Abstract: A handheld scanner is provided for use in registering a patient for a medical procedure with a medical navigation system. The handheld scanner has a housing having a main body portion having a first end and a second end and a handle portion having a first end and a second end with the second end attached to the second end of the main body portion with a bridge portion. The handheld scanner further has a circuit board contained in the housing, a processor connected to the circuit board, a light emitter contained in the main body portion and connected to the circuit board, a light detector contained in the main body portion and connected to the circuit board, and a button connected to the circuit board and located on the second end of the handle portion. The button is engageable by a thumb of a hand holding the handle portion.

Abstract: The present disclosure teaches a system and method for communicating the spatial position and orientation of surgical instruments with respect to a surgical area of interest. Using a visual display of a surgical site generated by a camera feed, a computer generates a virtual overlay of the location and projected trajectory of a surgical instrument based on its current position and orientation. Position and orientation information is generated and stored using tracking markers and a tracking sensor in information communication with the computer.

Abstract: Some implementations provide a MRI system configured to: access data encoding an input gradient waveform that would otherwise be used on a gradient sub-system of the MRI system to generate a gradient that corresponds to perturbations to the substantially uniform magnetic field; access data encoding a forward impulse response function and an inverse impulse response function, both characterizing a gradient generated from a target impulse input; pre-emphasizing the input gradient waveform by using both the forward impulse response function and the reverse impulse response function; and drive the gradient sub-system using the pre-emphasized gradient waveform such that distortions to the gradient caused by eddy currents within the gradient sub-system are substantially removed while radio-frequency (RF) samples for reconstructing an MRI image are being acquired from a grid that is substantially identical to when gradient sub-system is driven using the input gradient waveform.

Abstract: An interface component is provided for use with a first glove and a medical equipment component. The interface component comprises at least one switch located on the first glove, where each of the at least one switch provides a control signal to the medical equipment component. The interface component may further comprise a controller coupled to the plurality of switches, a power supply module coupled to the controller, and a wireless communications interface coupled to the controller in communication with a wireless interface of the medical equipment component.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are anatomical simulators produced using three dimensional (3D) printing to produce interior components of the simulator. The method of producing void structures in an anatomical phantom, includes 3D printing one or more structures of one or more desired sub-anatomical features using a dissolvable material; supporting and enclosing the one or more structures in an interior of a mold of the anatomical phantom; filling a remaining internal volume in the interior of the mold between an outer surface of the one or more structures and an inner surface of the mold with a liquid precursor of a matrix material selected to mimic anatomical tissue and processing the liquid precursor to form a tissue mimic matrix material; and dissolving the one or more structures with a fluid selected to dissolve said dissolvable material to produce one or more internal cavities within the tissue mimic matrix material.

Abstract: A method, system and apparatus for image capture and registration are described. The method includes: obtaining a position of an imaging device in a tracking system frame of reference; obtaining a position of a patient in the tracking system frame of reference; determining, based on the position of the imaging device and the position of the patient, a transformation for registering an imaging device frame of reference with a patient frame of reference; receiving an instruction to capture an image, the instruction including coordinates identifying a target area in the patient frame of reference; applying the transformation to convert the coordinates to the imaging device frame of reference; and controlling the imaging device to capture an image based on the converted coordinates.

Abstract: A method and system is provided for recording a health care event, optimizing medical procedures and calculating reimbursement. The method includes: acquiring metadata comprising a patient identifier, a practitioner identifier, a health care site identifier, an entry time and a medical reason for the health care event; receiving a reimbursement request; generating a procedures list based on the medical reason; selecting a procedure; generating a list of required data types and a list of required quality data for the procedure; acquiring raw data comprising the procedure, a medical device identifier, an entry time and one or more quality data from the medical device for the procedure; and calculating a reimbursement for the health care event based on the procedure, the medical device identifier, the required quality data and the quality data from the medical device. The method implements iterative learning using the collected data to determine optimal health care procedures.

Abstract: Systems and methods for co-registering medical images obtained with different imaging modalities are provided. For instance, images obtained with x-ray imaging, such as x-ray computed tomography (“CT”), can be co-registered with images obtained with magnetic resonance imaging (“MRI”). The different imaging modalities generate images that have different visualization characteristics for tissues; thus, in general, co-registration is accomplished by identifying different anatomical features in the different images and then utilizing a known spatial relationship between those anatomical features to co-register the different images.

Abstract: Systems, methods and devices are provided for illuminating tissue with monochromatic or broadband light and imaging light that has been reflected back from the tissue. Imaging may be white-light imaging or hyperspectral imaging. The system can be a stand-alone hyperspectral imaging system, integrated as part of an external video scope, or as an auxiliary imaging module on an external videoscope. Various elements of a video scope that is particularly suited for minimally invasive surgery is first presented and then its configurations suitable for hyperspectral imaging are explained.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for identifying a suitable surgical location and/or trajectory for proceeding with a surgical procedure based on local polarization-sensitive optical coherence tomography imaging (PS-OCT). PS-OCT images are obtained of a tissue region and are processed to provide a spatial map of anisotropic structure within the tissue region. The anisotropic structure is processed to determine one or more suitable surgical locations and/or trajectories for avoiding or reducing damage to local anisotropic tissue structure identified within the tissue region. The spatial map of the anisotropic structure is registered with pre-operative volumetric image data identifying anisotropic tissue structure within a second tissue region that is larger than the tissue region imaged by PS-OCT.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided that is at least partially visible by both a three dimensional (3D) scanner system of a medical navigation system and a tracking system of the medical navigation system. The apparatus includes a rigid member, a plurality of identifiable features attached to the rigid member and visible by the tracking system, a distinct identifiable portion visible by the 3D scanner system, and a connector mechanism attached to the rigid member to connect the apparatus to a location. The apparatus is in a field of view of the 3D scanner system and the tracking system within a timeframe of the 3D scan.

Abstract: Methods and devices for identifying and defining a safety zone for restricting movement of a robotic arm in an operating room during a medical procedure are disclosed. The disclosed method utilizes medical navigation system, which receives an initiation input indicating initiation of defining of the safety zone. In response to receiving the initiation input, the system tracks an instrument and determines the location of the tracked instrument relative to a reference point. The system detects changes in the location of the tracked instrument until a termination input is received at the medical navigation system. The termination input indicates the termination of the defining of the safety zone. The system stores, in memory, change data indicative of the changes in the location of the tracked instrument. The data identifies the safety zone relative to the reference point.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are planning, navigation and simulation systems and methods for minimally invasive therapy in which the planning method and system uses patient specific pre-operative images. The planning system allows for multiple paths to be developed from the pre-operative images, and scores the paths depending on desired surgical outcome of the surgery and the navigation systems allow for minimally invasive port based surgical procedures, as well as craniotomies in the particular case of brain surgery.

Abstract: A reference tie to be secured around a portion of a spine during a surgical procedure and to be tracked by a surgical navigation system is described. The reference tie includes an elongate strap having a first strap end and a second strap end. The reference tie also includes a fastener joined to the elongate strap at the first strap end, the fastener for securing the first strap end to a portion of the second strap end. The elongate strap is configured to form a secured loop around the portion of the spine. The reference tie also includes a fiducial marker joined to at least one of the elongate strap or the fastener. The fiducial marker is trackable by the surgical navigation system.

Abstract: A system and method for stabilizing video using a census kernel having test points. A subset form a connected circle centered on the kernel's center point. For each candidate pixel, a signature is calculated based on the relative brightness of the candidate pixel and of the pixels corresponding to test points when the kernel overlays the image with the center point over the candidate pixel. A candidate pixel is designated to be a corner pixel by processing the signature to determine that the candidate pixel is significantly brighter or darker than the test point pixels. For each corner pixel, a corresponding pixel in the previous frame is identified by comparing the signature of the corner pixel with signatures of pixels in the previous frame, and a corresponding motion vector is established. A motion model is calculated based on the motion vectors and applied to the digital frame.

Abstract: A system and method of acquiring an image at a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system is provided. Accordingly, an analog signal based on a pulse sequence and a first gain is obtained. The analog signal is converted into a digitized signal. A potential quantization error is detected in the digitized signal based on a boundary. When the detection is affirmative, a replacement analog signal based on the pulse sequence is received. At least one portion of the replacement analog signal can be based on an adjusted gain. The adjusted gain is a factor of the first gain. The replacement analog signal is digitized into a replacement digitized signal. At least one portion of the replacement digitized signal corresponding to the at least one portion of the replacement analog signal is adjusted based on a reversal of the factor.

Abstract: A system for de-identifying images and metadata containing personal information. A clinical subsystem connects to a clinical picture archiving and communication system (PACS) containing image data including metadata with personal information. The clinical subsystem includes an image data editor for de-identifying image data by deleting or altering the personal information in the image data according to instructions specified in a de-identification script. The de-identification subsystem includes an image metadata database and runs an edit script generator that can be used by a user to generate a de-identification script based on metadata stored in the image metadata database, without access to the associated image data.

Abstract: A medical navigation system is provided for acquiring a depth map of a surgical site of interest in a patient. The medical navigation system comprises a camera, a light projecting device, a display, and a controller. The controller has a processor coupled to a memory. The controller is configured to generate a signal provided to the light projecting device to project an edge indicator on the surgical site of interest, generate a signal to operate the camera to perform a focus sweep and capture a plurality of images during the focus sweep where the plurality of images includes the projected edge indicator, receive from the camera data representing the plurality of images captured during the focus sweep, and generate a depth map of the surgical site of interest using the data representing the plurality of images.

Abstract: Systems and methods for magnetic field-dependent relaxometry using magnetic resonance imaging (“MRI”] are provided. Relaxation parameters, including longitudinal relaxation time (“T1”) and transverse relaxation time (“T2”), are estimated from magnetic resonance signal data acquired at multiple different magnetic field strengths using the same MRI system. By measuring these relaxation parameters as a function of magnetic field strength, T1 dispersion data, T2 dispersion data, or both, are generated. Based on this dispersion data, quantitative physiological parameters can be estimated. As one example, iron content can be estimated from T2 dispersion data.