Abstract: A method of operating a minimally invasive medical system, including positioning a tip of a surgical instrument through an incision into a body cavity, the surgical instrument having an instrument shaft with a longitudinal instrument axis, mounting the surgical instrument to a manipulator, the manipulator including a force/torque sensor, moving the minimally invasive instrument along a first axis and a second axis, each of the first and second axes perpendicular to the instrument axis, until a reaction force along each axis is below a given threshold, and defining and axis coordinates of the external fulcrum at a location where the reaction forces along both axes are below the given threshold, and determining an axis coordinate position of the external fulcrum along the instrument axis by pivoting the instrument with respect to its tip until a sufficient contact force is reached, and determining the axis coordinate position using the lever principle.

Abstract: A minimally invasive medical system including a robot manipulator, having an effector unit equipped with a 6-degrees-of-freedom force/torque sensor and configured to hold a minimally invasive instrument having a first end mounted to the effector unit and a second end located beyond an external fulcrum that limits the instrument in motion, usually to degrees-of-freedom.

Abstract: A PET imaging device for observing a brain includes a hollow three-dimensional structure with a shape capable of housing a head. The PET imaging device comprising multiple independent gamma ray detection modules that together form a structure capable of surrounding the head, said detection modules comprise continuous scintillation crystal blocks, wherein “continuous” means that the crystal blocks can be continuous in one or in two directions, each of the continuous scintillation crystal blocks has a polygonal main cross-section, and said structure is an elongated structure having a major axis in a direction corresponding to the front-nape direction and a shorter axis in a direction corresponding to a straight line joining ears on the head. The continuous scintillation crystal blocks are positioned adjacent to fit laterally in an exact manner with each other throughout their entire thickness, building a mosaic, without gaps between adjacent crystal blocks and without overlapping each other.

Abstract: A PET imaging device for observing a brain includes a hollow three-dimensional structure with a shape capable of housing a head. The PET imaging device comprising multiple independent gamma ray detection modules that together form a structure capable of surrounding the head, said detection modules comprise continuous scintillation crystal blocks, wherein “continuous” means that the crystal blocks can be continuous in one or in two directions, each of the continuous scintillation crystal blocks has a polygonal main cross-section, and said structure is an elongated structure having a major axis in a direction corresponding to the front-nape direction and a shorter axis in a direction corresponding to a straight line joining ears on the head. The continuous scintillation crystal blocks are positioned adjacent to fit laterally in an exact manner with each other throughout their entire thickness, building a mosaic, without gaps between adjacent crystal blocks and without overlapping each other.

Abstract: The invention relates to a PET imaging device for observing the brain, characterised by comprising a structure with a shape that is capable of accommodating a human head, having independent gamma-ray detection modules, said detection modules having continuous scintillation crystals with a polygonal main section, wherein all together the detection modules form a hollow three-dimensional structure that can surround the head, and with said three-dimensional structure being elongated and having a main axis in the direction corresponding to the forehead-nape direction and a shorter axis in the direction corresponding to the straight line joining the ears, and with the adjacent scintillation crystals fitting together laterally in a precise manner along their entire thickness, forming a mosaic-like structure, i.e. without leaving gaps and without overlapping with one another.

Abstract: A method of force estimation for a minimally invasive medical system comprising a robot manipulator (10). The manipulator has an effector unit (12) equipped with a 6-degrees-of-freedom (DOF) force/torque sensor and is configured to hold a minimally invasive instrument (14) having a first end (16) mounted to the effector unit and a second end (20) located beyond an external fulcrum (23) that limits the instrument in motion, usually to 4 DOF. The method comprising the steps: determining a position of the instrument relative to the fulcrum; measuring by means of the 6-DOF force/torque sensor a force and a torque exerted onto the effector unit by the first end of the instrument; and calculating by means of the principle of superposition an estimate of a force exerted onto the second end of the instrument based on the determined position, the measured force and the measured torque.

Abstract: A method of force estimation for a minimally invasive medical system comprising a robot manipulator. The manipulator has an effector unit equipped with a 6-degrees-of-freedom force/torque sensor and is configured to hold a minimally invasive instrument having a first end mounted to the effector unit and a second end located beyond an external fulcrum that limits the instrument in motion, usually to 4 DOF. The method comprising the steps: determining a position of the instrument relative to the fulcrum; measuring by means of the 6-DOF force/torque sensor a force and a torque exerted onto the effector unit by the first end of the instrument; and calculating by means of the principle of superposition an estimate of a force exerted onto the second end of the instrument based on the determined position, the measured force and the measured torque.

Abstract: The invention relates to a PET imaging device for observing the brain, characterised by comprising a structure with a shape that is capable of accommodating a human head, having independent gamma-ray detection modules, said detection modules having continuous scintillation crystals with a polygonal main section, wherein all together the detection modules form a hollow three-dimensional structure that can surround the head, and with said three-dimensional structure being elongated and having a main axis in the direction corresponding to the forehead-nape direction and a shorter axis in the direction corresponding to the straight line joining the ears, and with the adjacent scintillation crystals fitting together laterally in a precise manner along their entire thickness, forming a mosaic-like structure, i.e. without leaving gaps and without overlapping with one another.

Abstract: The present invention refers to a Mobile Molecular Imaging System, for example a PET (positron emission tomography) or SPECT (single photon emission computerized tomography) device, comprising: at least one group of n detector modules conforming detector module sets with a rounded shape comprising m detector modules each, being m<n and said detector module sets being separable from each other, first means to carry out the movement for separating the detector module sets in the transaxial plane second means to carry out a rotation movement of the Imaging System a Vertical Actuator that allows the axial movement of the Imaging System. and also refers to an Interventional System comprising the Mobile Molecular Imaging System and use of any of them in medical procedures, such as biopsy, radiotherapy, radiofrequency or ultrasound, among others.

Abstract: A method of force estimation for a minimally invasive medical system comprising a robot manipulator (10). The manipulator has an effector unit (12) equipped with a 6-degrees-of-freedom (DOF) force/torque sensor and is configured to hold a minimally invasive instrument (14) having a first end (16) mounted to the effector unit and a second end (20) located beyond an external fulcrum (23) that limits the instrument in motion, usually to 4 DOF. The method comprising the steps: determining a position of the instrument relative to the fulcrum; measuring by means of the 6-DOF force/torque sensor a force and a torque exerted onto the effector unit by the first end of the instrument; and calculating by means of the principle of superposition an estimate of a force exerted onto the second end of the instrument based on the determined position, the measured force and the measured torque.

Abstract: An apparatus to detect gamma rays, comprising a scintillator, a position sensitive photo sensor and a scintillation-light-incidence-angle-constraining, SLIAC, element, the scintillator has faces and the position sensitive photo sensor detects scintillation photons exiting a scintillation photons transparent face of the scintillator, and a portion of a scintillator face is covered with an absorbing layer, which absorbs scintillation photons created by scintillation events due to the interaction of incoming gamma rays with the scintillator, and the SLIAC element is optically coupled between a scintillation photons transparent face of the scintillator and the position sensitive photo sensor and the SLIAC element guides the scintillation photons exiting the scintillator towards the position sensitive photo sensor, and the SLIAC element restricts the maximum allowed half light acceptance angle for the scintillation light hitting the position sensitive photo sensor to less than 45°.

Abstract: A method of force estimation for a minimally invasive medical system comprising a robot manipulator (10). The manipulator has an effector unit (12) equipped with a 6-degrees-of-freedom (DOF) force/torque sensor and is configured to hold a minimally invasive instrument (14) having a first end (16) mounted to the effector unit and a second end (20) located beyond an external fulcrum (23) that limits the instrument in motion, usually to 4 DOF. The method comprising the steps: —determining a position of the instrument relative to the fulcrum; —measuring by means of the 6-DOF force/torque sensor a force and a torque exerted onto the effector unit by the first end of the instrument; and —calculating by means of the principle of superposition an estimate of a force exerted onto the second end of the instrument based on the determined position, the measured force and the measured torque.

Abstract: A method of force estimation for a minimally invasive medical system including a robot manipulator having an effector unit equipped with a 6-degrees-of-freedom force/torque sensor and being configured to hold a minimally invasive instrument having a first end mounted to the effector unit and a second end located beyond an external fulcrum that limits the instrument in motion, where the method includes determining a position of the instrument relative to the fulcrum, measuring by means of the 6 degrees of freedom force/torque sensor a force and a torque exerted onto the effector unit by the first end of the instrument, and calculating by means of the principle of superposition an estimate of a force exerted onto the second end of the instrument based on the determined position, the measured force and the measured torque.

Abstract: An apparatus to detect gamma rays, comprising a scintillator, a position sensitive photo sensor and a scintillation-light-incidence-angle-constraining, SLIAC, element, the scintillator has faces and the position sensitive photo sensor detects scintillation photons exiting a scintillation photons transparent face of the scintillator, and a portion of a scintillator face is covered with an absorbing layer, which absorbs scintillation photons created by scintillation events due to the interaction of incoming gamma rays with the scintillator, and the SLIAC element is optically coupled between a scintillation photons transparent face of the scintillator and the position sensitive photo sensor and the SLIAC element guides the scintillation photons exiting the scintillator towards the position sensitive photo sensor, and the SLIAC element restricts the maximum allowed half light acceptance angle for the scintillation light hitting the position sensitive photo sensor to less than 45°.

Abstract: A method of force estimation for a minimally invasive medical system including a robot manipulator having an effector unit equipped with a 6-degrees-of-freedom force/torque sensor and being configured to hold a minimally invasive instrument having a first end mounted to the effector unit and a second end located beyond an external fulcrum that limits the instrument in motion, where the method includes determining a position of the instrument relative to the fulcrum, measuring by means of the 6 degrees of freedom force/torque sensor a force and a torque exerted onto the effector unit by the first end of the instrument, and calculating by means of the principle of superposition an estimate of a force exerted onto the second end of the instrument based on the determined position, the measured force and the measured torque.

Abstract: A method of force estimation for a minimally invasive medical system comprising a robot manipulator (10). The manipulator has an effector unit (12) equipped with a 6-degrees-of-freedom (DOF) force/torque sensor and is configured to hold a minimally invasive instrument (14) having a first end (16) mounted to the effector unit and a second end (20) located beyond an external fulcrum (23) that limits the instrument in motion, usually to 4 DOF. The method comprising the steps: —determining a position of the instrument relative to the fulcrum; —measuring by means of the 6-DOF force/torque sensor a force and a torque exerted onto the effector unit by the first end of the instrument; and —calculating by means of the principle of superposition an estimate of a force exerted onto the second end of the instrument based on the determined position, the measured force and the measured torque.