe, collaborative operations.

Autonomous mobile robots having vertical height extension systems for augmented visibility

Systems, methods, and computer-readable media are disclosed for modular robotic manipulation systems. In one embodiment, an example modular robot assembly may include a housing having a base, and a robotic manipulator coupled to the base, where the housing is configured to provide the robotic manipulator access to a first side, a second side, and a third side of the modular robot assembly. The module robot assembly may include a first camera system, a controller, and an optional display coupled to the housing. The modular robot assembly may be configured to be coupled to other modular robot assemblies, and the housing may be configured to be secured, such that the modular robot assembly can be independently transported.

Modular robotic manipulation systems

A system configured to control operation of an ultrasonic surgical instrument is disclosed. The system comprises a generator configured to generate a signal, and a computer communicably coupled to the generator. The computer is configured to receive a first set of variables corresponding to a first signal at a first power level of the instrument, evaluate the first set of variables with a model to generate a first output, wherein the first output comprises a value between the first set of variables and a condition set, and wherein the condition set comprises a plurality of conditions that correspond to a plurality of responses, determine the first output meets a first threshold value for a first condition; determine a first response corresponding to the first condition, wherein the first response is a second power level for the instrument, and transmit the second power level to the generator for a second signal.

Switch arrangements for ultrasonic surgical instruments

A vacuum-gripper end effector conforms to and grasps items upon application of vacuum force and/or actuation of one or more actuators. The vacuum-gripper assembly can be round in top view or can be rectangular. At least three linear actuators deform the vacuum-gripper assembly. Four linear actuators may be spaced equidistantly apart on a square or rectangular vacuum-gripper assembly to enhance functionality of the vacuum-gripper, such as being capable of simultaneously engaging three sides formed at a corner of a box. A one-way actuation type air cylinder may be used. A low friction air cylinder may be returned to its retracted position by the resilience of the vacuum-gripper assembly.

Multi-piston, vacuum gripper assembly

Medical tool for use in applying medical article

A surgical instrument includes a rotatable electrical coupling assembly having a first part and a second part that electrically couple and rotate relative to each other. The second part is carried by and rotates with a tube collar coupled to a transducer. A portion of the transducer is inserted through an aperture of the second part, but does not contact the second part. The first part of the assembly may electrically couple to the second part via pogo pins, brush contacts, or ball bearings. Alternatively, the first part may comprise conductive channels formed in the casing. The second part may comprise a rotatable drum with a conductive trace. In some versions, one or more components may comprise MID components. In another version, the rotatable electrical coupling assembly comprises a rotatable PC board and brush contact. Further still, a circuit board may be provided with the transducer inside a transducer casing.

Surgical instrument with slip ring assembly to power ultrasonic transducer

An ultrasonic instrument comprises an ultrasonic transducer, an acoustic waveguide, and an ultrasonic blade. The blade includes a pair of obliquely extending edges. The obliquely extending edges diverge away from the longitudinal axis of the waveguide and away from each other along respective paths extending distally in relation to the waveguide. A distal portion of the blade is wider than a proximal portion of the blade along a plane. The blade further includes a curved distal edge and several laterally presented surfaces. The laterally presented surfaces may provide combinations of concave and convex curvatures. The laterally presented surfaces may be angled and/or curved along one or more orthogonal planes associated with the longitudinal axis of the waveguide.

Ultrasonic surgical blade

A system includes a medical device and a charging device. A sterile barrier may be interposed between the medical device and the charging device. The medical device includes an integral power source and an active element. The charging device is configured to charge the integral power source. The charging device may charge the integral power source through direct contact between features of the charging device and features the medical device. The charging device may alternatively charge the integral power source wirelessly, such as through inductive coupling. The medical device may include conductive prongs that are retained by the charging device. The charging device may physically couple with the medical device via magnets. The medical device and the charging device may be provided together in a sterile package as a kit. The kit may also include a reclamation bag to facilitate reclamation of electrical components.

Sterile medical instrument charging device

Aspects described herein include an end effector having an interface system that includes a body member attached to a mounting plate, and a plurality of strength-varying features at a plurality of regions of the interface system. The plurality of strength-varying features encourage the body member to repeatably deform into a deformed configuration. The end effector further comprises a vacuum port in fluid communication with an inner recess of the body member, and a plurality of actuators that apply a force to the mounting plate to pivot a portion of the mounting plate and deform the body member into the deformed configuration.

Varying strength interface system for robotic end-effector

Systems, methods, and computer-readable media are disclosed for portable robotic manipulation systems. In one embodiment, an example robot assembly may include a first portion that includes a first robotic arm configured to manipulate objects, a second portion coupled to the first portion, the second portion including a moveable sensor assembly, and a controller configured to control operation of the first robotic arm and operation of the moveable sensor assembly. The robot assembly is portable and configured to operate in fenced or unfenced environments, and may be configured to perform different tasks in different environments.

Portable robotic manipulation systems

A surgical apparatus comprises a body assembly, an ultrasonic transducer, a shaft assembly, a motor, and a locking feature. The ultrasonic transducer is operable to convert electrical power into ultrasonic vibrations. The shaft assembly comprises a waveguide operable to transmit ultrasonic vibrations. The motor is operable to rotate the ultrasonic transducer to thereby selectively couple the ultrasonic transducer with the waveguide. The locking feature is configured to selectively prevent rotation of at least a portion of the shaft assembly relative to the body assembly. The locking feature and the motor may be activated automatically in response to an operator positioning a proximal portion of the shaft assembly in a distal portion of the body assembly. The surgical apparatus may include a feature configured to alert a user when the waveguide has been adequately secured to the ultrasonic transducer.

Features for coupling surgical instrument shaft assembly with instrument body

Growing community of inventors

Terrace Park, OH, United States of America

Timothy G Dietz