A guarded sleeve system for use in human spinal surgery across
the height of a disc space between two adjacent vertebral
bodies, comprising: an outer sleeve having an opening for
providing protected access to the disc space and at least
portions of the adjacent vertebral bodies; and 
at least one extended portion extending from the outer sleeve
for insertion into the disc space between the adjacent vertebral
bodies, said at least one extended portion having a portion for
bearing against each of the adjacent endplates of the adjacent
vertebral bodies, said portion of said at least one extended
portion having upper and lower surfaces adapted to contact the
respective endplates of the adjacent vertebral bodies for
properly aligning and distancing apart the adjacent vertebral
bodies.

Apparatus and method of inserting spinal implants

An assembly that contains a medical device and biological material within which the medical device is disposed. The assembly has a direct or alternating current magnetic susceptibility within the range of from about plus 1 x 10-2 centimeter-gram-seconds to about minus 1 x 10-2 centimeter-gram-seconds.

Medical device with low magnetic susceptibility

An electrosurgical device comprises an end effector, a cutting member, and en electromechanical driver. The end effector comprises a pair of jaws that clamp tissue. The jaws include electrodes that deliver RF energy to clamped tissue. The cutting member cuts tissue clamped between the jaws. The electromechanical driver drives the cutting member. A control module commands the electromechanical driver, and regulates the delivery of RF energy to the electrodes, based on a combination of user input and feedback signals from the electrodes and from the electromechanical driver. The device may provide tactile feedback to the user through the user input feature, based on a load encountered by the cutting member. The device may alert the user when the exterior of end effector makes incidental contact with tissue, to avoid inadvertently burning the tissue. The device may include a removable battery pack to power the electromechanical driver and the electrodes.

Motor driven electrosurgical device with mechanical and electrical feedback

A surgical instrument includes a first power source and a second power source. The first power source is configured to deliver power to a surgical instrument at a first rate of discharge. The second power source is configured to deliver power to the first power source at a second rate of discharge. The first power source and the second power source are positioned within the surgical instrument. The first power source and the second power source are further configured to communicate with a control module. The control module may rely on power from the first power source to drive an end effector of the surgical instrument. The end effector may comprise a harmonic/ultrasonic blade, RF electrosurgical electrodes, powered cutting/stapling features, and/or various other types of components.

Surgical instrument with charging devices

A surgical instrument includes a temperature sensor and a control unit that is operable to deactivate an end effector of the surgical instrument. In some versions the temperature sensor detects the temperature of a transducer, while in others the temperature sensor detects the temperature of the end effector. The surgical instrument may also include a trigger and a trigger position sensor. A force sensor or a position sensor may be included to determine the force and/or position of the transmission assembly. The end effector may also include a force sensor or a micro coil. A surgical instrument having a sensor may be included in a surgical system that includes a control unit and a remote controller. In some instances the remote controller may have one or more force-feedback components. In addition, a device interface and a surgeon interface may be included to remotely adjust the settings of the control unit.

Surgical instrument with sensor and powered control

Charging system for implantable hearing aids and tinnitus maskers with a repeatedly rechargeable direct voltage source. The charging system comprises an implantable receiving resonant circuit as the electrical energy source for the direct voltage source to be charged and a transmitting resonant circuit located outside the body that can be inductively coupled with the receiving resonant circuit for power transmission from outside the body to inside the body. Embodiments are provided for transcutaneous and for percutaneous power transmission between the implantable receiving resonant circuit and the external transmitting resonant circuit.

Charging system for implantable hearing aids and Tinnitus masks

Electromechanical transducer for implantable hearing aids. The transducer has a hermetically sealed and biocompatible housing, in which a wall is designed as a membrane that can oscillate, and which forms a heteromorphic connecting element together with a piezoelectric ceramic disk. Mechanical oscillations of the housing membrane are coupled to the middle ear or inner ear of the user by a mechanically rigid element attached in the central area of the membrane. This element is configured as a bow, so that in positioning the transducer housing from the direction of the mastoid adjoining the tympanic cavity, it acts as an artificial anvil to which coupling elements can be attached for mechanically transmitting oscillations of this artificial ossicle to the inner ear. Various coupling elements can be used, which correspond to the respective individual pathological situation. The application of the entire transducer system can be performed the operating surgeon having an unobstructed view, without extensive, space-creating interventions in the anatomical conditions of the middle ear.

Electromechanic transducer for implantable hearing aids

Implantable hearing aid for stimulation of the inner ear with a hydromechanical coupling element having an input side connected to an electromechanical converter for transmission to the inner ear of the mechanical vibrations generated by the converter.

Implantable hearing aid

An implanted hearing aid for deaf patient having an intact auditory nerve includes an implanted receiver unit provided with a receiver coil surrounding patient's auditory channel. An external transmitter unit is electrically connected to a separate transmitter coil embedded in a fitting piece insertable into the auditory channel in the range of the receiving coil so as to establish an optimum inductive coupling. A microphone is supported on an ear yoke and connected both to the transmitter and the receiver units. The receiver unit is electrically connected to an excitation electrode mounted on cochlea in patient's ear.

Transmission system for implanted hearing aids

A multi-frequency transmission system for implanted hearing aid includes an external transmitting part and an encapsuled receiver part implantable into middle ear of the user. The transmitting part includes a microphone, a speech processor including a set of audio frequency band pass filters connected respectively via adjustable threshold switches to pulse shapers which release an audio frequency band only when an adjusted threshold level is exceeded. A plurality of high frequency transmitters is modulated by the signals from the pulse shapers. A pair of additional high frequency transmitters is controlled by the pulses from the speech processor to alternately transmit high frequency pulses corresponding to the polarity of the triggering pulses. A frequency channel selector is connected between the transmitters and the speech processor to activate simultaneously one of the transmitters from the bipolar high frequency stage and one of the amplitude modulated transmitters. The combined signal is applied to a transmitting coil and received by a receiver unit implanted in user's ear. The receiver includes a plurality of resonant circuits assigned to respective high frequency transmitters and a pair of switching transistors of opposite type of conductivity which are power supplied by a portion of a rectified high frequency signal and control the polarity of the excitation signal applied to the implanted electrodes.

Guenter Hortmann

Papers

Charging system for implantable hearing aids and Tinnitus masks

Electromechanic transducer for implantable hearing aids

Implantable hearing aid

Transmission system for implanted hearing aids

Multifrequency transmission system for implanted hearing aids