Fixating means between a mesh and mesh deployment means especially useful for hernia repair surgeries and methods thereof

The present invention provides a fixating means (200) adapted for use in hernia repair surgeries in attaching a mesh (2) and mesh deployment means (3); said fixating means are attached to said mesh deployment means (3); said fixating means (200) comprising: (a) a first portion (200a) coupled to said deployment means (3); and, (b) a second portion (200b), comprising a coil (252) having a predetermined retracted shape; said coil is reconfigurable from a plurality of unretracted positions to a plurality of retracted positions and from said plurality of retracted positions to said plurality of unretracted positions; wherein said attachment between said deployment means (3) and said mesh (2) is obtained by reconfiguration of said coil (252) from at least one of said unretracted positions to at least one of said retracted positions.

SURGICAL RETRACTOR AND METHOD

A retractor instrument for use in surgery having a body section and attachment tabs for securing the retractor to tissue. The retractor may have multiple body sections joined by hinges or ribs and may be rigid or flexible or some combination thereof. The retractor may comprise bioabsorbable material as well as hemostatic material. The retractor is suitable for use with clips, staples, sutures and tacks.

Cut and seal instrument

A combined electrical tissue sealing and mechanical tissue cutting instrument. The instrument has two opposing jaw members. A removable cartridge is positioned in one of the jaw members. The cartridge includes a tissue sealing electrode and a tissue cutter. As either the tissue sealing electrode or the cutter deteriorates with use, the cartridge is replaced with a new cartridge. Cartridges are configured with various electrode geometries to accommodate various associated electro-surgical units. One or more pressure sensors in the cartridge or in the instrument jaw that supports the cartridge provide an indication that a required clamping pressure exists between the jaw members to carry out the tissue sealing. A cut and seal controller allows various actions to be carried out when particular clamping pressures are sensed, or when an indication that tissue sealing is complete is sensed.

Surgical fasteners, applicator instruments, and methods for deploying surgical fasteners

A firing system for an applicator instrument adapted to dispense surgical fasteners includes a housing, an elongated shaft extending from the housing, a firing rod disposed within the elongated shaft, a firing rod release engageable with the firing rod for preventing distal movement of the firing rod during at least one stage of a firing cycle, a trigger mounted to the housing, and a firing spring having a first end connected with the firing rod and a second end adapted for being sequentially coupled and decoupled from the trigger during the firing cycle. The firing cycle includes an initial stage in which the trigger is open and decoupled from the energy storing element, and the firing spring is at least partially compressed, and a piloting stage during which the firing rod release is disengaged from the firing rod for enabling distal movement of the firing rod.

Electric stapler and operation method of electric stapler

An electric stapler is operated by a paper bundle pinching step of relatively moving a table part and a driver unit and also pinching a paper bundle; a staple separation step of folding a staple into U-shape by a forming plate and also separating the folded U-shape staple from a staple sheet by moving a driver; a penetration step of penetrating legs of the staple into the paper bundle by further moving the driver; a clinch step of inward folding the legs by a clinch device; and a paper bundle releasing step. A relative movement of the table part and the driver unit, the forming plate, the driver, and the clinch device are powered by a single motor. A driving speed of the motor in the steps excluding the penetration step and the clinch step is slower than the driving speed of the motor in the penetration step and the clinch step.

Attachable clamp for use with surgical instruments

An attachable clamp for use with a surgical instrument is disclosed. The attachable clamp comprises a body portion, a first jaw member, a second jaw member and an actuation mechanism. The body portion defines a longitudinal axis and has attachment members configured to attach to an elongate portion of a surgical instrument. Each of the first jaw member and second jaw member extends distally from the body portion. The actuation mechanism is disposed in mechanical cooperation with at least one of the first jaw member and the second jaw member. Actuation of the actuation mechanism moves at least one of the first and second jaw members between an approximated position and an open position with respect to the other jaw member.

Remote device control and energy monitoring by analyzing data and applying rules

Techniques are described for providing remote device (e.g., thermostat, lighting, appliance, etc.) control and/or energy monitoring. A system monitors sensor data captured by one or more sensors that sense attributes relevant to user presence at one or more monitored properties and status of one or more energy consuming devices associated with the one or more monitored properties. The system analyzes the monitored sensor data and the monitored device status with respect to a set of one or more rules and performs an operation related to controlling the one or more energy consuming devices based on the analysis of the monitored sensor data and the monitored device status with respect to the set of one or more rules.

Expandable support device and method of use

An expandable support device for tissue repair is disclosed. The device can be used to repair hard or soft tissue, such as bone or vertebral discs. A method of repairing tissue is also disclosed. The device and method can be used to treat compression fractures. The compression fractures can be in the spine. The device can be deployed by compressing the device longitudinally resulting in radial expansion.

Systems and methods relating to multi-dimensional wireless charging

Exemplary methods and systems related to wireless charging are disclosed. In an exemplary embodiment, a plurality of transmit antennas are used, wherein at least one transmit antenna of the plurality of transmit antennas is configured to be oriented in a different plane than at least one other transmit antenna of the plurality of transmit antennas. Furthermore, each transmit antenna of the plurality of transmit antennas is configured for transmitting power within an associated near-field.

Method and apparatus for compensating pixel values in an imaging system

The invention relates to a method and apparatus for configuring an imaging system to compensate for fixed pattern noise, variations in pixel values captured from an image sensor that vary according to a fixed pattern. In a method for configuring an imaging system for compensating an additive term component of fixed pattern noise, a pixel array is exposed to a scene of known radiance and an average white value is determined for each pixel of an array. Each average white value is compared to a predetermined reference value to determine a correction value for each pixel. In a method for configuring an imaging system for compensating both an additive and multiplicative component of fixed pattern noise, a pixel array is exposed to a first scene having a first known radiance, and frames of the scene are captured, and then the array is exposed to a second scene having a second known radiance and frames of the second scene are captured. After first and second average white values are determined for each pixel additive and multiplicative term correction values for each pixel are then determined by solving for a system of equations relating the first and second average white values and first and second scene radiances. Correction values can be utilized to correct pixel values of a frame of image data, and a decoding algorithm for attempting to decode a frame of image data including corrected pixel values can be activated.