Abstract: An ultrasound-imaging system includes an ultrasound probe coupled with a console. Operations of the system can include detecting one or more blood vessels within the ultrasound image and identifying each blood vessel as a vein, an artery or other anatomic element using doppler ultrasound functionality of the ultrasound probe. Operations can also include determining a confidence for the blood vessel identification, and defining a window for doppler ultrasound operation. Operations can further include assessing a blood flow rate within blood vessels, and superimposing notifications atop the ultrasound image pertaining to the identity of the blood vessel including a confidence for the identity.

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: 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 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 obtaining first data indicative of a first location within the patient vasculature, obtaining second data that is indicative of a second location within the patient vasculature, performing a confirmation process that includes determining whether the second location corresponds to the first location within a predetermined threshold, and when the second location is determined to correspond to the first location within the predetermined threshold, determining the first location accurately indicates the current location of the distal tip of the medical device. The first modality may be any of a fiber optic modality, a magnetically-based tip location system modality, or an electrocardiogram monitoring system modality and the second data may represent fluctuations of the distal tip of the medical device. The medical device may be an introducer wire, a guidewire, a stylet, a stylet within a needle, a needle, or a catheter.

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, devices, and methods for identifying a blood vessel as a vein or as an artery. The system includes an optical fiber configured for insertion into a blood vessel coupled with a console having a light source, an optical receiver, processors, and logic stored in memory. The optical fiber includes sensors disposed along its length configured to determine a state or condition of the optical fiber, where the state or condition includes a strain, movement, pressure, or temperature. The logic analyzes reflected optical signals emanating from the sensors to determine that the optical fiber is inserted within an artery or within a vein. Logic may also determine a red-blue shift of a projected light to determine a blood flow direction with respect to the optical fiber.

Abstract: A method of imparting a magnetic signature includes inserting a first medical device into a single-dipole section of a magnetizer and positioning a second medical device into a multipole section of the magnetizer. Inserting the first medical device into the single-dipole section can impart a single-dipole magnetic signature with a first magnetic field to the first medical device. Positioning the second medical device into the multipole section can impart a multipole magnetic signature with a second magnetic field to the second medical device.

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: 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: A magnetic signature imprinting system includes an imprinting device and a medical device including ferrous elements. The imprinting device can include an active area having a magnet moving system, one or more sensors, and a console. The magnet moving system can be configured to change the location or orientation of one or more magnets to generate one or more magnetic fields to imprint a magnetic signature. The one or more sensors are configured to detect one or more characteristics of the medical device, and the console can be in communication with the magnet moving system and the one or more sensors.

Abstract: Blood vessel recognition and needle guidance systems, components, and methods thereof. A console can be configured to initiate 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 machine learning models 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 are medical systems and devices that include an elongate probe configured for insertion into a patient, where a multi-core optical fiber extends along the elongate probe. The optical fiber includes sensing core fibers that extend distally along a flexible distal tip section having a bending flexibility that exceeds a flexibility of a main probe section. The optical fiber may further include illumining core fibers, imaging core fibers, and an electrical conductor. An electrode at the distal end provides for detection of an ECG signal. The distal tip section may also be steerable. The system includes a console having processors and logic stored in memory. The logic facilitates portraying of a shape of the elongate probe, an ECG waveform and/or an image of an interior of the patient. The elongate probe further includes a shape memory material defining a transition temperature.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is an ultrasound imaging system including an ultrasound probe and a blood vessel visualization device. The ultrasound probe includes an ultrasound generation device and is configured to detect one or more blood vessels. The blood vessel visualization device is configured to project a depiction of the blood vessel topography within a target area. The blood vessel visualization device can include one or more near-infrared/infrared emitters configured to generate infrared/near-infrared waves within the target area, one or more near-infrared/infrared sensors configured to detect the difference in reflective properties of tissue and blood vessels within the target area, and one or more visual light projectors configured to project a blood vessel visualization depiction of the blood vessel topography onto the target area.

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: 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: An ultrasound imaging system includes an ultrasound probe configured to acquire ultrasound images, a processor, and a non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon logic that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations including receiving ultrasound imaging data from the ultrasound images, identifying a blood vessel from the ultrasound imaging data, tracking a position of a needle tip with respect to the blood vessel, and generating an alert if the blood vessel is an artery and the needle tip is within a perimeter threshold of the artery.

Abstract: A magnetizer system for use with a medical device including ferrous elements. The magnetizer can include a magnetizer body defining a cavity, the magnetizer body having a body opening in communication with the cavity, the magnetizer body including one or more magnets configured to generate a magnetic field configured to imprint a magnetic signature on ferrous elements within the cavity. The magnetizer can include one or more mechanisms configured to detect the presence of the medical device.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a system, apparatus and method directed to placing a medical instrument in a patient body, where the system includes the medical instrument having a first optical fiber, a console and an interconnect having a second optical fiber to receive incident light from the console and propagate the incident light to the medical instrument. The interconnect includes a predetermined bend along its length, such that logic of the console may determine a positioning and an orientation of the medical instrument relative to the predetermined bend. Additionally, the logic may generate a display of the medical instrument based on the reflected light signals and the determination of the positioning and the orientation of the medical instrument relative to the predetermined bend, where the display may be rendered as an overlay on an ultrasound image.

Abstract: In some embodiments, a system for resource transportation comprises a routing command subsystem. In some embodiments, the routing command subsystem is configured to be communicably coupled to a first input device at a first location, the first input device configured to determine a first resource factor of a resource at the first location and a location input device associated with a transporter, the transporter configured to transport the resource, the location input device configured to determine a transporter location. In some embodiments, the routing command subsystem is further configured to change a first endpoint of a transporter route to a first alternate location based at least in part on the first resource factor and the transporter location.