248results about How to "Small incision" patented technology

A bone resection tool for resecting an end of a bone along a surface having a curvature comprises a guide, a cutting tool and a track follower. The guide is configured to be removably attached in a fixed position to the end of the bone. The guide is configured to include a track exhibiting a curvature generally corresponding to the curvature of the surface to be resected in the bone. The cutting tool includes a cutting face. The track follower is configured to couple to the cutting tool and cooperate with the track to facilitate reciprocation of the cutting tool relative to the guide to induce the cutting face to resect the bone along the surface having the curvature. A method for cutting a bone along a curved surface conforming to the curvature of a curved surface of the underside of a prosthetic component comprises the steps of incising the tissue surrounding the surface of the bone, positioning a guide alongside the surface of a bone to be cut, affixing the guide to the bone, interconnecting a cutter having a cutting face with the guide, maintaining the cutting face generally parallel to the tangent of the curved surface and traversing the cutting face along the bone while guiding the cutter along the track. The tissue incision incises the tissue surrounding the surface of the bone to be cut in a minimally invasive fashion. The positioned guide includes a track configured to assimilate the curvature of the curved surface of the underside of the prosthetic component.

An ultrasonic surgical blade has a blade body and a shank. The shank is fixed at one end to the blade body and is operatively connectable at an opposite end to a source of ultrasonic vibrations. The shank has a longitudinal axis. The blade body is eccentrically disposed relative to the axis.

The present invention provides a modular device for restoring individual joint kinematics using minimally invasive surgical procedures. The modular implants include distinct components that include interconnection means and tethering means. The modular implants provide intraoperative surgical options for articular constraint and facilitate proper alignment and orientation of the joint to restore kinematics as defined by the individual patient anatomy.

A bioactive / biodegradable nucleus implant for repairing degenerated intervertebral discs that is inflated inside the nucleus space after the degenerated nucleus has been removed to re-pressurize the nuclear space within the intervertebral disc. The implant is inflated with a high molecular weight fluid, gel or combination of fluid and elastomer, preferably an under-hydrated HA hydrogel / growth factor mixture with or without host cells. The implant includes an internal, integral, self-sealing valve that allows one-way filling of the implant after it is placed within the disc, and is made from a material that allows fibrous in growth thereby stabilizing the implant. A variety of substances can be incorporated into the implant to promote healing, prevent infection, or arrest pain.

Methods and devices for harvesting veins from the body. The methods and devices allow vein harvesting using laparoscopic procedures. A working space is created over the vein using standard laparoscopic procedures and a side-hooked wire is inserted into the working space and twisted to insert the side-hook under the vein. The wire is then pulled or drawn along the vein to separate the vein from the surrounding tissue. In an alternative embodiment, vein separation is accomplished by threading a soft rubber tube under the vein, grasping the ends of the tube so as to surround the vein, and then pulling the tube along the vein. In other embodiments, the working space is created with everting balloons.

This invention is directed to an instrument that passes a suture through the annulus fibrosus or other soft tissue and that can be used in a minimally invasive manner.

A method for reducing skin is disclosed, in which a plurality of incisions or removals are made to collectively form a patch of skin to be reduced, instead of making a single large treatment of the patch. Thus, scarring after healing is less noticeable. Preferably, the treated regions of skin are arranged such that a total area of all removed skin segments taken in a direction perpendicular to an axis of said patch changes gradually along said axis. The removed regions of skin are preferably navicular in shape, and the patches are preferably navicular in shape in the event an elongated incision is made. The removal of skin regions can be realized by proper treatment methods such as incisions and laser treatment.

A system and methods for performing spinal fixation, including a spinal fixation system with at least rod member having shaped ends, at least two pedicle screws capable of receiving the shaped ends of the rod member, and a system for percutaneously introducing the rod member and pedicle screws to perform spinal fixation.

A system and method for performing spinal fusion using vertebral connecting rods constructed of a shape memory material, such as shape memory alloy. The connecting rod is cooled below its phase transition temperature, which is chosen to be just below body temperature, and is inserted through a curved guide tube previously inserted into the back of the patient. The guide tube is located so as to deliver the connecting rod at its desired location between the preinserted pedicle screw heads. The rod, being in its flexible state below the transition temperature, negotiates the curve and exits the guide tube in a straight form and parallel to the patient's spine. As it heats up to body temperature, it regains its original straight shape and its original rigidity, and is ready for connecting its associated vertebrae to each other.

A method and instrumentation is disclosed for gaining access to areas in and around joints for treatment and to provide new implants and instrumentation adapted for the new method. In a transosseous core approach, the joint is entered through a pathway provided in a portion of a joint bone. Such pathway is preferably made by removing a bone core from the bone in or adjacent to the joint, wherever possible without substantially compromising physical integrity and physiological viability of the joint. A route for the transosseous core approach traverses through a more-accessible bone of the joint which can be aligned with a less-accessible bone in order to facilitate treatment of articular surfaces and / or other structures in the joint. Implant modules are provided which can be inserted into the joint through the transosseous pathway and assembled in situ inside the joint to form an implant assembly.

Disclosed is a method and apparatus for performing a procedure relative to a selected portion of the anatomy, for example, preparing a portion of a joint, such as a knee, for implantation of a prosthesis. The manner of preparing the selected portion of the anatomy can be assisted with the various apparatuses disclosed.

An implantable medical device is provided which has a housing of an elongate form to minimize a size of an incision required for implantation. A stabilizing element is associated with the elongated form housing for the medical device. The stabilizing element transitions from a low profile initial form to a higher width final form to provide the medical device with a stabilized footprint after implantation. The stabilizing element is in the form of a rotating wing in one embodiment. In another embodiment, the stabilizing element is in the form of an expanding loop that can bend to extend out of side openings of a cavity within the housing, to provide such stabilization at the implantation site. The medical device can be in the form of a pacemaker, infusion pump, vascular access port or other subcutaneously implanted medical device.

A multi-component intraocular lens implanted in an optical system of a human eye, includes one or more removable components. One component acts as a base lens and another component acts as the front lens. A front lens formed from two integral optical portions may be milled with tabs to establish an axial orientation of the front lens. The front lens may have a different diameter than the base lens. The base lens may have sharp or angled edges and the front lens may have rounded edges. Non-optical portions of the intraocular lens system may be manufactured from a material that is capable of releasing a pharmacological agent. A flange may be fused with the base lens to allow the front lens to engage with the base lens.

A keratin hydrogel-filled implantable prosthetic device. One device is a breast implant for augmenting or reconstructing a human breast including an envelope containing a keratin hydrogel. One keratin hydrogel is formed from a solid precursor which forms a keratin hydrogel upon addition of water. One source of keratin is human hair. In one method, an envelope suitable for implantation and a solid keratin hydrogel precursor are provided. The solid can be in fibrous or powder form. The solid precursor can be inserted into the envelope interior. A small incision near the breast can be made and the envelope inserted into the incision. After insertion, water can be injected into the envelope interior, preferably through the incision and through a self-sealing port in the envelope. In one method, the implant is provided as a kit, with the envelope and keratin hydrogel provided. The hydrogel can be injected into the envelope either before or after insertion into the breast area. One kit has a powdered, keratin hydrogel precursor disposed within the envelope interior, awaiting the addition of water, preferably after insertion of the implant into the body.

A computer assisted surgery system with is enhanced graphics features is described for assisting a surgeon in orthopaedic procedures. A system is described for use in inserting multiple guide pins in hip fracture surgery using a single bore drill guide that has a graphical representation comprising its real trajectory and one or more virtual trajectories, the virtual trajectories representing potential positions of other guide pins to be placed during the procedure. Additionally, representations of inserted guide pins and virtual trajectories may be retained on the display at their inserted positions for use in aligning subsequent guide pins. A system is also described for orientation of an acetabular cup in a total hip replacement surgery. During cup insertion, the surgeon is provided with information regarding the orientation of the cup with respect to a pelvic reference frame that is based on accepted pelvic landmarks. The positions of each landmark is calculated by the system when a probe with a virtual tip, separate from its physical tip, is overlaid on the landmark in roughly orthogonal images of the pelvis.

A system for cutting the cornea of an eye, includes a moveable member with a cutting blade at one end, a pivot element and a cutting guide restraint. A mechanism for oscillating the moveable member around the pivot element and a cutting guide are configured to engage the cutting guide restraint on the moveable member and thereby limit the degree of angular movement of the cutting blade as the moveable member oscillates about the pivot element. A positioning system is configured to advance the moveable member with respect to the cutting guide such that the shape of the cutting guide determines the shape of a cut made by the cutting blade. A suction ring for stabilizing the cornea and an applanating plate for flattening the cornea usually complete the system.

The present invention relates to devices and methods for the repair of hernia. One method for repairing a hernia the steps of making an incision through a skin layer of a patient near the hernia, creating an entrance into the preperitoneal space above the peritoneum at a location above the hernia, identifying and freeing a hernia sac, creating a pocket in the preperitoneal space, directing a surgical patch down through the incision and into the preperitoneal space, and expanding the surgical patch in the preperitoneal space. The method further includes the steps of inserting a distal end of a surgical fastening device through the incision and into the surgical patch, actuating the surgical fastening device to drive a fastener through the surgical patch and into the tissue of the patient, moving the distal end of the surgical fastening device to another location, actuating the surgical fastening device to drive a second fastener through the surgical patch and into the tissue of the patient, and closing the incision with stitches. One surgical apparatus for repairing a hernia includes a surgical stapling instrument for applying at least one surgical staple to fasten a surgical hernia patch to internal body tissue. The surgical instrument includes a handle assembly have a longitudinal axis. A staple cartridge housing is mounted to the handle assembly and is adapted to receive the at least one staple. The staple cartridge housing is dimensioned for insertion through an incision and has a staple actuator mechanism for applying the at least one staple into tissue. An actuation mechanism is operatively coupled to the staple actuator mechanism to operate the staple actuation mechanism.

A delivery system for delivering and mounting a cardiac harness on a heart including an elongate body having a proximal portion and a distal portion. The body includes a cavity sized to contain the cardiac harness in a compacted configuration and also includes a plurality of elongate push rods movable with respect to the body. The cardiac harness is releasably connected to the push rods such that, advancement of the push rods in a distal direction moves the cardiac harness from a compacted configuration, within the cavity, to an expanded configuration, outside the cavity. The push rods are configured to have varying stiffness along their length to provide sufficient flexibility to bend up to 90° to advance the cardiac harness onto the heart.

An implantable medical device is provided which has a housing of an elongate form to minimize a size of an incision required for implantation. A stabilizing element is associated with the elongated form housing for the medical device. The stabilizing element transitions from a low profile initial form to a higher width final form to provide the medical device with a stabilized footprint after implantation. The stabilizing element is in the form of a rotating wing in one embodiment. In another embodiment, the stabilizing element is in the form of an expanding loop that can bend to extend out of side openings of a cavity within the housing, to provide such stabilization at the implantation site. The medical device can be in the form of a pacemaker, infusion pump, vascular access port or other subcutaneously implanted medical device.

The present disclosure concerns a curvature-changing, accommodative intraocular lens (IOL) for implantation in the capsular bag of a patient's eye. The IOL includes a fluid optic body having a cavity for containing an optical fluid, the cavity at least partially defined by a sidewall extending around the cavity and defining a diameter of the cavity and a deformable optical membrane intersecting the sidewall around a circumference of the sidewall and spanning the diameter of the cavity. The IOL further includes a second optic body spaced a distance apart from the fluid optic body and a plurality of struts extending from the sidewall and coupling the fluid optic body to the second optic body. The struts are configured such that axial compression of the capsular bag causes the struts to deform the sidewall in a manner that increases the diameter of the cavity, modifying a curvature of the deformable optical membrane.

Systems and methods for joint preparation and fusion are disclosed. The system includes a cutting device having a handle, and rigid blade member. The blade member may include cutting edges on first and second sides, and may be curved in one or more planes. The blade member may be deployed to project outside of an outer tube, and the cutting device may be rotated to create a circular cavity. In a method of use, a cannula provides access to a procedure site such as a joint. A pathway to the joint is created, and the cutting device is inserted and deployed to undercut a cavity in the joint. A fusion device may be implanted across the joint to provide compression and fuse the joint. The system may also include instrumentation for creating access to a joint, bone graft insertion and implant insertion.

The present invention provides a modular device for restoring individual joint kinematics using minimally invasive surgical procedures. The modular implants include distinct components that include interconnection means and tethering means. The modular implants provide intraoperative surgical options for articular constraint and facilitate proper alignment and orientation of the joint to restore kinematics as defined by the individual patient anatomy.

A vascular access port is described that is elongate in form. A distal end is coupled to a tube which leads into a body lumen. A proximal end has a head thereon with a septum which can be repeatedly penetrated by a needle and reseal, for repeated administration of medications or other compositions through the port and into the body of the patient. A wing is attached to the body that has two positions including a streamlined first position for implantation and a wider second position for stabilization of the port after implantation. A stay is preferably also provided to abut the wing when in the second position to keep the wing in the second position when fully deployed.

An expansion mechanism for minimally invasive lumbar operation has a support member, a plurality of sliders movably assembled on the support member, at least a couple of outside muscle hook members mounted on adjacent sliders, an inside muscle hook member assembled on the slider, and a nerve hook member assembled on the slider. The expansion mechanism for minimally invasive operation makes small suture and hurts less tissues. Furthermore, the expansion mechanism protects nerve tissues from repeated stirring. Muscles can be drawn apart without the need of removing ligament, obtaining clear and large operation vision.

Disclosed is an extension piece at a screw end of a pedicle screw, where two extension pieces are oppositely disposed at the pedicle screw tail, and the extension pieces are flexible extension pieces. The extension pieces are flexibly designed, having elastically bendable characteristics, the extension pieces in the subcutaneous part can be elastically bent by external force, its dilation trend may not extend to the epithelial part, and it is feasible that muscles are squeezed only subcutaneously, so as to keep small incisions, and in the case of a threading operation of a reset rod, as portions of the two extension pieces in the subcutaneous part are dilated and separated after bending, a sufficient threading space can be provided, so that the threading operation is easy to perform, thereby reducing risks of surgeries. Further disclosed are a dilator and a push rod reset lever cooperating with the extension piece.