Abstract: A surgical system, method, and apparatus for suturing a first anatomical structure to a second anatomical structure of a subject includes an endoscope tube for being advanced through a lumen of the first anatomical structure to a surgical site near the second anatomical structure. A manipulator arm extends through the endoscope tube to the surgical site, and includes a first concentric tube manipulator with an end effector configured to grasp and manipulate a suture at the surgical site. A needle arm extends through the endoscope tube to the surgical site, and includes a second concentric tube manipulator with a needle tip configured to pierce the tissue of the first and second anatomical structures. The needle arm is also configured to grasp the suture and to retract and pull the suture through the pierced tissue so that the suture extends through and forms stitching that stitches together the first and second anatomical structures.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides an endoscopic apparatus and associated methods. The apparatus may include a steerable tool having a first flexible tube concentrically nested within a second flexible tube. The apparatus may include an end cap disposed on the steerable tool, an image sensor disposed on the end cap, and one or more light sources disposed on the end cap. The apparatus may be configured for accessing a region within a middle ear cavity of a patient. As such, the apparatus may further include a flexible tube, through which the steerable tool may extend, as well as a pre-curved rigid tube, through which the flexible tube may extend, thus allowing the apparatus to be deployed for middle ear access.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides for an endoscopic apparatus. The apparatus may include a sheath. The sheath may include a first tube concentrically nested within a second tube. The apparatus may further include a laser fiber disposed in the sheath and movable therein along a longitudinal axis of the sheath. The sheath may be actuable to form a first bend by relative axial translation between the first tube and the second tube. Advancing movements of the laser fiber may cause a distal tip of the laser fiber to project out of a distal end of the sheath; and retreating movements of the laser fiber may cause the distal tip of the laser fiber to retract towards the distal end of the sheath.

Abstract: An Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) is placed on a robot and outputs inertial information such as angular velocity and linear acceleration of the tip to which it is attached. A robot controller implements a recursive estimation algorithm to fuse robot encoder values with IMU data to determine a statistically optimized estimated position of the robot tip.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides for an endoscopic apparatus and methods. The apparatus may include a steerable sheath, a control wire disposed within the steerable sheath, and a basket disposed on the control wire. The steerable sheath may be actuated to form a bend, advancing movements of the control wire may cause the basket to project out of the steerable sheath and expand, and retreating movements of the control wire may cause the basket to retract into the steerable sheath and contract.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides an endoscopic apparatus and associated methods. The apparatus may include a steerable tool having a first flexible tube concentrically nested within a second flexible tube. The apparatus may include an end cap disposed on the steerable tool, an image sensor disposed on the end cap, and one or more light sources disposed on the end cap. The apparatus may be configured for accessing a region within a middle ear cavity of a patient. As such, the apparatus may further include a flexible tube, through which the steerable tool may extend, as well as a pre-curved rigid tube, through which the flexible tube may extend, thus allowing the apparatus to be deployed for middle ear access.

Abstract: A surgical system, method, and apparatus for suturing a first anatomical structure to a second anatomical structure of a subject includes an endoscope tube for being advanced through a lumen of the first anatomical structure to a surgical site near the second anatomical structure. A manipulator arm extends through the endoscope tube to the surgical site, and includes a first concentric tube manipulator with an end effector configured to grasp and manipulate a suture at the surgical site. A needle arm extends through the endoscope tube to the surgical site, and includes a second concentric tube manipulator with a needle tip configured to pierce the tissue of the first and second anatomical structures. The needle arm is also configured to grasp the suture and to retract and pull the suture through the pierced tissue so that the suture extends through and forms stitching that stitches together the first and second anatomical structures.

Abstract: The disclosure provides an apparatus and mechanism for and elevator safety mechanism. The safety mechanism can include a lock bar, a beak assembly, a detector assembly, and a linkage rod providing communication between the beak assembly and the detector assembly. The beak of the beak assembly can engage a catch in the lock bar when the safety mechanism is in a closed position, preventing the doors of the elevator from further opening.

Abstract: One aspect of the present disclosure includes a sheath configured to receive an ablation probe. The sheath includes a temperature-controlled anchor element thereon configured to attach the sheath to bodily tissue.

Abstract: The disclosure provides an apparatus and mechanism for and elevator safety mechanism. The safety mechanism can include a lock bar, a beak assembly, a detector assembly, and a linkage rod providing communication between the beak assembly and the detector assembly. The beak of the beak assembly can engage a catch in the lock bar when the safety mechanism is in a closed position, preventing the doors of the elevator from further opening.

Abstract: Methods and devices for performing endocardiac treatments using an instrument port placed in the heart wall and an instrument guide which has a steerable tip and which is inserted through the instrument port, allows passage of an instrument therethrough into a heart chamber, and steers the functional tip of the instrument to the desired location for treatment.

Abstract: The immunogenicity of the influenza virus hemagglutinin (HA) molecule may be increased by substitutions of amino acids in the HA sequence. The substitution of specific HA residues, such as asparagine at position 223 of H5 HA, increase the sensitivity of the hemagglutinin inhibition (HI) assay by altering receptor specificity and/or antibody-antigen binding. HA molecules containing such substitutions will be useful in the development of diagnostic reference viruses and improved influenza vaccines.

Abstract: Disclosed is a system for percutaneously steering a surgical needle. Needle steering is accomplished by taking advantage of a deflection force imparted on the bevel tip of the needle by the tissue medium as the needle is pushed through the tissue. By controlling the translation speed and rotation angle of the bevel, a flexible needle may be steered substantially without deflecting or distorting the tissue. The control inputs (translation speed and rotation angle) are computed based on a “bicycle” non-holonomic kinematic model that is a function of mechanical properties of the tissue medium. The system may be used with image-based feedback, which may provide for feedback-based refinement of the model as the needle propagates through the tissue.

Abstract: Specifying content using data-driven systems is described, including creating a definition, the definition having a type and a property, instantiating the property, deriving a property value for the property using a linkage, and synchronously pushing an update to the property value over the linkage. Also described are building an object and a backing class, the object having a definition and a property for the definition, relating the backing class to the object based on the definition, and identifying a relationship between the object and another object, the object and the another object being related based on the backing class.

Abstract: The present invention is based on the discovery that a high titer reassortant influenza virus is produced in mammalian cell culture by replacing the NS gene of the A/PuertoRico/3/24 master strain with the NS gene of the A/England/1/53 strain. The invention provides influenza viruses and vaccines generated in mammalian cells as well as methods for producing such. The invention further provides an influenza virus master strain and kits for generating reassortant influenza viruses in mammalian cell culture and methods of making and using the master strain.

Abstract: The present invention describes a reliably protective avian vaccine that contains a DNA transcription unit comprising a nucleic acid that encodes a viral protein. This effective and reliable avian vaccine significantly improves upon that which heretofore has been disclosed. The present invention demonstrates that the reliable efficacy found for DNA influenza vaccines, formerly observed in experimental inbred mice, can now be obtained for outbred avian species as well. Methods of use and specific DNA constructs are disclosed.