224642results about How to "Avoid damage" patented technology

There is disclosed medical apparatus of the type for use in surgery such as transanal endoscopic microsurgery, as well as methods of providing access to, inspecting and enabling surgery within a body passage. In one embodiment of the invention, medical apparatus in the form of a rectal expander (10) is disclosed, the expander (10) being adapted for location at least partly within a body passage such as the rectum (12) of a patient (14), the expander (10) having a leading end (18) and an access area in the form of an opening (20) for access from the expander (10) into the rectum (12), at least part of the opening (20) being spaced from the leading end (18), and the expander (10) being controllably movable between collapse and expansion positions, for expanding the rectum (12).

The invention relates to a binding mechanism of a surgical binding apparatus, which is placed at the head of the surgical binding apparatus and includes a nail pin, a nail pushing plate and a nail block. The nail pushing plate and the nail pin are installed inside the binding apparatus body. The positions of the nail block and the nail pushing plate are opposite. The invention is characterized in that the working faces of nail pin, the nail pushing plate and the nail block are not at the same plane and at least present a step-type fall distributed structure. When the structure is adopted to form an anastomoses opening, the distance between two lines of nails is enlarged; the elasticity of the anastomoses opening which is formed in the operation is increased and is more close to the physiological characteristic of the tissue, which is in favor of the prompt recovery of the tissue. When the nail block is set out from an anastomoses ring or a content object is put through the anastomoses ring after binding, the elasticity of the anastomoses ring becomes larger to allow the nail block or the content object pass through and reduce the probability of damaging the anastomoses ring.

A stentless support structure capable of being at least partly assembled in situ. The support structure comprises a braided tube that is very flexible and, when elongated, becomes very long and very small in diameter, thereby being capable of placement within a small diameter catheter. The support structure is preferably constructed of one or more thin strands of a super-elastic or shape memory material such as Nitinol. When released from the catheter, the support structure folds itself into a longitudinally compact configuration. The support structure thus gains significant strength as the number of folds increase. This radial strength obviates the need for a support stent. The support structure may include attachment points for a prosthetic valve.

A device and method of spine distraction is provided.

In one aspect the invention provides a method for laser induced breakdown of a material with a pulsed laser beam where the material is characterized by a relationship of fluence breakdown threshold (Fth) versus laser beam pulse width (T) that exhibits an abrupt, rapid, and distinct change or at least a clearly detectable and distinct change in slope at a predetermined laser pulse width value. The method comprises generating a beam of laser pulses in which each pulse has a pulse width equal to or less than the predetermined laser pulse width value. The beam is focused to a point at or beneath the surface of a material where laser induced breakdown is desired.The beam may be used in combination with a mask in the beam path. The beam or mask may be moved in the x, y, and Z directions to produce desired features. The technique can produce features smaller than the spot size and Rayleigh range due to enhanced damage threshold accuracy in the short pulse regime.