Abstract: A method and system for determining strategies with regards to product protection and market exclusivity. The method and system including various processes to determine product protection and market exclusivity based on various information from both the product side, such as clinical trial dates, revenue, naming conventions, time to market, and/or other regulatory and product strategy aspects, and from the intellectual property side, such as patent file dates, patent term extensions, trademarks, or other intellectual property strategies and requirements.

Abstract: Ophthalmic viewing systems for visualizing structures on and in an eye of a medical patient include an ophthalmic microscope, a gonioscopy device configured to work with the ophthalmic microscope to provide an image of an interior of the patient's eye, and a robotic arm configured to hold the gonioscopy device in a position in relation to the ophthalmic microscope and the patient's eye to provide the image of the eye's interior.

Abstract: A system for performing ophthalmic surgery includes a robotic positioning system including an end effector. The robotic positioning system is configured to position the end effector with at least five degrees of freedom. An ophthalmic surgical instrument is mounted to the end effector along with an accessory device configured to facilitate performance of an ophthalmic treatment by the ophthalmic surgical instrument. The robotic positioning system may be controlled to enforce anatomical boundaries and implement predefined motion profiles.

Abstract: A system includes an actuator, one or more items of diagnostic equipment configured to perform ophthalmic measurement, and one or more items of treatment equipment configured to facilitate performance of an ophthalmic treatment with respect to an eye of a patient. A controller is coupled to the actuator and is configured to cause the actuator to transfer the one or more items of diagnostic equipment and the one or more items of treatment equipment into and out of a region in front of an eye of the patient. The ophthalmic treatment may be a LASIK or SMILE treatment using refractive error and/or eye geometry measured using the diagnostic equipment.

Abstract: A system includes an actuator, one or more items of diagnostic equipment configured to perform ophthalmic measurement, and one or more items of treatment equipment configured to facilitate performance of an ophthalmic treatment with respect to an eye of a patient. A controller is coupled to the actuator and is configured to cause the actuator to transfer the one or more items of diagnostic equipment and the one or more items of treatment equipment into and out of a region in front of an eye of the patient. The ophthalmic treatment may be a LASIK or SMILE treatment using refractive error and/or eye geometry measured using the diagnostic equipment.

Abstract: A system for performing ophthalmic treatments includes a handpiece configured to be held by a hand of a surgeon. An end effector is mounted to the handpiece and configured to manipulate tissue of a patient, such tissues of the eye when performing an ophthalmic treatment. The system includes a motion sensor configured to sense movement of the handpiece and one or more stabilizing actuators configured to stabilize movement of the handpiece in response to movement of the hand of the surgeon. A controller is coupled to the motion sensor and the one or more stabilizing actuators and is configured to instruct the one or more stabilizing actuators to compensate for motion detected by the motion sensor. The controller may include a high-pass filer with the output of the high-pass filter used to control the stabilizing actuators. The parameters of the high pass filter may be adjusted throughout an ophthalmic treatment.

Abstract: A robotic imaging system includes a camera configured to one or more images of a target site. The camera may be a stereoscopic camera configured to record a left image and a right image for producing at least one stereoscopic image of the target site. A robotic arm is operatively connected to the camera, the robotic arm being adapted to selectively move the camera relative to the target site. A sensor is configured to detect forces and/or torque imparted by a user for moving the stereoscopic camera and transmit sensor data. A controller is configured to receive the sensor data, the controller having a processor and tangible, non-transitory memory on which instructions are recorded. The controller is adapted to selectively execute an assisted drive mode, which includes determining a movement sequence for the robotic arm based in part on the sensor data and a damping function.

Abstract: A system for performing ophthalmic treatments includes a surgical microscope configured to capture surface images of an eye of a patient and an imaging device mounted to the surgical microscope and configured to capture section images of the eye of the patient. A controller is coupled to the surgical microscope and the imaging device, the controller configured to receive the surface images and section images and provide feedback facilitating performance of the ophthalmic treatments based on the section images and the surface images. Feedback may relate to avoiding bag rupture during phacoemulsification, safely performing retinal membrane peeling, placing an IOL, treating glaucoma, or performing other ophthalmic treatments.

Abstract: A method, instructions for which are executed from a computer-readable medium, calibrates a robotic camera system having a digital camera connected to an end-effector of a serial robot. The end-effector and camera move within a robot motion coordinate frame (“robot frame”). The method includes acquiring, using the camera, a reference image of a target object on an image plane having an optical coordinate frame, and receiving input signals, including a depth measurement and joint position signals. Separate roll and pitch offsets are determined of a target point within the reference image with respect to the robot frame while moving the robot. Offsets are also determined with respect to x, y, and z axes of the robot frame while moving the robot through another motion sequence. The offsets are stored in a transformation matrix, which is used to control the robot during subsequent operation of the camera system.

Abstract: A system and method for assisting a surgeon performing an ophthalmic procedure on an eye of a patient, the system including a lubrication assembly. The lubrication assembly may be disposed on a proximal end of a robotic arm, a proximal end of a surgical microscope, or a proximal end of a mobile stand or frame. Dispersal of lubricant from the lubrication assembly may be upon receipt of a direct input from a surgeon, according to a predetermined schedule, or according to an image processing protocol. The lubrication assembly may be moved into position over the eye of the patient manually by the surgeon or through the indirect command of a motion controller which is operable to move the robotic arm or the surgical microscope so as to extend the lubrication assembly into a desired position.

Abstract: A method of calibrating a robotic imaging apparatus includes providing the robotic imaging apparatus, calibrating a stereoscopic camera portion of the apparatus to robot space, and registering the robot space to a patient space. An embodiment of the apparatus includes a base section defining the robot space, a robotic arm including a first end connected to the base section, a second end including a coupling interface, and a plurality of joints and links connecting the first end to the second end, each joint including a motor configured to rotate the joint around an axis and a joint sensor configured to transmit a position of the respective joint, a stereoscopic camera connected at the coupling interface, and a sensor positioned at the coupling interface and configured to detect force imparted on the stereoscopic camera by an operator and to transmit output data indicative of the detected force.

Abstract: A liquid level sensing system for a vehicle tank may include a liquid level display including a display panel and a first number of visual indicators carried by the display panel. The system may also include capacitive sensors to be coupled to the vehicle tank to sense a second number of possible liquid levels being greater than the first number of visual indicators. In addition, the system may include a controller configured to drive the visual indicators in a modulation pattern based upon the capacitive sensors to thereby display a sensed liquid level having a resolution corresponding to the second number of possible liquid levels.

Abstract: A method, instructions for which are executed from a computer-readable medium, calibrates a robotic camera system having a digital camera connected to an end-effector of a serial robot. The end-effector and camera move within a robot motion coordinate frame (“robot frame”). The method includes acquiring, using the camera, a reference image of a target object on an image plane having an optical coordinate frame, and receiving input signals, including a depth measurement and joint position signals. Separate roll and pitch offsets are determined of a target point within the reference image with respect to the robot frame while moving the robot. Offsets are also determined with respect to x, y, and z axes of the robot frame while moving the robot through another motion sequence. The offsets are stored in a transformation matrix, which is used to control the robot during subsequent operation of the camera system.

Abstract: A delivery device includes a conveyor, one or more imaging devices configured to have an eye of a patient in a field of view thereof, and an needle assembly configured to receive a drug to be injected into the eye of the patient. A staging assembly is mounted to the conveyor and includes one or more actuators configured to position the needle assembly relative to the eye of the patient. A controller is configured to receive one or more images from the one or more imaging devices; detect a location of anatomy of the eye of the patient in the one or more images; and activate the one or more actuators to drive a needle mounted to the needle assembly into a placement location on the eye of the patient according to the location of the anatomy. The controller activates the needle assembly to inject fluid into the eye or draw tissue out of the eye.

Abstract: A system for assisting a surgeon performing intraocular surgery on an eye of a medical patient includes a robotic arm and a tool assembly at a working end of the robotic arm. The tool assembly can include a proximal end mounted to the robotic arm's working end, a distal end, and a narrow elongate support member extending between the tool assembly's proximal and distal ends. A motion controller is operable to move the robotic arm to extend the distal end and at least a portion of the support member through an incision site in a surface of the patient's eye, thereby to locate a visualization element at the distal end of the tool member at a position inside the patient's eye.

Abstract: A system includes a display device and an actuated structure mounted to the display device and configured to move the display device in three-dimensional space. The system includes an imaging device configured to capture images of a patient's eye during an ophthalmic surgery and display the images on the display device. A controller is configured to activate the actuated structure to maintain visibility of the display device to a surgeon performing the ophthalmic surgery. The display may be positioned based on a surgeon profile and/or a treatment plan. Whether the display is visible may be determined based on images from a camera mounted to the imaging device, the display device, or elsewhere. Whether the display is visible may be determined based on kinematic data for the actuated structure and/or a support for the imaging device.

Abstract: A drug delivery device includes a drug delivery assembly configured to receive a portion of a head of a patient and mounted to a helmet or support. The drug delivery assembly includes one or more imaging devices configured to have an eye of the patient in a field of view thereof, an injection assembly configured to receive a drug to be injected, and a staging assembly including one or more actuators configured to position the injection assembly relative to the eye of the patient. A controller receives one or more images from the one or more imaging devices; detects a location of a limbus of the eye of the patient in the one or more images; and activate the one or more actuators to drive a needle into a placement location on the eye of the patient and dispense a drug into the eye through the needle.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides ophthalmic viewing systems for visualizing structures on and in an eye of a medical patient. Certain embodiments provide an ophthalmic viewing system including an ophthalmic microscope, a gonioscopy device configured to relay images of an interior periphery of a patient's eye to the ophthalmic microscope, and a robotic arm configured to hold the gonioscopy device in a position in relation to the ophthalmic microscope and the patient's eye to relay the images of the interior periphery of the patient's eye to the ophthalmic microscope for viewing by a user.

Abstract: A system for guiding an ophthalmic procedure is disclosed. The system includes a housing assembly with a head unit configured to be at least partially directed towards a target site in an eye. An optical coherence tomography (OCT) module and stereoscopic visualization camera are at least partially located in the head unit and configured to obtain a first set and a second set of volumetric data, respectively. A controller is configured to register the first set and second set of volumetric data to create a third set of registered volumetric data. The third set and second set of registered volumetric data are rendered, via a volumetric render module, to a first and second region. The first region and the second region are overlaid to obtain a shared composite view of the target site. The controller is configured to extract structural features and/or enable visualization of the target site.

Abstract: A stereoscopic imaging platform includes a stereoscopic camera configured to record left and right images of a target site. A robotic arm is operatively connected to the stereoscopic camera, the robotic arm being adapted to selectively move the stereoscopic camera relative to the target. The stereoscopic camera includes a lens assembly having at least one lens and defining a working distance. The lens assembly has at least one focus motor adapted to move the at least one lens to selectively vary the working distance. A controller is adapted to selectively execute one or more automatic focusing modes for the stereoscopic camera. The automatic focusing modes include a continuous autofocus mode adapted to maintain a focus of the at least one stereoscopic image while the robotic arm is moving the stereoscopic camera and the target site is moving along at least an axial direction.