Abstract: A system is suggested comprising an optical sensing means and a processing unit. The optical sensing means may include an optical guide with a distal end, wherein the optical guide may be configured to be arranged in a device to be inserted into tissue in a region of interest. The processing unit may be configured to receive information of a region of interest including different tissue types as well as of a path through the tissues, to determine a sequence of tissue types along the path, to determine a tissue type at the distal end of the optical guide based on information received from the optical sensing means, to compare the determined tissue type with the tissue types on the path, to determine possible positions of the distal end of the optical guide on the path based on the comparison of tissue types, and to generate a signal indicative for the possible positions.

Abstract: An orthopedic pin (100) for optically analyzing a bone region (110) includes an elongate shaft (101) and at least one optical fiber (105) The elongate shaft has a circular outer cross section with a first diameter (D1), a distal end (102) for insertion into bone, a proximal end (103), and an optical connector portion (104) disposed towards the proximal end (103). The at least one optical fiber (105) extends within the elongate shaft (101) between the optical connector portion (104), and the distal end (102) for transmitting optical radiation between the optical connector portion (104) and the bone region (110) when the distal end (102) is inserted into the bone region (110). The optical connector portion (104) comprises a reduced-diameter portion (106). The reduced-diameter portion (106) extends along at least a portion of the elongate shaft (101), and has an outer cross section comprising a width (Drd) perpendicularly with respect to the elongate shaft (101).

Abstract: A system for providing integrated guidance for positioning a biopsy device and estimating tumor size in a body has two levels of guidance: a coarse guidance and a fine guidance. The system includes a non-invasive imaging system for obtaining an image of the biopsy device in the body, for providing the coarse guidance. Furthermore, the system includes an optical element mounted on the needle for obtaining optical information discriminating tissue in the body, for providing the fine guidance.

Abstract: A biopsy device is provided comprising a tubular member, a hollow shaft and an elongated fiber body. The hollow shaft may have a distal end and a shaft, wherein a laterally (sidewardly) facing notch is formed in the distal portion of the shaft. The elongated fiber body may include at least one optical fiber, preferably at least two optical fibers, with a distal end. The tubular member is movable relative to the shaft, between a first position in which the notch is covered by the tubular member, and a second position in which the notch is not covered by the tubular member. The fiber body is movable within the shaft, between a first position in which the distal end of the optical fiber is located at the distal end of the shaft with the elongated fiber body extending through the notch, and a second position in which the distal end of the at least one optical fiber is located proximally to the notch.

Abstract: The application relates to the problem of navigating a surgical instrument (at 301, 311) towards a region-of-interest (at 312) in endoscopic surgery when an image (300) provided by the endoscope is obscured at least partly by obscuring matter (at 303), wherein the obscuring matter is a leaking body fluid, debris or smoke caused by ablation. To address this problem, a computer-implemented method is proposed, wherein, upon detecting that the image from the endoscope is at least partly obscured, a second image is determined based on a sequence of historic images and based on the current position and orientation of the endoscope. Furthermore, a virtual image (310) is generated based on the determined second image.

Abstract: In a computer implemented method of determining a boundary of a tumor region or other diseased tissue, hyper- or multispectral image data of a tissue sample including a tumor region or other diseased tissue is taken. The analysis includes a morphological analysis and a spectral analysis of the hyper- or multispectral image data resulting in a morphological tumor boundary and a spectral tumor boundary or a morphological diseased tissue boundary and a spectral diseased tissue boundary. These two boundaries are combined resulting in a combined tumor boundary or combined diseased tissue boundary, wherein an indication of reliability of the combined tumor boundary or combined diseased tissue boundary is given.

Abstract: The invention relates to an active marker device (100) for being introduced into a human tissue and for tracking a region of interest of a human body. The active marker device comprises a light source (101) for emitting light such that the emitted light can be detected by an optical sensor. In this way, the active marker device and/or the region of interest can be tracked by a tracking system comprising the optical sensor. The active marker device (100) further comprises a switch (102) for turning the light source on and off and for operating the light source in a pulsed mode.

Abstract: A lens system comprises a first lens group and a second lens group, and is configured to form an image at a first magnification and at a second magnification. The lens system has a common optical axis in both magnifications. The lens system is further configured to form an intermediate image between the first lens group and the second lens group at the first magnification. The intermediate image formed in the first magnification is further imaged onto an optical detector. In the first magnification, the second lens group acts as a relay lens imaging the intermediate image onto the optical detector. In the second magnification, the first and second lens groups together form an image on the optical detector without forming an intermediate image.

Abstract: A system for detection of optically anisotropic tissue is provided. The system comprises an optical source, an optical detector, a processing unit and a probe. The probe has a shaft with a longitudinal axis and a front end, and a plurality of optical fibers; wherein an end of each of the optical fibers is arranged at the front end of the shaft, and at least one of the optical fibers is a source optical fiber adapted to transmit optical radiation emitted from the optical source to a tissue adjacent to the front end of the shaft. Another one of the optical fibers is a detector optical fiber adapted to transmit optical radiation reflected from the tissue to the optical detector, so that an optical path through the tissue is defined, wherein the optical paths differ from each other with respect to their spatial orientation, and wherein the optical paths cross each other.

Abstract: The invention relates to a biopsy container, a biopsy device, an imaging system, and a method for processing images of a biopsy container. The biopsy container comprises a container orientation mark and an alignment mark. The container orientation mark is configured for a cooperation with a corresponding shaft orientation mark arranged on a tube shaft of a biopsy device to indicate a specific orientation of the biopsy container relative to the tube shaft. The alignment mark is configured for a registration of images of the biopsy container.

Abstract: A medical imaging system for identifying a target structure (TS), e.g. a tumor, in a biological tissue. A hyperspectral camera system is used for imaging a surface area (A1) of the tissue (BT), e.g. with a limited spectral resolution, but enough to allow identification of suspicious areas where the target structure (TS) may be, e.g. such areas can be visually indicated on a display to the operator. A probe (PR), e.g. an optical surface probe, is used to provide probe measurement of a smaller surface area (A2) of the tissue, but with more information indicative of the target structure. The probe is selected to provide a higher specificity with respect to identification of the target structure than the hyperspectral camera (HSC). The hyperspectral processing algorithm (PP) is then calibrated based on probe measurement data performed within the suspicious areas, thus providing a calibrated hyperspectral processing algorithm resulting in images with an enhanced sensitivity to identify the target structure.

Abstract: An optical apparatus (200) includes an outer jacket (230), common cladding (220), and multiple single mode fiber cores (210). The common cladding (220) is within the outer jacket (230) and is used as multimode fiber such that the outer jacket (230) clads the common cladding (220). The single mode fiber cores (210) are within the common cladding (220) such that the common cladding (220) clads the plurality of single mode fiber cores (210).

Abstract: An active marker device (100) is introducible into a human tissue and for tracking a region of interest of a human body. The active marker device includes a light source (101) for emitting light such that the emitted light can be detected by an optical sensor. In this way, the active marker device and/or the region of interest can be tracked by a tracking system including the optical sensor. The active marker device (100) also includes a switch (102) for turning the light source on and off and for operating the light source in a pulsed mode.

Abstract: A lens system comprises a first lens group and a second lens group, and is configured to form an image at a first magnification and at a second magnification. The lens system has a common optical axis in both magnifications. The lens system is further configured to form an intermediate image between the first lens group and the second lens group at the first magnification. The intermediate image formed in the first magnification is further imaged onto an optical detector. In the first magnification, the second lens group acts as a relay lens imaging the intermediate image onto the optical detector. In the second magnification, the first and second lens groups together form an image on the optical detector without forming an intermediate image.

Abstract: The invention refers to a system (100) for affecting a subject and a method for operating the system comprising a medical device like a biopsy gun (130) set in a first state in which it is not able to affect the subject based on a trigger signal or in a second state in which it is able to affect the subject based on the trigger signal, wherein the state is set based on a provided location of the medical device, i.e., for instance, is set based on the distance of the medical device to a target region. The location of the medical device is provided by a location providing unit (140) comprising, for instance, an imaging unit like an ultrasound system (142). Thus, unintended, possible dangerous injuries of the patient are prevented and the safety of the patient during the interventional procedure is increased.

Abstract: A system SY for determining a tissue type TY of a tissue region TR is provided in which the distal ends OFDE1 . . . n of at least three optical fibers define a plurality of intersecting optical paths IOP1 . . . k within the tissue region TR. A tissue signal Q1 . . . k indicative of a tissue type TY for the respective optical path IOP1 . . . k is generated from said spectral measurement data SMD corresponding to each of the plurality of intersecting optical paths IOP1 . . . k. Each tissue signal Q1 . . . k is compared with a reference threshold QRT for the tissue type, and with an average of the tissue signals QMA. At least a portion of the tissue region is identified as the tissue type TY if i) every tissue signal Q1 . . . k in the tissue region TR indicates that its corresponding tissue is not the tissue type TY in the comparison with the N reference threshold QRT and ii) at least one of the tissue signals Q1 . . . k in the tissue region TR lies between the average QMA of the tissue signals Q1 . . .

Abstract: The invention relates a system for implanting an implantable device in bone tissue, a processing unit for such system, a method of implanting an implantable device and a method of providing information for an implanting of an implantable device. In view of the finding that a fat content in cancellous bone is higher than a fat content in compact bone, the lipids fraction, which can be determined by optical means, e.g. spectroscopy, can be used to determine correct screw placement in healthy bone.

Abstract: An optical microscopy probe for scanning microscopy imaging of object has a housing with an optical window at a side position at the distal end of the housing, and an optical guide having an objective lens rigidly coupled to an end portion of the optical guide. The optical guide is displaceably mounted in a transverse direction of the housing so as to enable optical scanning in a region of interest. A relay lens unit is rigidly mounted at the distal end of the probe and it has a first lens, a second lens and a mirror. The relay lens unit is optically arranged relative to the objective lens for allowing scanning microscopy through the optical window at the side of the distal end of the housing.

Abstract: Needle interventions are widely used in the field of oncology for taking biopsies of tissue in order to inspect whether tissue is cancerous or not. To make these interventions more reliable feedback of what kind of tissue is in front of the needle is required. A way to achieve this is by making use of optical spectroscopy. This requires integration of fibers into the needle. These fibers are used to deliver light to illuminate the tissue in front of the needle and to collect back the reflected light from the tissue. The present invention proposes to integrate the fiber distal ends in the slanted bevel of the needle in such a way that at least one source-detector fiber pair has a distance that is larger than the outer diameter of the needle.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an imaging device (100) for generating an image of a patient (P), the imaging system (100) comprising: a camera arrangement (10), which is configured to provide a first image information (I1) of the patient (P) using a first wavelength band, and which is configured to provide a second image information (I2) of the patient (P) using a second wavelength band. The first wavelength band and the second set of wavelength band are different; and the first and/or second image information comprises landmark information of landmarks (M) of a patient (P). The landmark information is derived by at least one wavelength band outside the visible spectrum. Further, a data processor (30) is provided, which is configured to generate a fused image (IE) based on the first image information (I1) and the second image information (I2), and which is configured to detect the landmarks (M) in the fused image (IE).