Surgical stapling and cutting apparatus—deployment mechanisms, systems and methods

A surgical stapling device is configured for use in open and/or laparoscopic surgical procedures. The device includes a handle assembly, a shaft assembly coupled to the handle assembly, and an end-effector coupled to the shaft assembly. The end-effector comprises of a jaw assembly configured to clamp, staple, and/or cut a target tissue. The handle assembly comprises of a trigger element that can activate a drive assembly to advance a deployment assembly to staple and/or cut the aforementioned target tissue. The deployment assembly comprises of a deployment slide member to either advance the deployment assembly in a first direction or retreat the deployment assembly in a second direction.

Surgical instruments including MEMS devices

Surgical instruments are disclosed that are couplable to or have an end effector or a disposable loading unit with an end effector, and at least one micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) device operatively connected to the surgical instrument for at least one of sensing a condition, measuring a parameter and controlling the condition and/or parameter.

Articulating steerable clip applier for laparoscopic procedures

A long articulating steerable clip applier affixed to a user-operated handle. A surgical jaw assembly is attached to the other end of the clip applier. The clip applier is composed of articulating phalanges that are connected end to end by pivoting links and capable of angulations relative to one another when subjected to a tensile force. Each phalange has opposing s-shaped exterior grooves that form two continuous spiral-shaped channels for holding tension wires once the phalanges are assembled. Multiple tension wires are attached to opposite ends of adjacent phalanges. When each wire is pulled, this tensile force causes the phalanges to pivot at equivalent angles with each other. As each individual phalange pivots by an equivalent angle, the sum of these angles causes the free end of the clip applier to pivot by a large angle or a cascading actuation effect.

Self-aligned wrapped-around structure

An embodiment vertical wrapped-around structure and method of making. An embodiment method of making a self-aligned vertical structure-all-around device including forming a spacer around an exposed portion of a semiconductor column projecting from a structure layer, forming a photoresist over a protected portion of the structure layer and a first portion of the spacer, etching away an unprotected portion of the structure layer disposed outside a periphery collectively defined by the spacer and the photoresist to form a structure having a footer portion and a non-footer portion, the non-footer portion and the footer portion collectively encircling the semiconductor column, and removing the photoresist and the spacer.

Surgical instrument with split jaw

An apparatus for operating on tissue includes an end effector having a first jaw and a second jaw that pivots relative to the first jaw from a closed position to an open position. The second jaw includes a first portion and a second portion that pivots relative to the first portion. The second portion is positioned adjacent to the first portion of the second jaw when the second jaw is in the closed position. The first and second portions of the second jaw pivot outwardly as the second jaw is pivoted from the closed position to the open position.

Power tool with interchangeable power heads

A power tool system which includes a first base unit and a second base unit. The first and second base units each include a housing, a motor housed in the housing, a coupler which is operatively connected to and selectively drivable by the motor and a trigger for activating the motor to drive the coupler. The system also includes a first attachment head which is removably couplable with both the first base unit and the second base unit so that it can be driven by the respective motor of the base unit to which it is attached and a second attachment head which is removably couplable to the first base unit, but which is not couplable with the second base unit.

Patient safety system with automatically adjusting bed

A patient safety system including an adjustable bed and a patient monitoring system is disclosed herein. The adjustable bed can automatically adjust to a safe default configuration when the safety system detects that a care provider has left the patient's room or when the safety system detects that the patient is trying to leave the bed. The patient monitoring system can send an alert to the care provider and/or sound an alarm if the patient tries to leave the bed and a care provider is not present with the patient.

Multispot monitoring for use in optical coherence tomography

Optical coherence tomography (herein “OCT”) based analyte monitoring systems are disclosed. In one aspect, techniques are disclosed that can identify fluid flow in vivo (e.g., blood flow), which can act as a metric for gauging the extent of blood perfusion in tissue. For instance, if OCT is to be used to estimate the level of an analyte (e.g., glucose) in tissue, a measure of the extent of blood flow can potentially indicate the presence of an analyte correlating region, which would be suitable for analyte level estimation with OCT. Another aspect is related to systems and methods for scanning multiple regions. An optical beam is moved across the surface of the tissue in two distinct manners. The first can be a coarse scan, moving the beam to provide distinct scanning positions on the skin. The second can be a fine scan where the beam is applied for more detailed analysis.

Engineering and optimization of improved systems, methods and enzyme compositions for sequence manipulation

The invention provides for engineering and optimization of systems, methods, and compositions for manipulation of sequences and/or activities of target sequences. Provided are compositions and methods related to components of a CRISPR complex particularly comprising a Cas ortholog enzyme.

Optical imager and method for correlating a medication package with a patient

A system is provided to correlate a medication package with a prescribed medication for a patient. The medication package accommodates an intended patient medication. The system includes an optical imager adapted to read an encoded symbol character comprising encoded patient information and further adapted to image an attribute of the medication package. The optical imager comprises a two-dimensional image sensor array and an imaging lens for focusing an image on the two-dimensional image sensor array. The two-dimensional image sensor array has a plurality of pixels formed in a plurality of rows and columns of pixels. The optical imager further includes a digital link to transmit a segment of data. The segment of data includes the patient information encoded in the encoded symbol character and the attribute of the medication package.