Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to systems and methods for removing an occluding object from a surgical image. An image capture device is inserted into a patient and captures an initial image of a surgical site inside the patient during a surgical procedure. A controller receives the image and determines that the occluding object is present in the initial image. The controller executes a removal algorithm that includes controlling the image capture device to perform a plurality of movements, controlling the image capture device to capture a plurality of images, wherein each image among the plurality of images corresponds to a movement among the plurality of movements, and applying an image filter to combine the initial image and the plurality of images and generate a processed image where the occluding object is removed from the processed image.

Abstract: According to an aspect of the present disclosure, a surgical instrument is provided and includes a housing; an elongate shaft extending from the housing; and a tool assembly supported by a distal portion of the elongate shaft, the tool assembly including first and second jaw member. The at least one of the first and second jaw members is moveable relative to the other jaw member between a neutral configuration in which the first and second jaw members are spaced apart relative to one another; and a clamping configuration in which the first and second jaw members are approximated relative to one another with tissue grasped therebetween, the first jaw member defining a cavity.

Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to an augmented reality surgical system. The system includes an endoscope that captures an image of the region of interest of a patient and an ECG device that records an ECG of the patient. A controller receives the image and applies at least one image processing filter to the image. The image processing filter includes a decomposition filter that decomposes the image into frequency bands. A temporal filter is applied to the frequency bands to generate temporally filtered bands. An adder adds each band frequency band to a corresponding temporally filtered band to generate augmented bands. A reconstruction filter generates an augmented image by collapsing the augmented bands. The controller also receives the ECG and processes the augmented image with the ECG to generate an ECG filtered augmented image. A display displays the ECG filtered augmented image to a user.

Abstract: A system for detecting subsurface blood in a region of interest during a surgical procedure includes an image capture device that captures an image stream of the region of interest and a light source that illuminates the region of interest. A controller applies at least one image processing filter to the image stream, which decomposes the image stream into a plurality of color space frequency bands, generate a plurality of color filtered bands from the plurality of color space frequency bands, adds each band in the plurality of color space frequency bands to a corresponding band in the plurality of color filtered bands to generate a plurality of augmented bands, and a reconstruction filter that generates the augmented image stream from the plurality of augmented bands, which is displayed to a user during the surgical procedure.

Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to systems and methods for amplifying a region of interest in a surgical environment. The system includes a stereo endoscope having a first camera and a second camera configured to obtain one or more images of the surgical environment. The system also includes a computer that has a central processing unit (CPU) configured to determine the region of interest in the surgical environment, a first controller configured to process the one or more images from the first camera to generate first amplified image(s), and a second controller configured to process the one or more images from the second camera to generate second amplified image(s). The first and second controllers process the one or more images based on the region of interest determined by the CPU. A display displays the one or more first amplified images and the one or more second amplified images.

Abstract: A method of visualizing a body cavity during a surgical procedure including positioning an elongated body of an angled endoscope in a first position within a body cavity of a patient, rotating the elongated body about a longitudinal axis in response to a command point, capturing a plurality of images with an image capture device positioned within the elongated body as the elongated body is rotated, and generating a panoramic view of the body cavity from the plurality of images. In the first position of the elongated body, a surgical site is within a field of view of the image capture device. The field of view of the image capture device capturing a first volume of the body cavity, including the surgical site, when the angled endoscope is in the first position.

Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to an augmented reality head mounted device worn by a user. The device includes an image capture device configured to capture an image of a surgical environment and a transparent lens configured to display an augmented image based on the image of the surgical environment. An eye tracking module coupled to the transparent lens configured to determine a direction of a gaze of an eye of the user, wherein the direction of the gaze of the eye determined by the eye tracking module is used to manipulate the augmented image.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to surgical port assemblies including a plurality of inflatable members for applying a force to a portion of a shaft of a surgical instrument which is inserted through an interior space of the surgical port assembly, and to surgical systems including a surgical port assembly, an endoscopic camera, and a control mechanism for controlling inflation and deflation of the plurality of inflatable members of the surgical port assembly.

Abstract: A robotic surgical system includes an access port having a plurality of sensors incorporated therein and a surgical instrument having an end effector for use with, and connection to a robot arm. The sensors measure a loading parameter between tissue and the access port when the shaft is inserted through the access port. The sensors wirelessly transmit signals indicative of the loading parameter to a processing unit. The estimated loads at the tip of the end effector of the surgical instrument are provided in real-time to a haptic feedback interface for communicating haptic feedback to a user. The haptic feedback increases or decreases in intensity in response to a specific event, occurrence, or operational characteristic related to the estimated loads.

Abstract: A surgery simulator includes a physical surrogate surgical interface that represents an interface between a user and a simulated patient in a simulated surgical scenario that involves manipulation of both simulated hard and soft tissue. Sensor(s) sense the user's manipulation of the surrogate surgical interface. A surgical simulation generator generates a real time 3D surgical simulation of the surgical scenario based on the manipulation sensed by the sensor(s). The real time 3D surgical simulation comprises real time simulation state data. The surgical simulation generator renders the real time simulation state data into a real time computer graphics generated video representation of the surgical simulation and provides the real time video representation to a display for real time viewing by the user. The surgical simulation generator simulates effects of the manipulation on both simulated hard tissue and simulated soft tissue of the simulated patient.

Abstract: A simulator trains for hemorrhage control using hemostatic agents, tourniquets, and/or other hemorrhage control techniques in a simulator that works with a wide variety of existing human surrogates. The simulator merges a live video feed of the surrogate and trainee's hands (or objects interacting with the surrogate) with a computer-generated visual representation of the wound and hemorrhaging blood to provide an immersive display experience to the trainee without requiring different surrogates for different simulated wounds. The trainee may wear pulse-generating glove(s) that simulate the patient's pulse where the trainee's finger tip contacts the surrogate. A sensorized substrate (e.g., load sensors, haptic output generators) may automatically be moved between the trainee and the surrogate to sense interaction with the surrogate and provide haptic feedback. The substrate may replace the surrogate altogether. The simulator may alternatively simulate events and objects other than wounds and humans.

Abstract: A microsurgery simulator simulates various microsurgical procedures (e.g., nerve reapproximation, ear drain deployment) that utilize a surgical microscope. A surrogate surgical microscope includes a mobile device and an eye piece. A physical surrogate surgical interface represents an interface between a user and a simulated surgical scenario. Sensors sense the user's manipulation of the surrogate surgical interface. A surgical simulation generator generates a real time 3D surgical simulation based on the sensed manipulation. The generator renders the real time surgical simulation into a real time computer graphics generated video representation that is displayed on a screen of the mobile device. A processor of the mobile device is configured to perform at least a portion of a computational analysis that is used to generate the real time computer graphics generated video representation.

Abstract: A system, method and device for simulating a medical procedure include a haptic mechanism controllable to provide feedback to a user manipulating a medical device. In an embodiment, a pair of three degree of freedom haptic devices are coupled to provide six degree of freedom measurement and force/moment feedback to the user. The six degree of freedom haptic device may be configured to provide different resolutions for different degrees of freedom, depending on simulation requirements. In an embodiment, a load cell is used to provide higher resolution in a dimension determined to be of greater criticality to realistic simulation.

Abstract: A method of performing a medical procedure (e.g., a cardiac bypass procedure) on a patient comprises introducing at least one medical instrument into a patient (e.g., percutaneously), conveying control signals from a remote controller to a drive unit, and operating the drive unit in accordance with the control signals to actuate at least one tool respectively located on the medical instrument(s) to transversely secure a first anatomical vessel (e.g., a blood vessel) to a sidewall of a second anatomical vessel (e.g., another blood vessel). In one method, the control signals are conveyed from the remote controller to the drive unit in response to user commands. The user commands may be movements made at a user interface that correspond to movements of the medical instrument(s).

Abstract: A surgery simulator includes a physical surrogate surgical interface that represents an interface between a user and a simulated patient in a simulated surgical scenario that involves manipulation of both simulated hard and soft tissue. Sensor(s) sense the user's manipulation of the surrogate surgical interface. A surgical simulation generator generates a real time 3D surgical simulation of the surgical scenario based on the manipulation sensed by the sensor(s). The real time 3D surgical simulation comprises real time simulation state data. The surgical simulation generator renders the real time simulation state data into a real time computer graphics generated video representation of the surgical simulation and provides the real time video representation to a display for real time viewing by the user. The surgical simulation generator simulates effects of the manipulation on both simulated hard tissue and simulated soft tissue of the simulated patient.

Abstract: A microsurgery simulator simulates various microsurgical procedures (e.g., nerve reapproximation, ear drain deployment) that utilize a surgical microscope. A surrogate surgical microscope includes a mobile device and an eye piece. A physical surrogate surgical interface represents an interface between a user and a simulated surgical scenario. Sensors sense the user's manipulation of the surrogate surgical interface. A surgical simulation generator generates a real time 3D surgical simulation based on the sensed manipulation. The generator renders the real time surgical simulation into a real time computer graphics generated video representation that is displayed on a screen of the mobile device. A processor of the mobile device is configured to perform at least a portion of a computational analysis that is used to generate the real time computer graphics generated video representation.

Abstract: A simulator trains for hemorrhage control using hemostatic agents, tourniquets, and/or other hemorrhage control techniques in a simulator that works with a wide variety of existing human surrogates. The simulator merges a live video feed of the surrogate and trainee's hands (or objects interacting with the surrogate) with a computer-generated visual representation of the wound and hemorrhaging blood to provide an immersive display experience to the trainee without requiring different surrogates for different simulated wounds. The trainee may wear pulse-generating glove(s) that simulate the patient's pulse where the trainee's finger tip contacts the surrogate. A sensorized substrate (e.g., load sensors, haptic output generators) may automatically be moved between the trainee and the surrogate to sense interaction with the surrogate and provide haptic feedback. The substrate may replace the surrogate altogether. The simulator may alternatively simulate events and objects other than wounds and humans.

Abstract: A method of performing a medical procedure on a patient comprises introducing a medical instrument into a patient (e.g., percutaneously), conveying control signals from a remote controller to a drive unit, and operating the drive unit in accordance with the control signals to actuate the tool located on the medical instrument to secure a stent to an anatomical vessel (e.g., a blood vessel, such as an abdominal aorta). The tool may be a sewing tool that is controlled to stitch the stent to the anatomical vessel. In one method, the control signals are conveyed from the remote controller to the drive unit in response to user commands. The user commands may be movements made at a user interface that correspond to movements of the medical instrument.

Abstract: A simulator simulates interaction between a surgical tool and biological tissue, providing real time visual and/or haptic feedback. The simulator receives tool input device information representative of a user's movement of a physical tool. The simulator simulates, based on the tool input device information, an interaction between the simulated tool and simulated biological tissue. The simulator uses multiple computational threads, some of which provide their calculations to interrelated threads for use. The simulator displays a visual representation of the simulated interaction between the simulated tool and the simulated biological tissue and provides haptic feedback to the user. The threads may operate asynchronously and have different spatial and/or temporal resolutions. Threads may be selectively activated and deactivated. Threads may move their spatial coverage.

Abstract: A robotically controlled surgical instrument includes a first jaw and a second jaw used to grasp an item, and a drive mechanism that increases the force applied to the item grasped. The drive mechanism and the jaws can be provided with an accommodating mechanism that allows continued movement of the drive mechanism towards a locked position even after the jaws contact a larger item so that the drive mechanism can move to the locked position when grasping items of different sizes.