Abstract: In one aspect, the present invention relates to a surgical instrument for providing an access to a target of interest of a living subject. In one embodiment, the surgical instrument has a bearing member, a shaft member and a probe. The bearing member has a first end portion, an opposite, second end portion, a body portion defined therebetween having a longitudinal axis, and a shoulder portion extending from the second end portion. The body portion defines a bore therein along the longitudinal axis. The shoulder portion defines a passage substantially coaxial with and in communication with the bore. The shaft member has an first end portion and an opposite, second end portion, and is slidably received in the bore of the bearing member. The shaft member defines a space extending from the first end portion to the second end portion.

Abstract: A surgical platform usable for performing a surgical procedure. In one embodiment, the surgical platform comprises a base portion configured to receive at least one probe; a plurality of adjustable legs configured to support the base portion, each adjustable legs having a first end portion and an opposite, second end potion defining a length therebetween; and at least one movable portion configured to adjust the length of at least one adjustable leg.

Abstract: A fiducial marker holder apparatus (20, 120, 220) includes a maxillary holding device (50) and an open-ended frame (30, 130, 230). The maxillary holding device (50) is configured to be temporarily secured to only a maxillary-region of a patient. The open-ended frame (30, 130, 230) has first and second arms (32, 132, 232, 33, 133, 233) and is configured to be removably attached to the maxillary holding device (50). The first arm (32, 132, 232) has at least one marker attachment point (48a-48h, 148a-148n, 248a-248l) that receives fiducial markers (48) and the second arm (33, 133, 233) has a plurality of marker attachment points (48a-48h, 148a-148n, 248a-248l) that receive fiducial markers (48). At least two of the marker attachment points (48a-48h, 148a-148n, 248a-248l) of the second arm (33, 133, 233) are configured to receive fiducial markers (48) in different orientations with respect to the open-ended frame (30, 130, 230) and each other (48a-48h, 148a-148n, 248a-248l).

Abstract: A system and methods for providing an access to a cochlea of a living subject. In one embodiment of the present invention, a method comprises the steps of operating a surgical instrument towards a region of interest of the living subject for opening an access to the cochlea of the living subject from the lateral edge of the skull of the living subject to the cochlea of the living subject, and intra-operatively monitoring at least a part of the surgical instrument so that the surgical instrument is operated substantially along a predetermined path.

Abstract: A method for determining an orientation of a base (130) to which a fiducial marker (110) is detachably mounted. The method includes the steps of determining the axis of symmetry for the fiducial marker and choosing the determined axis of symmetry of the fiducial marker (110) as the axis of symmetry of the base (130).

Abstract: A method for classifying microelectrode recording signals. In one embodiment, the method includes the steps of performing wavelet transforms on each of the microelectrode recording signals to compute corresponding wavelet coefficients, respectively, extracting features from the computed wavelet coefficients for each of the microelectrode recording signals, respectively, and classifying the extracted features so as to classify the microelectrode recording signals.

Abstract: A system for selectively disabling a surgical instrument operating in a surgical site of a region of interest of a living subject.

Abstract: A method of optimal placement of a deep brain stimulator in a targeted region of a brain of a living subject for optimal deep brain stimulation. In one embodiment, the method includes the steps of nonmanually selecting an initial optimal position from, refining the nonmanually selected initial optimal position to determine a final position, and placing the deep brain stimulator at the final position in the targeted region of the brain of the living subject.