Abstract: A system, method, and apparatus for guiding a needle into a target location of a patient's body are provided. The system includes a planned needle guide trajectory and a guide for removable attachment to a smartphone. The guide includes at least one needle guiding aperture extending substantially perpendicularly to a screen of the smartphone. The needle guiding aperture defines an actual needle guide trajectory. An inclinometer application is running on the smartphone. The inclinometer application indicates to a user conformance of the actual needle guide trajectory to the planned needle guide trajectory.

Abstract: A system, method, and apparatus for guiding a needle into a target location of a patient's body are provided. The system includes a planned needle guide trajectory and a guide for removable attachment to a smartphone. The guide includes at least one needle guiding aperture extending substantially perpendicularly to a screen of the smartphone. The needle guiding aperture defines an actual needle guide trajectory. An inclinometer application is running on the smartphone. The inclinometer application indicates to a user conformance of the actual needle guide trajectory to the planned needle guide trajectory.

Abstract: A system, method, and apparatus for guiding a needle into a target location of a patient's body are provided. The system includes a planned needle guide trajectory and a guide for removable attachment to a smartphone. The guide includes at least one needle guiding aperture extending substantially perpendicularly to a screen of the smartphone. The needle guiding aperture defines an actual needle guide trajectory. An inclinometer application is running on the smartphone. The inclinometer application indicates to a user conformance of the actual needle guide trajectory to the planned needle guide trajectory.

Abstract: A system, method, and apparatus for guiding a needle into a target location of a patient's body are provided. The system includes a planned needle guide trajectory and a guide for removable attachment to a smartphone. The guide includes at least one needle guiding aperture extending substantially perpendicularly to a screen of the smartphone. The needle guiding aperture defines an actual needle guide trajectory. An inclinometer application is running on the smartphone. The inclinometer application indicates to a user conformance of the actual needle guide trajectory to the planned needle guide trajectory.

Abstract: A system, method, and apparatus for guiding a needle into a target location of a patient's body are provided. The system includes a planned needle guide trajectory and a guide for removable attachment to a smartphone. The guide includes at least one needle guiding aperture extending substantially perpendicularly to a screen of the smartphone. The needle guiding aperture defines an actual needle guide trajectory. An inclinometer application is running on the smartphone. The inclinometer application indicates to a user conformance of the actual needle guide trajectory to the planned needle guide trajectory.

Abstract: A tissue sampling device includes for removing tissue from a target area in the body comprises a shaft having an outer surface. Two first portions and two second portions of the outer surface extend lengthwise of the shaft. Each first portion of the outer surface is associated with a different second portion and is spaced apart from its associated second portion. Each first portion of the outer surface at least partially defines a cutting edge extending in a straight line lengthwise of the shaft. Each first portion of the outer surface and its associated second portion are associated with a tissue-receiving surface extending lengthwise of the shaft. Each tissue-receiving surface defines a depression for receiving a tissue sample removed from the target area by the cutting edge of the associated first portion of the outer surface when the shaft is rotated about its longitudinal axis in the target area.

Abstract: A percutaneous needle guide includes a housing and an inclinometer secured to the housing for sensing a two dimensional inclination of the housing relative to the earth's gravitational field and for providing an indication thereof. A percutaneous needle is slidably mounting to the housing in a fixed axial orientation relative to the housing. A needle measuring device is mounted in the housing and operative by linear motion of the percutaneous needle so as to measure the linear position of the percutaneous needle relative to the housing and providing a measurement indication.

Abstract: A tissue sampling device includes a sheath having an inner surface having a proximal end and a distal end, and an inner surface defining a passage. An inner tube is disposed within the passage. The inner tube has an inner surface defining a passage, and an outer surface radially spaced outward from the inner surface. A cutting needle is pivotally mounted to the inner tube and pivots between a first position radially inward of the inner surface of the sheath and a second position substantially radially outward of the outer surface of the inner tube. Relative movement between the inner tube and the sheath causes the cutting needle to move between the first position and the second position. Rotation of the inner tube relative to the sheath when the cutting needle is in the second position causes the cutting needle to remove tissue in a helical path.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for computer tomography (CT) imaging. An attenuation transform component configured to map voxels in a received set of cross-sectional CT images to associated brightness values according to a piecewise transform function to produce a set of transformed images. A user interface is configured to provide the set of transformed images to a user at an associated display.

Abstract: A method includes preprocessing extracted text to generate a pre-search document that specifies context field data relevant to a patient encounter. The extracted text can be derived from at least one of clinical encounter data and provider input data related to the patient encounter. The method includes constructing a multidimensional query based on the pre-search document. This includes sending the multidimensional query to a search engine to retrieve relevant data related to the patient encounter. The method includes generating an output for the patient encounter based on the retrieved relevant data.

Abstract: A tissue sampling device includes for removing tissue from a target area in the body comprises a shaft having an outer surface. Two first portions and two second portions of the outer surface extend lengthwise of the shaft. Each first portion of the outer surface is associated with a different second portion and is spaced apart from its associated second portion. Each first portion of the outer surface at least partially defines a cutting edge extending in a straight line lengthwise of the shaft. Each first portion of the outer surface and its associated second portion are associated with a tissue-receiving surface extending lengthwise of the shaft. Each tissue-receiving surface defines a depression for receiving a tissue sample removed from the target area by the cutting edge of the associated first portion of the outer surface when the shaft is rotated about its longitudinal axis in the target area.

Abstract: A percutaneous needle guide includes a housing and an inclinometer secured to the housing for sensing a two dimensional inclination of the housing relative to the earth's gravitational field and for providing an indication thereof. A percutaneous needle is slidably mounting to the housing in a fixed axial orientation relative to the housing. A needle measuring device is mounted in the housing and operative by linear motion of the percutaneous needle so as to measure the linear position of the percutaneous needle relative to the housing and providing a measurement indication.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for computer tomography (CT) imaging. An attenuation transform component configured to map voxels in a received set of cross-sectional CT images to associated brightness values according to a piecewise transform function to produce a set of transformed images. A user interface is configured to provide the set of transformed images to a user at an associated display.

Abstract: A tissue sampling device (10) includes a sheath (20) having an inner surface having a proximal end and a distal end, and an inner surface defining a passage. An inner tube (50) is disposed within the passage. The inner tube has an inner surface defining a passage, and an outer surface radially spaced outward from the inner surface. A cutting needle is pivotally mounted to the inner tube and pivots between a first position radially inward of the inner surface of the sheath and a second position substantially radially outward of the outer surface of the inner tube. Relative movement between the inner tube and the sheath causes the cutting needle to move between the first position and the second position. Rotation of the inner tube relative to the sheath when the cutting needle is in the second position causes the cutting needle to remove tissue in a helical path.