Abstract: A surgical tool system according to an embodiment of the current invention includes a surgical tool, and an interferometry system optically coupled to the surgical tool. The surgical tool includes a body section, a sensor section at least one of attached to or integral with the body section, and a surgical section at least one of attached to or integral with the sensor section at an opposing end of the sensor section from the body section. The sensor section comprises an interferometric optical sensor defining a reference distance that changes in response to at least one of a force or a torque when applied to the surgical section of the surgical tool.

Abstract: An optical coherence tomography (OCT) system having magnitude and direction of motion detection has a light source, and a scanning system arranged in an optical path of the light source. The scanning system is configured to scan an illumination beam of light in a spatial pattern around each of a plurality of points of interest of an object under observation for a corresponding plurality of instants of time in which each of the plurality of points of interest are displaced from each other due to motion of at least one of the OCT system or the object under observation. The OCT system also includes an OCT detection system configured and arranged to receive at least a portion of the illumination beam of light after being at least one of reflected or scattered from said the under observation, and a signal processor configured to communicate with the OCT detection system to receive detection signals therefrom.

Abstract: An axial motion distortion-corrected optical coherence tomography system. The system can include an optical coherence tomography sensor, a light source, a fiber-optic system arranged to provide a reference beam and an observation beam, an optical detection system arranged to receive combined light from the reference beam and the observation beam and to provide detection signals, and a data processing system arranged to receive said detection signals, construct a plurality of A-scans from said detection signals, and construct one or more images from said plurality of A-scans. The data processing system can be configured to correct distortion in the images caused by net axial motion of at least one of said optical coherence tomography sensor or a target of said optical coherence tomography sensor by calculating an estimate of the net axial motion using Doppler shift, and then shifting the A-scans according to the estimate.

Abstract: A probe for a common path optical coherence tomography system includes a sheath having a proximal end and a distal end and defining a lumen therein, a single mode optical fiber disposed within the lumen of the sheath such that a portion of the single mode optical fiber extends beyond the distal end of the sheath. The single mode optical fiber has an end face for transmitting and receiving light. The probe also includes a layer of hardened epoxy encasing the portion of the single mode optical fiber that extends beyond the distal end of the sheath except for the end face. The single mode optical fiber has an optical axis extending along a longitudinal direction of the single mode optical fiber. The hardened epoxy is polished at a non-orthogonal angle relative to the optical axis at the end face.

Abstract: A motion-compensated micro-forceps system, including a manually-operable micro-forceps assembly having a plurality of moveable grasping elements; a motor assembly operatively connected to the plurality of moveable grasping elements; an optical detection system having an optical fiber attached to the manually-operable micro-forceps assembly at a fixed axial distance relative to a distal-most end of the plurality of moveable grasping elements; and a motor controller configured to communicate with the optical detection system and the motor assembly to provide motion compensation of the plurality of moveable grasping elements of the manually-operable micro-forceps, wherein the optical detection system is configured to output a signal for the determination of a distance of the plurality of moveable grasping elements of the micro-forceps to a target during operation, and wherein the motor controller is configured to provide feedback control signals to the motor assembly for motion compensation for both hand tremor

Abstract: A surgical evaluation and guidance system for use in extravascular evaluation and guidance of fluid vessel surgeries, includes an optical coherence tomography engine; a vessel probe optically coupled to the optical coherence tomography engine; and a signal processing and display system adapted to communicate with the optical coherence tomography engine to receive imaging signals therefrom. An optical coherence tomography vessel probe for use in extravascular evaluation and guidance of fluid vessel surgeries, includes a probe body having a proximal end and a distal end; an optical relay system disposed within the probe body; and a vessel adapter at least one of attached to or integral with the probe body at the distal end of the probe body, wherein the vessel adapter defines a groove that is configured to accept one of a fluid vessel and a lymphaticovenous vessel.

Abstract: A motion-compensated cutting system includes a hand-held tool body, and an actuator connected to the tool body. A shaft of the actuator is movable relative to the tool body so that a distal end of a cutting implement attached to the shaft is axially movable relative to the tool body. An optical coherence tomography system includes an optical fiber with a distal end fixed relative to the distal end of the cutting implement. The system includes a control unit that can determine a position of the distal end of the cutting implement relative to a reference surface based on input from the optical coherence tomography system. The control unit can control the cutting implement to compensate for relative motion between the tool body and the reference surface, and can maintain a predetermined depth of the distal end of the cutting implement with respect to the reference surface.

Abstract: A motion-compensated optical coherence tomography system includes an optical coherence tomography sensor that includes a common-path optical fiber having an end for emitting light, reflecting reference light and receiving returned light for detection; a motion-compensation system attached to the common-path optical fiber and operable to move at least a portion of the optical fiber so as to compensate for motion between the end of the common-path optical fiber and an object being imaged; and a feedback control system configured to communicate with the optical coherence tomography sensor and the motion-compensation system. The feedback control system is configured to receive information concerning a measured distance of the end of the common-path optical fiber from the object and provide instructions to the motion-compensation system to decrease an amount of deviation of the measured distance from a desired distance.

Abstract: An illumination system includes a light source, an optical waveguide that has a proximal end and a distal end such that the proximal end is arranged to receive light from the light source and the distal end is suitable to illuminate an object of interest; and an optical coupler constructed and arranged to couple light from the light source into the optical waveguide. The optical coupler includes a reflective surface that reflects at least some light diverging from the light source to be coupled into the optical waveguide.

Abstract: The present disclosure is related to a method and apparatus for providing recommendation for a medical surgical procedure, including acquiring, using circuitry, a plurality of multispectral images representing a portion of an anatomy of a patient, performing image processing on each of the plurality of multispectral images to form a plurality of value maps, each value map identifying aspects of the portion of the anatomy by assigned values, combining the plurality of value maps into a single recommendation map, determining optimal points for performing the medical surgical procedure based on the single recommendation map, and displaying the optimal points for the medical surgical procedure by overlaying the optimal points on an original image of the portion of the anatomy or applying the optimal points to a robotic medical surgical procedure.

Abstract: A motion-compensated injector system includes a handheld tool having a hollow shaft with a distal end for insertion into tissue of a subject. The system also includes an optical coherence tomography-based optical detection system having an optical fiber with a distal end at a fixed distance from the distal end of the hollow shaft, and an optical sensor to receive a signal from the optical fiber. The system further includes an actuator to move the hollow shaft in an axial direction, and a control unit to control the actuator. The optical detection system can monitor a distance between the distal end of the optical fiber and a reference portion of the tissue of the subject, and the control unit can control the actuator to move the hollow shaft to compensate for relative motion between the handheld tool and the portion of the tissue.

Abstract: A probe for an optical coherence tomography system according to an embodiment of the current invention includes a sheath having a proximal end and a distal end and defining a lumen therein, an optical fiber disposed at least partially within the lumen of said sheath, and a sapphire lens attached to the distal end of the sheath to form a fluid-tight seal to prevent fluid from entering the lumen of said sheath. The optical fiber has an end arranged in an optical path with the sapphire lens to provide optical coupling between the sapphire lens and the optical fiber.

Abstract: An optical coherence tomography imaging system includes a Fourier domain optical coherence tomography sensor system, a signal processing system configured to communicate with the Fourier domain optical coherence tomography sensor system to receive detection signals therefrom and to provide imaging signals, and an image display system configured to communicate with the signal processing system to receive the imaging signals. The signal processing system includes a parallel processor configured to calculate structure information and Doppler information from the detection signals in real time such that the imaging signals provide a real time display of combined structure and flow of an object under observation.

Abstract: A system for assessing the flow of a fluid. The system can include a light source, a fiber-optic system optically coupled to the light source, which is arranged to provide a reference beam and an observation beam, an optical detection system arranged to receive combined light from the reference beam and the observation beam and to provide detection signals, and a data processing system arranged to communicate with the optical detection system to receive the detection signals. The data processing system can be configured to use the detection signals to determine a speckle pattern corresponding to the fluid flow, wherein the speckle pattern includes a plurality of lines, and to calculate a correlation between adjacent lines perpendicular to the flow to determine at least one of a rate of the flow and a displacement of the flow.

Abstract: An intraoperative registration and tracking system includes an optical source configured to illuminate tissue intraoperatively with electromagnetic radiation at a substantially localized spot so as to provide a photoacoustic source at the substantially localize spot, an optical imaging system configured to form an optical image of at least a portion of the tissue and to detect and determine a position of the substantially localized spot in the optical image, an ultrasound imaging system configured to form an ultrasound image of at least a portion of the tissue and to detect and determine a position of the substantially localized spot in the ultrasound image, and a registration system configured to determine a coordinate transformation that registers the optical image with the ultrasound image based at least partially on a correspondence of the spot in the optical image with the spot in the ultrasound image.

Abstract: Computer-implemented methods, systems, and articles of manufacture for determining the importance of a data item. A method includes: (a) receiving a node graph; (b) approximating a number of neighbor nodes of a node; and (c) calculating a average shortest path length of the node to the remaining nodes using the approximation step, where this calculation demonstrates the importance of a data item represented by the node. Another method includes: (a) receiving a node graph; (b) building a decomposed line graph of the node graph; (c) calculating stationary probabilities of incident edges of a node graph node in the decomposed line graph, and (d) calculating a summation of the stationary probabilities of the incident edges associated with the node, where the summation demonstrates the importance of a data item represented by the node. Both methods have at least one step carried out using a computer device.

Abstract: An axial motion distortion-corrected optical coherence tomography system. The system can include an optical coherence tomography sensor, a light source, a fiber-optic system arranged to provide a reference beam and an observation beam, an optical detection system arranged to receive combined light from the reference beam and the observation beam and to provide detection signals, and a data processing system arranged to receive said detection signals, construct a plurality of A-scans from said detection signals, and construct one or more images from said plurality of A-scans. The data processing system can be configured to correct distortion in the images caused by net axial motion of at least one of said optical coherence tomography sensor or a target of said optical coherence tomography sensor by calculating an estimate of the net axial motion using Doppler shift, and then shifting the A-scans according to the estimate.

Abstract: A probe for a common path optical coherence tomography system includes a sheath having a proximal end and a distal end and defining a lumen therein, a single mode optical fiber disposed within the lumen of the sheath such that a portion of the single mode optical fiber extends beyond the distal end of the sheath. The single mode optical fiber has an end face for transmitting and receiving light. The probe also includes a layer of hardened epoxy encasing the portion of the single mode optical fiber that extends beyond the distal end of the sheath except for the end face. The single mode optical fiber has an optical axis extending along a longitudinal direction of the single mode optical fiber. The hardened epoxy is polished at a non-orthogonal angle relative to the optical axis at the end face.

Abstract: A probe for an optical coherence tomography system according to an embodiment of the current invention includes a sheath having a proximal end and a distal end and defining a lumen therein, an optical fiber disposed at least partially within the lumen of said sheath, and a sapphire lens attached to the distal end of the sheath to form a fluid-tight seal to prevent fluid from entering the lumen of said sheath. The optical fiber has an end arranged in an optical path with the sapphire lens to provide optical coupling between the sapphire lens and the optical fiber.

Abstract: A system for assessing the flow of a fluid. The system can include a light source, a fiber-optic system optically coupled to the light source, which is arranged to provide a reference beam and an observation beam, an optical detection system arranged to receive combined light from the reference beam and the observation beam and to provide detection signals, and a data processing system arranged to communicate with the optical detection system to receive the detection signals. The data processing system can be configured to use the detection signals to determine a speckle pattern corresponding to the fluid flow, wherein the speckle pattern includes a plurality of lines, and to calculate a correlation between adjacent lines perpendicular to the flow to determine at least one of a rate of the flow and a displacement of the flow.