Abstract: An expandable implant for bone restoration. The implant includes a first end element and a second end element. A plate is expandable in a first direction, and a blade expandable in a second direction. A first interconnecting element extends between the plate and at least one of the first and second end elements. A second interconnecting element extends between the blade and at least one of the first and second end elements. When the implant is in a collapsed position, a length of the blade is substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis, and when the blade is in an expanded position, the length of the blade is non-parallel to the longitudinal axis. The blade may include a length extending from a base to a tip, and the tip of the blade is further from the longitudinal axis than the plate when the implant is in the expanded position.

Abstract: A medical device includes: an elongated tube having a wall defining a lumen for the elongated tube, wherein the wall of the elongated tube comprises a first opening; and a first actuating element coupled directly or indirectly to the wall of the elongated tube; wherein at least a part of the first actuating element and the first opening of the wall are located at a same longitudinal position with respect to a longitudinal axis of the elongated tube; and wherein the first actuating element is configured to change size to induce stress and/or displacement at the wall of the elongated tube to cause the elongated tube to bend.

Abstract: An external fixation system may include first and second fixation rings and a plurality of adjustable length struts. Each adjustable length strut may have two joints, a rod, a tube, and an actuator configured to drive the rod axially relative to the tube to change an effective length of the strut. The system may include a plurality of controller modules each configured to couple to a corresponding strut. The external fixation system may have a manual mode of operation in which the controller modules are not coupled to the struts, and manual actuation of the actuators changes the effective lengths of the struts in discrete length increments. The external fixation system may have an automated mode of operation in which the controller modules are coupled to the struts, and automated actuation of the actuators changes the effective lengths of the struts in infinitesimally small length increments.

Abstract: A surgical cutting bur includes a shaft extending between proximal and distal ends. A cutting head is coupled to the distal end of the shaft. The cutting head includes a body including an outer surface having an arcuate configuration and a plurality of protuberances each extending outwardly from the body. The protuberances are configured to engage and remove material when the surgical cutting bur is rotated by a powered surgical handpiece. Each of the plurality of protuberances defines at least one cutting edge. A method of manufacturing the surgical cutting bur includes the steps of sintering a powdered metal alloy and forming the body with the plurality of protuberances extending therefrom.

Abstract: A flat embolic braid having a first side comprising a first side surface, and a second side comprising a second side surface facing in an opposite direction than the first side surface, the braid having an elongated constrained configuration for being deployed through a delivery catheter, and a three-dimensional unconstrained configuration, wherein in the three-dimensional unconstrained configuration, the braid assumes a plurality of successive loops in which the braid is at least partially twisted between successive loops of the plurality, so that the first side surface faces externally of each loop, and the second side surface faces an interior of each loop, respectively, regardless of a change in direction and/or orientation of the braid.

Abstract: An embolic device for placement in a body lumen, includes: an elongated member having a linear configuration when in room temperature, the elongated member being configured to form a first three-dimensional structure in response to body temperature; wherein the elongated member comprises a first segment, a second segment, and a third segment, the second segment being located between the first segment and the third segment; wherein the first segment and the third segment are configured to change their respective shapes in response to the body temperature; and wherein the second segment that is located between the first segment and the third segment has a shape that is independent of the body temperature.

Abstract: An anti-skive drill bit including a body having a proximal end, a distal end, a longitudinal axis extending between the proximal and distal ends, and a flute extending longitudinally along the body. The distal end includes a distally facing region and a first channel defining a first channel surface. The distally facing region includes a relief surface having a first most-distal point at one of an intersection of an outer diameter of the body and a leading edge of the first flute, and an intersection of the outer diameter of the body and the first channel surface. The distally facing region has a relief surface angle between the relief surface and an outer diameter surface of the body at the first most-distal point of less than 90 degrees. The channel has a proximal end intersecting the first flute, and a distal end intersecting the relief surface.

Abstract: A tracker, a surgical navigation system with the tracker, and a method of operating the tracker are described. The tracker comprises a first switch configured to be operated between a first switch configuration and a second switch configuration. The tracker also comprises one or more sources of electromagnetic radiation configured to selectively emit electromagnetic radiation with a first radiation characteristic or a second radiation characteristic. The tracker further comprises electrical circuitry configured to selectively control the one or more sources of electromagnetic radiation to emit electromagnetic radiation having the first radiation characteristic in the first switch configuration and to emit electromagnetic radiation having the second radiation characteristic in the second switch configuration, wherein the second radiation characteristic is different from the first radiation characteristic.

Abstract: A surgical input device configured to enable manual user input to a remote computing system is described. In one example, the surgical input device comprises an interface configured to be attachable to a surgical object such as a patient bone. The surgical input device further comprises a manually operable input wheel infinitely rotatable relative to the interface. The input wheel defines an optically detectable wheel marking. In some variants, the surgical input device or surgical object may comprise one or more tracking elements and may thus function as a surgical tracker.

Abstract: Adaptive imaging methods and systems for generating enhanced low light video of an object for medical visualization are disclosed and include acquiring, with an image acquisition assembly, a sequence of reference frames and/or a sequence of low light video frames depicting the object, assessing relative movement between the image acquisition assembly and the object based on at least a portion of the acquired sequence of reference video frames or the acquired sequence of low light video frames, adjusting a level of image processing of the low light video frames based at least in part on the relative movement between the image acquisition assembly and the object, and generating a characteristic low light video output from a quantity of the low light video frames, wherein the quantity of the low light video frames is based on the adjusted level of image processing of the low light video frames.

Abstract: The present teachings generally provide for a surgical navigation system for use with an x-ray imaging device. The x-ray imaging device acquires x-ray images of an anatomical structure of interest at an angular position. The surgical navigation system includes a localizer with a tracking sensor, a gravity vector sensor coupled to the tracking sensor, a tracking device configured to be coupled to the C-arm so as to be movable with the C-arm between a plurality of angular positions. The tracking device comprises a tracking element detectable by the tracking sensor. A computer processor is operatively coupled with the localizer and configured to implement an imaging routine that receives tracking data from the tracking sensor and a gravity vector from the gravity vector sensor, generating an image vector indicative of the angular position at which the x-ray image was acquired.

Abstract: An intravascular device includes an elongated body having a proximal end and a distal end, and a plurality of energy transmitting conduits extending within the elongated body. The distal ends of the energy transmitting conduits terminate at different axial locations along the distal end of the elongated body. In one embodiment, the number of energy transmission conduits is only two, such that the number of bends in the compound curve assumed by the distal end of the elongated body is only two, although the number of energy transmission conduits may be any suitable number.

Abstract: An implantable metallic braid is formed out of groups of filaments of a first material, groups of filaments of a second material different from the first material, and groups of filaments of a third material different from the first material and the second material. The filaments are braided together by a braiding machine and are arranged in a starting filament arrangement on the braiding machine before braiding begins, wherein the first material is a radiopaque material, the second material is a support material, and the third material is a DFT comprising the first and second materials. Different arrangements of the filaments in the starting filament arrangement and in the braid result in different levels of detail that can be observed in images of the braid, wherein certain arrangements of the filaments result in enhanced radiopacity without affecting other mechanical properties of the braid.

Abstract: A controller for a surgical navigation system is presented. The controller is configured to receive a position signal from a tracking system, wherein the position signal is indicative of a position of a hand-held surgical device that is tracked by the surgical navigation system inside an operation environment. The controller is further configured to receive sound signals from a plurality of microphones directed toward the operation environment, wherein the sound signals potentially contain one or more voice commands from one or more voice sources inside the operation environment. The controller is configured to process the sound signals dependent on the position signal.

Abstract: An assembly for rectifying vertebrae, comprises: two bone anchoring means intended to be implanted on a same vertebra, a triangulation bar and a connection means for connecting the triangulation bar to each bone anchoring means and for holding the bone anchoring means in a given position in order to form, with the triangulation bar connected to the bone anchoring means by means of the connection means, a rigid triangular assembly, the triangulation bar comprising an attachment area for attaching a correction instrument arranged to ensure a rigid attachment in rotation and in translation of the correction instrument on the triangulation bar.

Abstract: Packaging systems and surgical kits for a tool that has a working portion and a shaft. A casing includes a distal section defining a cavity to receive the working portion of the tool. A proximal section is coupled to the distal section and receives the shaft of the tool. The proximal section is detachable from the distal section. In one implementation, at least a portion of the distal section comprises a colored indicator to provide a visual indication of a location of the working portion of the tool. In another implementation, instructions are provided on the proximal section and the instructions illustrate one or more steps for installing the tool to a surgical device.

Abstract: A computer-implemented technique of determining a trajectory defined by a guide wire or other elongated member is presented. A method implementation of the technique in one variant comprises obtaining image data representative of a guide wire placed in a bone, processing the image data to determine an extension of the guide wire, and selecting a portion of the guide wire extension. The method further comprises determining, from the selected portion of the guide wire extension, trajectory data indicative of a guide wire-defined trajectory.

Abstract: Catheter systems and method utilizing catheters having strategically configured actuators disposed thereon to modify the shape and/or stiffness of the catheter to provide electronically actuated anchoring, friction reduction, and/or motive force to move the catheter within a body lumen, such as a vascular vessel. The catheters include an elongated, flexible tubular member having one or more actuators disposed on the tubular member. The actuators are configured to modify the shape and/or stiffness of the tubular member to provide various controlled functions, including anchoring, friction reduction while moving the catheter, and/or propelling the catheter in a body lumen. The actuators may be electroactive polymer actuators which are electronically actuatable, mechanical actuators which are actuated by mechanical means such as pull wires, hydraulic or pneumatic actuators which are actuatable by fluid pressure, or combinations thereof.