Abstract: Disclosed herein is an ultrasound probe securement device to secure an ultrasound probe to a patient. The securement device can include a probe coupling mechanism to couple an ultrasound probe to the securement device, a patient coupling mechanism to couple the securement device to a patient, and a constraining mechanism to maintain an acoustic coupling of the ultrasound probe with the patient during an ultrasound procedure without user intervention.

Abstract: An ultrasound imaging system is disclosed that can include an ultrasound probe including a transducer array configured to acquire ultrasound images, and a console including a processor and non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon a plurality of logic modules that, when executed by the processor, are configured to perform operations including receiving an ultrasound image, detecting one or more targets within the ultrasound image, and generating a visualization from the ultrasound image to center the one or more detected targets within a displayed portion of the ultrasound image. Generating the visualization may include cropping the ultrasound image to center the one or more detected targets within a displayed portion of the ultrasound image. Generating the visualization may include increasing a magnification of a cropped portion of the ultrasound image to center the one or more detected targets within a displayed portion of the ultrasound image.

Abstract: An ultrasound imaging system is disclosed that includes an ultrasound probe including a plurality of ultrasound transducers configured to acquire ultrasound images, a processor and non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon logic that, when executed by the processor, is configured to perform operations including receiving ultrasound imaging data, detecting one or more blood vessels within the ultrasound imaging data, identifying at least one blood vessel of the one or more blood vessels as an artery or as a vein, and rendering a visualization of at least a subset of the one or more blood vessels on a display. The logic may, when executed by the processor, cause performances of further operations including identifying the at least one blood vessel as the artery at least one differentiating characteristic of a plurality of differentiating characteristics of blood vessel type.

Abstract: Blood vessel recognition and needle guidance systems, components, and methods thereof are disclosed. A console can be configured to instantiate a target recognition process for recognizing an anatomical target, such as a blood vessel, of a patient and a needle guidance process for guiding insertion of a needle into the anatomical target using ultrasound-imaging data received by the console. The system can perform target identification based on artificial intelligence (AI), which can be trained to recognize targets based on the ultrasound image. The ultrasound probe can be configured to provide to the console electrical signals corresponding to the ultrasound-imaging data. The ultrasound probe can include an array of transducers and, optionally, an array of magnetic sensors respectively configured to convert reflected ultrasound signals from the patient and magnetic signals from the needle, when magnetized, into the electrical signals.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a system, apparatus and method directed to placing a medical instrument in a vasculature of a patient body, where the medical instrument includes an optical fiber having one or more core fibers. The system also includes a console having non-transitory computer-readable medium storing logic that, when executed, causes operations of providing an incident light signal to the optical fiber, receiving a reflected light signal of the incident light, processing the reflected light signals associated with the optical fiber and determining a location of a distal tip of the medical instrument within the patient body. The medical instrument may be steerable in one of various methods including having a predetermined curvature, a distal tip that is magnetic, magnetized, metallic or ferrous and is steerable by an external magnetic device or a having a variable stiffness at a distal tip.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are optical-fiber stylet holders and methods thereof for holding optical-fiber stylets in position in catheters or the like while preventing breakage of optical fibers in the optical-fiber stylets and maintaining functionality of the optical-fiber stylets. The holding of optical-fiber stylets in position in catheters or the like can be important for maintaining distal tips of intravascularly delivered optical-fiber stylets in their target anatomical locations during procedures.

Abstract: Systems and methods for navigation and positioning a central venous catheter within a patient. The system may include a first pole and a second pole designed to generate an electric field sufficient to obtain a plurality of field measurements. The system may include a stylet inserted into a medical device. The stylet may include a magnetic assembly configured to produce a magnetic field positioned along a distal portion of the stylet, and a stylet electrode positioned distal of the magnetic assembly. The stylet electrode may be designed to function as both an interior excitation electrode and an interior detection electrode. Advancement of the medical device in the patient may include using a conductance curve generated from the plurality of field measurements to identify an obstruction or malposition in the patient.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are medical systems and methods for ultrasonic decomposition of intraluminal clots. A medical system can include a stylet configured to insert into a lumen of a catheter. The stylet can include one or more electrical impedance sensors, as well as one or more ultrasound transducers or a resonant section of the stylet. The one-or-more impedance sensors can be configured to detect changes in impedance for identifying intraluminal clots in the catheter. The one-or-more ultrasound transducers can be configured for decomposing the intraluminal clots to reestablish patency in the catheter, while the resonant section of the stylet can be configured to resonate with an externally applied ultrasonic frequency for decomposing the intraluminal clots to reestablish patency in the catheter. The medical system can further include a console to which the stylet is connected in an operable state of the medical system.

Abstract: Procedural barrier-breaching connectors and connection-establishing devices, as well as systems and methods thereof, for establishing portals in procedural barriers are disclosed. For example, a connection-establishing device can include a cap and an extension arm. The cap is configured to sit over a protruding portion of a first medical device with a procedural barrier between the connection-establishing device and the first medical device. The extension arm is configured to push a male connector of a second medical device through the procedural barrier and into a female connector of the first medical device with the extension arm, which establishes one or more functional connections across the procedural barrier between the second medical device and the first medical device. An exemplary method for the connection-establishing device includes a cap-placing step, an articulating step, and a functional connection-establishing step for establishing the one-or-more functional connections.

Abstract: An ultrasound imaging system configured to generate a 3D ultrasound image of a target area is disclosed herein. The ultrasound imaging system includes a console including one or more processors and non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon one or more logic modules. The ultrasound imaging system further includes an ultrasound probe, configured to acquire a plurality of ultrasound images of a target area, the ultrasound probe coupled to the console by an ultrasound probe connector having optical fiber including one or more core fibers, the ultrasound probe being a point of reference for the console to generate a three-dimensional visualization by stitching together the plurality of ultrasound images, starting from the point of reference.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a system, apparatus and method directed to placing a medical instrument in a vasculature of a patient body. The optical fiber includes one or more core fibers. The system also includes a console having non-transitory computer-readable medium storing logic that, when executed, causes operations of providing an incident light signal to the optical fiber, where the optical fiber is coupled to a deployable medical device, receiving a reflected light signal of the incident light, and processing the reflected light signal to determine deployment information pertaining to deployment of the deployable medical device. The medical device may be a balloon, a filter, a stent or a valve, and the deployment information may include a location of the deployment, a status of the deployment, measurements of the deployable medical device in a deployed state or a shape of the deployed medical device.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are RFID enabled medical device systems including an RFID emitter configured to provide an interrogation signal that impinges on an RFID tag associated with a medical device to trigger a response signal. The response signal can indicate and presence or absence of the medical device proximate to the RFID emitter. A console communicatively coupled to the RFID emitter can determine, record, and analyze procedural or usage information about the medical device. Further information about the medical device can be encoded within the response signal and provided to the console. Console settings can be automatically updated based on the information within the response signal. Additional modalities are also contemplated including optical image recognition of medical device kits. Further AR viewers can provide image overlays to guide a user in correct procedure. Procedural compliance can be automatically recorded and monitored.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a system, apparatus and method directed to placing a medical instrument in a vasculature of a patient body, including an optical fiber with one or more core fibers. The system can include a console having non-transitory computer-readable medium storing logic that, when executed, causes operations of providing an incident light signal to the optical fiber, receiving a reflected light signal of the incident light, wherein the reflected light signal is reflected from at least one of red blood cells or tissue within the patient body, processing the reflected light signal to determine an oxygen level within the patient body near a distal tip of the optical fiber. The method may further include determining a location of the distal tip of the optical fiber within the patient body at least based on the oxygen level.

Abstract: A vascular access instrument configured to insert through a vascular access device. The vascular access instrument may include a wire, which may include a proximal end and a distal end opposite the proximal end. The distal end may include a bent shape, which may facilitate removal of a thrombus. The bent shape may include a looped portion. The bent shape may include a S-shaped portion proximate a U-shaped portion. The bent shape may include a spiral. The instrument advancement device may be configured to advance the vascular access instrument from a retracted position within a catheter assembly to an advanced position beyond a distal end of the catheter. The vascular access instrument may include an intraluminal layer, which may bend from an inner portion of the catheter to an outer surface of the catheter around an edge of the catheter forming a distal opening of the catheter.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are dynamically adjusting ultrasound-imaging systems and methods thereof. For example, an ultrasound-imaging system can include an ultrasound probe, a console, and a display screen. The ultrasound probe includes an array of ultrasonic transducers that, when activated, emit generated ultrasound signals into a patient, receive reflected ultrasound signals from the patient, and convert the reflected ultrasound signals into corresponding electrical signals for processing into ultrasound images. The console is configured to execute instructions for dynamically adjusting a distance of activated ultrasonic transducers from a predefined target or area, an orientation of the activated ultrasonic transducers to the predefined target or area, or both the distance and the orientation of the activated ultrasonic transducers with respect to the predefined target or area.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a guidance system is described for assisting in an advancement of a medical component within a body of a patient. The guidance system features a probe and a console. The console is communicatively coupled to the probe and features AI-based visualization controls and AI-based guidance assistance logic. The AI-based visualization controls are configured to generate, position, and reposition a visualization area between the medical component and a targeted vasculature of the patient. The visualization area is a sub-region of a total imaging area rendered by the console. The AI-based guidance assistance logic is configured to monitor for a presence of the medical component within the visualization area, provide a feedback for generating a notification that the medical component is within the visualization area, and apply an imaging enhancement to at least a portion of imaged data within the visualization area to assist in the advancement.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a system, apparatus and method directed to detecting damage to an optical fiber of a medical device. The optical fiber includes core fibers including a plurality of sensors configured to (i) reflect a light signal based on received incident light, and (ii) change a characteristic of the reflected light signal based on experienced strain. The system also includes a console having memory storing logic that, when executed, causes operations of providing receiving reflected light signals of different spectral widths of the broadband incident light by one or more of the plurality of sensors, processing the reflected light signals to detect fluctuations of a portion of the optical fiber, and determining a location of the portion of the optical fiber or a defect affecting a vessel in which the portion is disposed based on the detected fluctuations. The portion may be a distal tip of the optical fiber.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a system, apparatus and method directed to detecting damage to an optical fiber of a medical device. The optical fiber includes one or more core fibers each including a plurality of sensors configured to (i) reflect a light signal based on received incident light, and (ii) alter the reflected light signal for use in determining a physical state of the multi-core optical fiber. The system also includes a console having non-transitory computer-readable medium storing logic that, when executed, causes operations of providing a broadband incident light signal to the multi-core optical fiber, receiving reflected light signals, receiving reflected light signals of different spectral widths of the broadband incident light by one or more of the plurality of sensors, identifying at least one unexpected spectral width or a lack of an expected spectral width, and determining the damage has occurred to the optical fiber based on the identification.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a system, apparatus and method directed to detecting malposition of a medical device within a vessel of a patient, such as an Azygos vein. The medical device can include a multi-core optical fiber including a plurality of core fibers, where each of the plurality of core fibers includes a plurality of sensors is configured to reflect a light signal based on received incident light, and change a characteristic of the reflected light signal for use in determining a physical state of the multi-core optical fiber. The system can include a console having non-transitory computer-readable medium storing logic that, when executed, causes operations of providing a broadband incident light signal to the multi-core optical fiber, receiving reflected light signals, processing the reflected light signals, and determining whether the medical device has entered the Azygos vein of the patient based on the reflected light signals.

Abstract: Optical-and-electrical medical systems and methods thereof are disclosed. Such a medical system can include a console, an optical shape-sensing (“OSS”) medical device including an optical-fiber stylet, one or more electrical medical devices, and a relay module for establishing one or more optical or electrical relay connections between the relay module and a remainder of the medical system including the console. The console can be configured for converting reflected optical signals from the optical-fiber stylet into shapes thereof for display. The relay module can include a primary receptacle configured to accept insertion of a medical barrier-piercing plug of the OSS medical device and establish a through-barrier optical connection therebetween. The relay module also can include one or more secondary receptacles configured to accept insertion of a corresponding number of electrical plugs of the one-or-more electrical medical devices and establish one or more under-barrier electrical connections therebetween.