Abstract: A medical appliance for use in medical procedures to controllably advance a medical device through a sheath. The medical appliance features pneumatic action and connecting structures adapted to couple the appliance to a variety of types of catheters, tools, and instruments.

Abstract: An electrosurgical access catheter for assisting a physician perform an ancillary surgical procedure on a region of interest (ROI) in a patient has a tubular shaped elongate shaft and a ring-shaped active electrode located at the distal end. A passageway extends from the proximal section to the distal end of the shaft, and through the ring-shaped active electrode. The proximal section of the elongate shaft is detachably coupled to an electrosurgical controller such that the ring-shaped active electrode is operable with the electrosurgical controller and a dispersive electrode to electrosurgically make a circular-shaped incision through a tissue wall, carving a cylindrical-shaped tissue plug as the ring-shaped active electrode is advanced through the wall. The access sheath is advanced through the surgically created opening and without further dilation of the opening. The invention has particular applicability to the lung, and minimally invasive bronchoscopic procedures. Related methods are also described.

Abstract: A lung tumor ablation planning system includes a processor operable to compute a target ablation zone and a set of optimum ablation parameters to create the target lesion with the ablation catheter. A predictive algorithm is employed to model the ablation zone based on training data. Various ablation plans are displayed to the physician corresponding to various metrics including without limitation maximizing tumor ablation coverage, shortest travel, obstacle avoidance, and shortest ablation time. Related methods are described.

Abstract: An electrosurgical access catheter for assisting a physician perform an ancillary surgical procedure on a region of interest (ROI) in a patient has a tubular shaped elongate shaft and a ring-shaped active electrode located at the distal end. A passageway extends from the proximal section to the distal end of the shaft, and through the ring-shaped active electrode. The proximal section of the elongate shaft is detachably coupled to an electrosurgical controller such that the ring-shaped active electrode is operable with the electrosurgical controller and a dispersive electrode to electrosurgically make a circular-shaped incision through a tissue wall, carving a cylindrical-shaped tissue plug as the ring-shaped active electrode is advanced through the wall. The access sheath is advanced through the surgically created opening and without further dilation of the opening. The invention has particular applicability to the lung, and minimally invasive bronchoscopic procedures. Related methods are also described.

Abstract: Described herein is a novel method and system for segmentation of the spine using 3D volumetric data. In embodiments, a method includes an extracting step, localization step, and segmentation step. The extracting step comprises detecting the spine centerline and the spine canal centerline. The localization step comprises localizing the vertebra and intervertebral disc centers. Background and foreground constraints are created for each vertebra digit. Segmentation is performed for each vertebra digit and based on the hard constraints.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for radiation therapy using functional measurements of branching structures. The method includes determining a location of each voxel of a plurality of voxels in a reference frame of a radiation device. The method further includes obtaining measurements that indicate a tissue type at each voxel. The method further includes determining a subset of the voxels based on an anatomical parameter of a respective branching structure of a set of branching structures indicated by the measurements. The method further includes determining a subset of the voxels that enclose an organ-at-risk (OAR) volume. The method further includes determining a value of a utility measure at each voxel. The method further includes determining a series of beam shapes and intensities which minimize a value of an objective function based on a computed dose delivered to each voxel and the utility measure for that voxel summed over all voxels.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for radiation therapy using functional measurements of branching structures. The method includes determining a location of each voxel of a plurality of voxels in a reference frame of a radiation device. The method further includes obtaining measurements that indicate a tissue type at each voxel. The method further includes determining a subset of the voxels based on an anatomical parameter of a respective branching structure of a set of branching structures indicated by the measurements. The method further includes determining a subset of the voxels that enclose an organ-at-risk (OAR) volume. The method further includes determining a value of a utility measure at each voxel. The method further includes determining a series of beam shapes and intensities which minimize a value of an objective function based on a computed dose delivered to each voxel and the utility measure for that voxel summed over all voxels.

Abstract: A minimally invasive medical technique for treating lung tumors includes use of multiple ablation modalities in a single procedure. Condensable vapor ablation and electrosurgical ablation are applied to treat the surface of the tumor and to debulk inner regions of the tumor, respectively.

Abstract: A lung tumor ablation planning system includes a processor operable to compute a target ablation zone and a set of optimum ablation parameters to create the target lesion with the ablation catheter. A predictive algorithm is employed to model the ablation zone based on training data. Various ablation plans are displayed to the physician corresponding to various metrics including without limitation maximizing tumor ablation coverage, shortest travel, obstacle avoidance, and shortest ablation time. Related methods are described.

Abstract: Systems and methods for assisting a physician in a medical intervention comprises performing a 2D-3D deformable registration, and more particularly, performing a 2D-3D registration based on multiple live 2D fluoroscopic views, and implemented on a multi-core processing framework such as a Graphics Processing Unit.

Abstract: A medical appliance for use in medical procedures to controllably advance a medical device through a sheath. The medical appliance features pneumatic action and connecting structures adapted to couple the appliance to a variety of types of catheters, tools, and instruments.

Abstract: Described herein is a novel method and system for segmentation of the spine using 3D volumetric data. In embodiments, a method includes an extracting step, localization step, and segmentation step. The extracting step comprises detecting the spine centerline and the spine canal centerline. The localization step comprises localizing the vertebra and intervertebral disc centers. Background and foreground constraints are created for each vertebra digit. Segmentation is performed for each vertebra digit and based on the hard constraints.

Abstract: An electrosurgical access catheter for assisting a physician perform an ancillary surgical procedure on a region of interest (ROI) in a patient has a tubular shaped elongate shaft and a ring-shaped active electrode located at the distal end. A passageway extends from the proximal section to the distal end of the shaft, and through the ring-shaped active electrode. The proximal section of the elongate shaft is detachably coupled to an electrosurgical controller such that the ring-shaped active electrode is operable with the electrosurgical controller and a dispersive electrode to electrosurgically make a circular-shaped incision through a tissue wall, carving a cylindrical-shaped tissue plug as the ring-shaped active electrode is advanced through the wall. The access sheath is advanced through the surgically created opening and without further dilation of the opening. The invention has particular applicability to the lung, and minimally invasive bronchoscopic procedures. Related methods are also described.

Abstract: A medical appliance for use in medical procedures to controllably advance a medical device through a sheath. The medical appliance features pneumatic action and connecting structures adapted to couple the appliance to a variety of types of catheters, tools, and instruments.

Abstract: An ablation planning method for calculating an optimum dose to ablate a tumor in a patient comprises the steps of detecting the tumor (and optionally confirming the boundary of the tumor); segmenting the tumor and adjacent tissue structures; computing an ablation zone model based prior known information about the tissue and the ablation instrument; and extracting tumor parameters from the segmented tumor. The extracted tumor parameters can include a wide range of tumor properties that affect ablation including, without limitation, texture, density, shape, and heterogeneity. An ablation dose to yield an optimized ablation zone is calculated based on the extracted tumor properties and the ablation zone model. Related systems are also described.

Abstract: Described herein is a novel method and system for segmentation of the spine using 3D volumetric data. In embodiments, a method includes an extracting step, localization step, and segmentation step. The extracting step comprises detecting the spine centerline and the spine canal centerline. The localization step comprises localizing the vertebra and intervertebral disc centers. Background and foreground constraints are created for each vertebra digit. Segmentation is performed for each vertebra digit and based on the hard constraints.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for radiation therapy using functional measurements of branching structures. The method includes determining a location of each voxel of a plurality of voxels in a reference frame of a radiation device. The method further includes obtaining measurements that indicate a tissue type at each voxel. The method further includes determining a subset of the voxels based on an anatomical parameter of a respective branching structure of a set of branching structures indicated by the measurements. The method further includes determining a subset of the voxels that enclose an organ-at-risk (OAR) volume. The method further includes determining a value of a utility measure at each voxel. The method further includes determining a series of beam shapes and intensities which minimize a value of an objective function based on a computed dose delivered to each voxel and the utility measure for that voxel summed over all voxels.

Abstract: Methods and devices for diagnosing, monitoring, and/or treating tissue through an opening or port through an airway wall are provided herein.

Abstract: Systems and methods for assisting a physician in a medical intervention comprises performing a 2D-3D deformable registration, and more particularly, performing a 2D-3D registration based on multiple live 2D fluoroscopic views, and implemented on a multi-core processing framework such as a Graphics Processing Unit.

Abstract: Methods and devices for diagnosing, monitoring, and/or treating tissue through an opening or port through an airway wall are provided herein.