Abstract: A needle placement manipulator includes, a needle holder configured to hold a needle, a guide system configured to position the needle holder to a predetermined direction with respect to a subject of needle placement, an attachment including an attaching portion to which the guide system is attached and a setting portion on which an RF-coil is set. A base surface of the setting portion is configured to be disposed on the subject.

Abstract: A method and system for motion tracking of a target organ are provided. A tracking needle is partially inserted into an organ. The needle has a sensor element for obtaining continuous needle orientation information which can be used to determine organ motion due to respiration during percutaneous needle insertion.

Abstract: Exemplary methods, apparatus, and systems are disclosed for automated registration and motion compensation of patient-mounted needle guide medical devices using fiducial markers, and processing algorithms where a re-registration step is provided. These methods, apparati, and systems adaptively compensate for the displacement of the medical device and/or target location due to the patient movement or internal organ motion.

Abstract: The disclosure of this application relates generally to medical devices and in particular to a steerable medical instrument applicable to guide interventional tools and instruments, such as percutaneous biopsy and ablations tools and endoscopes. The steerable medical instrument has an outer and an inner tube where the inner tube is movable at the proximal end and fixed at the distal end. At least one of the outer tube and inner tube has a plurality of openings, which creates deformable portions so that the outer and the inner tubes can bend by moving the inner tube at the proximal end.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method and an apparatus for controlling a flexible manipulator including a plurality of bendable mechanisms via a control apparatus. The control apparatus includes a drive-mode selecting unit allows for the selection of a movement mode which may provide a bending movement, an angled view movement, or a remote center movement.

Abstract: A system and method for automatic registration of medical images includes accessing image data of a subject and plurality of elongated fiducial markers arranged in an asymmetrical orientation and analyzing the image data to detect the elongated fiducial markers by applying a line filter to treat the elongated fiducial markers as lines within the image data. The system and method also includes matching the elongated fiducial markers within the image data to a model of the elongated fiducial markers, registering the image data with a coordinate system based on the matching, and generating a report indicating at least the registered image data.

Abstract: An apparatus (51) includes a needle placement manipulator (1) and an attachment (52) for the manipulator. The manipulator includes a needle holder and a rotary mechanism. The rotary mechanism (3, 4) has a remote center of motion (RCM: 11) and is configured to position a needle holder (5) such that the axis of the needle holder traces a conical region of coverage (108), the conical region of coverage having the apex thereof at the RCM and the base thereof in a direction towards a subject of needle placement (14). The attachment supports the guide mechanism and is configured to be mounted onto the subject of needle placement. The attachment includes a guide portion (183c) configured to change an inclination of the rotary mechanism with respect to the subject of needle placement such that the axis of the needle holder intersects an insertion target (14) located outside of the conical region of coverage.

Abstract: There is provided a medical support device for holding and positioning a needle. This device is particularly useful for positioning needles in a less invasive puncture treatment. This device comprises two rotational elements and at least one needle guide attached to a rotational element and. The needle guide guides the direction of insertion of a needle-like instrument and includes a guide portion that guides a needle or other needle-like instrument where the puncture point of the needle in a first position is different from the puncture point when the needle guide guides the needle in a second position.

Abstract: There is provided a medical support device for holding and positioning a needle. This device is particularly useful for positioning needles in a less invasive puncture treatment. This device comprises two rotational elements and at least one needle guide attached to a rotational element and. The needle guide guides the direction of insertion of a needle-like instrument and includes a guide portion that guides a needle or other needle-like instrument where the puncture point of the needle in a first position is different from the puncture point when the needle guide guides the needle in a second position.

Abstract: There is provided a medical support device for holding and positioning a needle. This device is particularly useful for positioning needles in a less invasive puncture treatment. This device comprises two rotational elements and at least one needle guide attached to a rotational element and. The needle guide guides the direction of insertion of a needle-like instrument and includes a guide portion that guides a needle or other needle-like instrument where the puncture point of the needle in a first position is different from the puncture point when the needle guide guides the needle in a second position.

Abstract: Exemplary methods, apparatus, and systems are provided for automated detection and registration of medical images using fiducial markers and processing algorithms. By either clustering fiducial markers having a different number, size, shape, configuration, or material property or by using fiducial markers arranged in a ring shape, wherein their arrangement is asymmetric, and then applying a feature extraction to extract the fiducial marker objects, and registering the fiducial marker objects with a model of the fiducial frame, automatic registration can be achieved.

Abstract: A positioning apparatus including a needle holder having a through hole for regulating needle placement and movement, a needle positioning unit, and an engagement member that fixes a position of the needle holder with respect to the needle positioning unit. The needle holder is either least partially detachably attached to the needle positioning unit or deformable. The positioning apparatus may be designed to accommodate the placement of multiple needles.

Abstract: A sheath apparatus includes, a plurality of node rings configured to be tilted with respect to each other, each node ring defining a substantially cylindrical wall and having at least one hole passing through said cylindrical wall, the plurality of node rings being arranged next to each other along a linear axis such that consecutive node rings contact each other at a contact plane; a manipulating wire going through the holes in said stacked node rings; and a position restoring component configured to restore said stacked node rings from a tilted position to an original position, wherein said position restoring component is located inside or outside of the stacked node rings.

Abstract: A needle placement manipulator includes, a pair of rotary guides arranged at a slanted angle with respect to each other, a needle holder which holds a needle along a needle holder axis, and a base body on which the guides are supported. The needle holder axis and each axis of the rotary guides cross at a single point located at or below the base body. The base body is configured to be attached to a patient or to an RF-coil.

Abstract: A sheath apparatus includes, a plurality of node rings configured to be tilted with respect to each other, each node ring defining a substantially cylindrical wall and having at least one hole passing through said cylindrical wall, the plurality of node rings being arranged next to each other along a linear axis such that consecutive node rings contact each other at a contact plane; a manipulating wire going through the holes in said stacked node rings; and a position restoring component configured to restore said stacked node rings from a tilted position to an original position, wherein said position restoring component is located inside or outside of the stacked node rings.

Abstract: An apparatus including a tendon-driven device such as an endoscope comprising a bendable body, a tendon attached to and extending a length of said body, and an actuator that will actuate said tendon based on a control signal from a controller. The controller is configured to send said control signal to said actuator and comprises a forward-kinematic-mapping unit that estimates an angular displacement, wherein the kinematic-mapping unit is configured for: providing a tension value of the tendon to obtain a desired angular displacement wherein the tension has a nonlinear relationship with the desired angular displacement based on information of friction where the tension is greater that would be calculated without including the effect of friction. The friction coefficient may be determined as it changes over time.

Abstract: A system and method for automatic registration of medical images includes accessing image data of a subject and plurality of elongated fiducial markers arranged in an asymmetrical orientation and analyzing the image data to detect the elongated fiducial markers by applying a line filter to treat the elongated fiducial markers as lines within the image data. The system and method also includes matching the elongated fiducial markers within the image data to a model of the elongated fiducial markers, registering the image data with a coordinate system based on the matching, and generating a report indicating at least the registered image data.

Abstract: A needle placement manipulator includes, a needle holder configured to hold a needle, a guide system configured to position the needle holder to a predetermined direction with respect to a subject of needle placement, an attachment including an attaching portion to which the guide system is attached and a setting portion on which an RF-coil is set. A base surface of the setting portion is configured to be disposed on the subject.

Abstract: A needle placement manipulator includes, a pair of rotary guides arranged at a slanted angle with respect to each other, a needle holder which holds a needle along a needle holder axis, and a base body on which the guides are supported. The needle holder axis and each axis of the rotary guides cross at a single point located at or below the base body. The base body is configured to be attached to a patient or to an RF-coil.

Abstract: A sheath apparatus includes, a plurality of node rings configured to be tilted with respect to each other, each node ring defining a substantially cylindrical wall and having at least one hole passing through said cylindrical wall, the plurality of node rings being arranged next to each other along a linear axis such that consecutive node rings contact each other at a contact plane; a manipulating wire going through the holes in said stacked node rings; and a position restoring component configured to restore said stacked node rings from a tilted position to an original position, wherein said position restoring component is located inside or outside of the stacked node rings.