An endoscopic cutting instrument to be used in conjunction with endoscopic surgical procedures, includes a housing member elongated tubular member connected to the housing member and extending distally therefrom, a drive member at least partially accommodated within the tubular member and reciprocally longitudinally movable therein, a blade member disposed at a distal end of the drive member and defining a cutting edge for incising tissue and an actuating member associated with the housing membe...

A method for performing transmyocardial revascularization (TMR) comprises the steps of creating an incision in an outer portion of heart tissue of a patient and creating a channel in the patient's myocardium through the incision by advancing a channel creating device into the myocardium beyond the depth of the incision to remove myocardial tissue without removing all outer portion heart tissue coinciding with the channel. As a result, the remaining outer portion tissue acts as a cap to reduce bl...

Generally stated, the present invention is directed to a liquid light guide for surgical instrumentation, which includes a flexible elongated tube having first and second end portions, first and second light transmissive members disposed at respective first and second end portions of the elongated tube to substantially seal an interior portion of the elongated tube and a light transmissive medium filing the interior portion of the elongated tube. The preferred light transmissive medium comprises...

The present invention relates to a trocar adapted to provide a surgeon with an indication when the trocar has penetrated body tissue. The trocar includes an obturator assembly and a cannula assembly. The obturator assembly has an obturator housing and an obturator shaft. The shaft has a proximal end portion connected to the housing and a distal end portion adapted to conduct electricity and penetrate body tissue. An electric connection assembly is associated within the obturator housing and prov...

A spinal fusion implant includes lower and upper plate members dimensioned for at least partial insertion within the intervertebral space defined between adjacent vertebrae. The lower and upper plate members have contacting surfaces for engaging respective vertebral end faces of the adjacent vertebrae. A linkage mechanism including at least one link member operatively connects the lower and upper plate members. The linkage mechanism actuable to cause relative movement of the lower and upper plat...

The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for penetrating body tissue. The apparatus comprises a handle member having an electrical connection port, a shaft member fabricated from an electrically conductive material and having a proximal end portion secured to the handle member so as to extend outwardly from the handle member. A housing fabricated from an electrically insulating material is concentrically positioned about the outwardly extending portion of the shaft member. The di...

The present disclosure relates to a method apparatus for transmyocardial revascularization. The apparatus includes an incision needle for creating an incision within a patient's heart to define a channel, and an electrocautery assembly operatively associated with the incision needle for transferring thermal energy to an inner surface of the channel to reduce bleeding therefrom and to prevent the channel from closing. Preferably, thermal energy is not transferred to the epicardium to create a fla...

A surgical apparatus for cutting and storing sections of body tissue is provided comprising a housing having a handle assembly, an elongated outer tube extending from the handle assembly, and a cutting tube positioned within the outer tube and movable in response to actuation of the handle assembly between a retracted position and a distal position to cut body tissue. The cutting tube has a chamber formed therein for storing the cut tissue sections. An anvil is positioned at a distal end of the ...

An exemplary hearing aid system includes a receiver unit configured and positioned within the user's ear canal so as to minimize insertion loss and/or occlusion effect.

A coring device for coring body tissue to define reproducible patent channels in the body tissue is provided. The coring device utilizes a coring member that is rotatable and linearly advanceable at coordinated predetermined rates to core body tissue. The device can include a suction assembly suitable for use during biopsy procedures and a cautery assembly to cauterize the cored body tissue. The coring member can also be oscillated along its longitudinal axis to effect cauterization and/or corin...