Abstract: A system includes a manipulator arm and a cannula mount arm. The manipulator arm includes a link and a locking assembly coupled to the link. The cannula mount arm includes a latch. The cannula mount arm is configured to be extended from the link to an extended position. The locking assembly is configured to engage with the latch when the cannula mount arm is extended from the link to the extended position so as to lock the cannula mount arm in the extended position. Activation of an electrical component coupled to the locking assembly is inhibited when a cannula is docked to the cannula mount arm.

Abstract: An endoscope system comprises an endoscope and a display to display image content captured by the endoscope. The endoscope system also comprises one or more sensors located in a headrest and configured to detect an input at the headrest. The endoscope system also comprises a control module configured to receive one or more sensor signals from the one or more sensors. The one or more sensor signals indicate movement of the headrest with respect to a support on which the headrest is mounted or pressure applied to the headrest. The control module is also configured to adjust the image content displayed by the display in response to the one or more sensor signals.

Abstract: A system for providing on-demand functionality during a medical procedure includes an instrument, an accessory, and a mounting device attached to one or more of the instrument and the accessory. The instrument includes an instrument body and an end effector. The end effector providing a first functionality. The accessory providing a second functionality. The mounting device removably couples the accessory to the instrument to augment the first functionality with the second functionality. In one example, the end effector includes jaws to provide a surgical functionality, and the first accessory includes a camera to provide a complementary monitoring functionality. In another example, the mounting device includes a mechanical mechanism and/or a magnetic mechanism for removably coupling the accessory to the instrument.

Abstract: A method is provided to model a 3D structure comprising: producing a surface mesh representation of the 3D structure; producing a volume mesh representation of the 3D structure based upon the surface mesh; sorting vertices of the volume mesh into a first sub-list that includes only surface vertices and a second sub-list that includes only internal vertices; applying shading to the surface mesh by accessing only surface vertices in the first sub-list; determining deformation of the volume mesh by accessing both surface vertices in the first sub-list and internal vertices in the second sub-list.

Abstract: Systems and methods for minimally invasive procedures include a computer-assisted system comprising a manipulator assembly configured to couple to a cannula and a controller coupled to the manipulator assembly. The cannula has a lumen configured to receive a shaft of an instrument. The controller is configured to position a remote center of motion for the manipulator assembly at a first location relative to the cannula, and in response to an indication to reposition the remote center of motion relative to the cannula, reposition the remote center of motion to a second location relative to the cannula while constraining the second location to be located along the cannula. The second location is different from the first location.

Abstract: Surgical instruments, such as clamping and cutting instruments, are provided. In one aspect, a surgical stapling instrument comprises first and second jaws and a drive member configured to move in a distal direction through at least one of the jaws. The instrument further includes a locking member movable between a first position permitting distal translation of the drive member, and a second position impeding distal translation of the drive member, and a switch movable from a proximal position to a distal position. When the switch is in the proximal position, it releasably maintains the locking member in the first position, and when the switch is in the distal position, it allows the locking member to move to the second position. This inhibits or prevents actuation of a knife when there is a spent or previously fired cartridge loaded in the instrument.

Abstract: Embodiments of an actuated cannula seal are disclosed In some embodiments, a cannula seal includes a base portion that engages with a cannula; and a seal portion integrally formed with the base portion, the sealing portion capable of engaging with an instrument shaft, the sealing portion capable of being actuated by an actuator so that the sealing portion is continually in motion relative to the instrument shaft. The actuation of the sealing portion can be accomplished by rotation or vibration of the sealing portion relative to the instrument shaft.

Abstract: Systems and methods for computer-assisted systems using robotic technology are described. For example, this disclosure describes systems and methods that can be used in various contexts such as, but not limited to, minimally invasive computer-assisted tele-operated surgery using robotic technology. The disclosure describes instruments and mechanisms for actuating and controlling the motions of such instruments. The instruments and actuator mechanisms may be used in medical operations and non-medical operations.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a surgical instrument, such as a tissue sealing instrument, with an elongate shaft and first and second jaws movably coupled to the shaft. The second jaw comprises a cavity for receiving a staple cartridge and a substantially longitudinal reinforcing wall extending through the cavity. The instrument further includes a drive member configured to translate through the end effector to close the jaws and to engage a plurality of staples within the staple cartridge to drive the staples into tissue. The reinforcing wall provides additional support for the staple cartridge to inhibit deformation of the staple cartridge during actuation, thereby improving the staple formation in the tissue. This improves the tissue seal provided by the staples without increasing the overall size of the end effector.

Abstract: A computer-assisted medical device includes a first articulated arm, a second articulated arm, an arm stabilizer, and a control system. The arm stabilizer includes first and second clamps and one or more sensors. The first and second clamps are configured to couple the arm stabilizer to the first and second articulated arms. At least one of a distance or a relative orientation between the first and second clamps is adjustable and the one or more sensors are configured to determine the distance or relative orientation. The control system is configured to implement a following mode in which the control system drives movement of the second articulated arm in response to movements of the first articulated arm and the arm stabilizer.

Abstract: A medical device can include a housing, a first seal structure, and a seal expander. The first seal structure can have a proximal end and a distal end, and a side wall surrounding and defining an interior chamber. A seal wall can be connected to the side wall and include an expandable opening. A seal expander can be coupled to the housing, and can be at least partially in the interior chamber of the first seal structure. The seal expander can include an expandable neck portion and a seal interface portion, the seal interface portion being near an intersection of the side wall and the seal wall.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a staple cartridge for a surgical instrument, such as a tissue sealing instrument. The staple cartridge includes a housing and one or more staple assemblies within the housing. The staple assemblies each include one or more staple pushers and associated staples. The staple pushers and housing include coupling elements configured to cooperate with each other to retain the staple assemblies to the housing prior to use in surgery. The coupling elements, along with other components of the cartridge and instrument, result in a smaller staple cartridge relative to conventional devices, allowing for a more compact and maneuverable surgical instrument.

Abstract: An exemplary medical imaging system includes an imaging device that includes a visible light camera configured to obtain image data representative of a two-dimensional visible light image of a scene and a depth sensor separate from the visible light camera and configured to obtain depth data representative of a depth map of the scene. The medical imaging system further includes a image processing system communicatively coupled to the imaging device and configured to generate, based on the image data and the depth data, a right-side perspective image of the scene and a left-side perspective image of the scene that together form a stereoscopic image of the scene.

Abstract: An instrument sterile adapter couples a surgical instrument and an instrument carriage. The instrument sterile adapter includes an instrument plate that provides a first surface to receive the surgical instrument and a latch plate joined to the instrument plate. The latch plate includes a second surface to receive the instrument carriage and latch structures. Each latch structure has a carriage latch arm that extends away from the second surface of the latch plate and an instrument latch arm joined to the carriage latch arm. The instrument latch arm extends through the instrument plate and away from the first surface of the instrument plate. A connecting member flexibly connects the carriage latch arm and the instrument latch arm to a remainder of the latch plate. The connecting member may be perpendicular to the latch arms. The latch arms may engage fixed locking surfaces in the instrument carriage and the surgical instrument.

Abstract: An apparatus for guiding an elongated flexible instrument comprises a variable-length support assembly. The variable-length support assembly includes a first end, a second end, a plurality of support member pairs, and a plurality of eyelets configured to receive the elongated flexible instrument. Each support member pair comprises a first support member linked to a second support member, and each of the plurality of eyelets is movably coupled to at least one of the plurality of support member pairs along a longitudinal central axis between the first end and the second end. The variable-length support assembly is configured to selectively transition from a compressed configuration to an expanded configuration along the longitudinal central axis, and the plurality of eyelets are adapted to support the elongated flexible instrument as the elongated flexible instrument is advanced along the longitudinal central axis.

Abstract: A robotic system may comprise a first robotic arm operatively coupleable to a first tool. The first tool has a first working end. The system may also comprise an image capture device, a display, and a processor. The processor may be configured to cause an image of a work site, which was captured by the image capture device from a perspective of an image reference frame, to be displayed on the display. The image of the work site includes an image of the first working end of the first tool. The processor may also determine a position of the first working end of the first tool in the image of the work site and render a tool information overlay at the position of the first working end of the first tool in the image of the work site. The tool information overlay visually indicates state information for the first tool. The processor may also change the tool information overlay while the first tool is in a first operational state by changing a brightness of the tool information overlay.

Abstract: Example embodiments include an optical interrogation system with a sensing fiber having a single core, the single core having multiple light propagating modes. Interferometric apparatus probes the single core multimode sensing fiber over a range of predetermined wavelengths and detects measurement interferometric data associated with the multiple light propagating modes of the single core for each predetermined wavelength in the range. Data processing circuitry processes the measurement interferometric data associated with the multiple light propagating modes of the single core to determine one or more shape-sensing parameters of the sensing fiber from which the shape of the fiber in three dimensions can be determined.

Abstract: A system and method of monitoring a procedure includes a medical device. The medical device includes an elongate device including a flexible body, a tracking system disposed along at least a portion of the flexible body, and one or more processors communicatively coupled to the tracking system. The one or more processors are configured to receive a route to a target location in an anatomy, determine one or more features of the route based on a first anatomical representation, generate a reduced anatomical representation based on the one or more features of the route, receive real-time position information from the tracking system, associate the real-time position information to the reduced anatomical representation, and dynamically display the reduced anatomical representation with the associated real-time position information.

Abstract: A medical device includes an instrument connector. The instrument connector includes a main body and a coupler fixedly attached to the mail body. The main body includes a first interface for a first operational channel for the medical device. The coupler is configured to receive a portion of a cable assembly including a second interface for a second operational channel for the medical device.

Abstract: An imaging system includes an illuminator for providing illumination on a region of interest, one or more first detectors for detecting reflections of the illumination, and a processing unit. The processing unit is configured to: receive a first image containing the region of interest; determine a first region of high specular reflection in the first image based on the reflections of the illumination on the region of interest; mask the first image by substituting a default color designating masking to alert a user to incomplete image information in the first region of high specular reflection to create a masked first image; and generate a composite image based on the masked first image and a fluorescence image of the region of interest.