Abstract: A three-dimensional subtraction angiography image data set including a target region of the patient is acquired. A region of interest is selected. An imaging geometry is defined for monitoring the intervention using an X-ray device. The image-obscuring blood vessels that superimpose the region of interest in the imaging geometry and imaging zones that show fractions of the image-obscuring blood vessels in the imaging geometry are determined. Path information relating to the image-obscuring blood vessels is defined. The information relating to the path is input into a two-dimensional forward projection data set. A fluoroscopic image is acquired in the imaging geometry. Pixels showing the image-obscuring blood vessels in the fluoroscopic image are determined using the path information and image intensity information from the fluoroscopic image. A masked image of the image-obscuring blood vessels is subtracted. The fluoroscopic image that has been modified is displayed.

Abstract: A measurement system may comprise a sensor wire and a transceiver unit. The sensor wire may comprise an insertable portion configured to be inserted in a blood vessel of a patient's body and two sensors disposed within the insertable portion at a distal end of the sensor wire. The sensors are configured to measure a parameter when inserted inside the patient. The transceiver unit may comprise: a housing adapted to be connected to a proximal end of the sensor wire; and a first communication module within the housing adapted to wirelessly communicate by a communication signal with an external second communication module in order to transfer information to the external second communication module.

Abstract: A method, including inserting a catheter having at least one electrode into a chamber of a body organ of a patient and recording at a sequence of times respective sets of currents between the at least one electrode and a plurality of patches positioned on skin of the patient. The method further includes, while recording the sets of currents, acquiring x-ray images of the at least one electrode, and determining locations of the catheter from the images. A relation is derived between the locations and the respective sets of currents based on the sets of currents and the images. The method also includes recording subsequent sets of currents between the at least one electrode and the patches, and determining, based on the relation, subsequent locations of the catheter in response to the subsequent set of currents.

Abstract: Methods, apparatuses and computer program products implement embodiments of the present invention that include receiving, from an imaging system operating in an image coordinate system, a three-dimensional image of a body cavity including open space and body tissue, and receiving, from a medical probe having a location sensor and inserted into the body cavity, a signal indicating a location of a distal tip of the medical probe in a sensor coordinate system. The image coordinate system is registered with the sensor coordinate system so as to identify one or more voxels in the three-dimensional image at the indicated location, and when the identified voxels have density values in the received three-dimensional image that do not correspond to the open space, the density values of the identified voxels are updated to correspond to the open space.

Abstract: The present teaching relates to surgical procedure assistance. In one example, a first set of positions of a plurality of sensors are obtained in an image captured prior to a surgical procedure. The plurality of sensors are coupled with a patient's body. One or more second sets of positions of the plurality of sensors are obtained based on information from a tracking device associated with the plurality of sensors. The one or more second sets of positions change in accordance with movement of the patient's body. One or more similarity measures are calculated between the first set of positions and each of the one or more second sets of positions of the plurality of sensors. A timing at which the surgical procedure initiates is determined based on the one or more similarity measures.

Abstract: Exemplary apparatus, systems, methods of making, and methods of using a configuration in an optical arrangement for forward viewing spectrally encoded endoscopy (SEE) probe can be provided. For example, the probe can comprise a light focusing component, a light guiding component, a light reflecting component, and a grating component.

Abstract: A radiation therapy delivery system (10) includes an ultrasound imaging unit (26), a radiation therapy delivery mechanism (12, 56, 70, 88), a plurality of fiducials (22, 90) located internal to the subject, an image fusion unit (40), and a delivery evaluation unit (38). The ultrasound imaging unit (26) includes a transducer (30) that emits ultrasonic sound waves to image in real-time an anatomic portion of a subject (16) in a first coordinate system. The radiation therapy delivery mechanism (12, 56, 70, 88) delivers amounts of therapeutic radiation in the anatomic portion of the subject in a second coordinate system. The fiducials (22, 90) include implants or a trans-rectal ultrasound probe (80). The image fusion unit (40) registers locations of the plurality of fiducials to at least one of the first and the second coordinate system and tracks the locations of the fiducials in real-time.

Abstract: An apparatus for electromagnetic (EM) tracking or localization is described which includes one or more EM transmitters and receivers (sensors, or trackers), an indication of relative locations of the one or more transmitter and sensor with respect to one or more instrument, optionally, a model of the one or more instrument flexibility, a measurement uncertainty analyzer that reports an uncertainty associated with each measurement, an equation of motion or dynamic model with motion constraints that describes an expected behavior of the one or more instrument, a probabilistic simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) algorithm that simultaneously estimates a pose of one or more instrument and updates a field distortion map, or parameters of a field distortion model, a field distortion estimator that uses currently-available information of the field distortion map and estimates field distortion in the vicinity of the one or more instrument, to be used for future measurement compensation, a transient analyzer

Abstract: A robot calibrating apparatus calibrating a command value for a robot body 2 whose position and orientation is controlled based on the command value, includes an operating unit configured to calculate a calibrating function of calibrating the command value, based on the difference between an ideal position and orientation of the robot body 2 and an actual position and orientation of the robot body 2. The ideal position and orientation is operated based on a command value RHTcom for calibration used during calibration or on a control result value which is a result of control according to the command value. The actual position and orientation is operated based on a measurement value RHT?meas for calibration acquired by a camera 3 arranged at a prescribed relative position and orientation with respect to the robot body 2 during the robot body 2 being controlled according to the command value for calibration.

Abstract: A navigation aid for introducing an elongate medical penetration element into a patient. An X-ray image, containing a target region for the penetration element in a desired target position in a patient, is superimposed in alignment with video sequence images, containing at least in part the penetration element, to form a combination image sequence. The penetration element is captured in a start position and a desired penetration course of the penetration element at least to the target region of the penetration element in a desired target position, is visually displayed in the combination image sequence. A penetration element, such as a medical implant and/or instrument, in particular a K-wire (Kirschner wire), may carry a number of markers, such as additional bodies, coatings, elevations, and/or depressions, said markers altering a light reflection, are situated on and/or at and/or in the penetration element.

Abstract: There is provided a computerized method of tracking a position of an intra-body catheter, comprising: physically tracking coordinates of the position of a distal portion of a physical catheter within the physical body portion of the patient according to physically applied plurality of electrical fields within the body portion and measurements of the plurality of electrical fields performed by a plurality of physical electrodes at a distal portion of the physical catheter; registering the physically tracked coordinates with simulated coordinates generated according to a simulation of a simulated catheter within a simulation of the body of the patient, to identify differences between physically tracked location coordinates and the simulation coordinates; correcting the physically tracked location coordinates according to the registered simulation coordinates; and providing the corrected physically tracked location coordinates for presentation.

Abstract: A system and method is provided for registering outputs from a plurality of remote positional data sources, the system having: a plurality of positional data sources disposed on a plurality of units providing a plurality of types of positional data relative to at least one commonly tracked object held as a local positional data source; a processor disposed on a unit configured to process the positional data from each positional data source and apply a filter to the positional data; and the processor configured to weigh the positional data based on a probability of that a positional datum in the positional data is accurate and using weighted positional data to identify an absolute location of the commonly tracked object.

Abstract: An optical tracking system includes a reference marker part stationarily disposed relative to a first region; a sticker marker part attached in a sticker form to a second region capable of being rigidly registered with the first region; a shape measurement part measuring three-dimensional shapes of the first region and the second region; a tracking sensor part sensing the reference marker part and the shape measurement part; and a processing part acquiring a first coordinate transformation relationship among the reference marker part, the tracking sensor part, the shape measurement part, and the first region of the patent and a second coordinate transformation relationship among the reference marker part, the tracking sensor part, the shape measurement part, and the second region of the patient and tracking the first region by extracting a third coordinate transformation relationship between the first region and the second region.

Abstract: A method of directing energy to tissue includes the initial steps of determining target tissue location and/or target tissue margins, positioning an ablation device for delivery of energy to target tissue, and positioning one or more heat-sensitive optical probes into a tissue region to be monitored. Each heat-sensitive optical probe is adapted to utilize spectral properties of light to access one or more optical fiber portions of the heat-sensitive optical probe in response to heat. The method also includes the steps of applying energy to the ablation device, continuing ablation while size and/or position of ablated zone which received heat above a threshold value is displayed on a monitor using one or more electrical signals generated by the one or more heat-sensitive optical probes, and determining whether the ablated zone displayed on the monitor is larger than the target tissue margins.

Abstract: A catheter is responsive to external and internal magnetic field generators for generating position data of the catheter position and pressure data to determine pressured exerted on a distal end of the catheter when engaged with tissue, with a reduced number of sensing coils and reduced number of sensing coil leads for minimizing lead breakage and failure. The catheter includes a distal section adapted for engagement with patient tissue, where the distal section has a proximal portion, a distal portion and a flexible joint with a resilient member adapted to allow axial displacement and angular deflection between the proximal and distal portions of the distal section. The catheter may have three or less sensing coils with three or less leads, each transmitting signals between a respective sensing coil and the signal processor.

Abstract: Technologies for aligning an acetabular prosthetic component in a patient's surgically prepared acetabulum include a reference sensor module securable to the patient's bony anatomy, an inserter sensor module securable to an acetabular prosthetic component inserter, and a display module. Each sensor module generates sensor data indicative of the orientation of the sensor module and/or structures to which the sensor module is coupled. The display module receives the sensor data from the sensor modules, determines the orientation of the acetabular prosthetic component relative to the patient's bony anatomy, and displays indicia of the determined orientation on a display.

Abstract: System and method for use of mixed and augmented reality Imaging surgical suite and an augmented reality device are provided. A 2D/3D virtual grid having a head-up display with augmented reality is provided. The head-up display can display a 2D radiographic image or 3D volumetric representation or shape model of image, and can further display an augmented reality grid/indicator which can be depicted as a grid, implant, instrument or bone avatar/figure representing shapes, orientations, and positions relative to an anatomical image or model. The augmented reality indicator can be displayed directly in a surgeon's field of view to provide a live, intra-operative situational environment and navigational guidance for the surgeon. The head-up display can show avatar grids/indicators that are outside of the surgeon's field of view within a patient's body.

Abstract: The system and method invention herein disclosed and claimed is measuring device that can remotely measure the distance between two points on a surface.

Abstract: A method of planning an image-guided interventional procedure to be performed on a patient, where expected motion of the patient, such as that of a breathing cycle, is determined on a sequence of preoperative images, and the procedure trajectory is planned accordingly. The method takes into account the initial positions of the interventional entry, the target region, and any obstructions or forbidden regions between the entry point and the target region, and uses object tracking methods of image processing on the preoperative images to determine how the positions of these three elements change relative to each other during the patient's motion cycle. The method may automatically search in at least some of the preoperative images taken at different temporal points of the motion cycle, for a path connecting the entry point with the target and avoiding the obstacles, which provides minimal lateral pressure on the patient's tissues.

Abstract: A sensing catheter having an outer flexible sheath and a distal section containing a sensing system having a sensing means, a radiant energy providing means and radiation transmitting means, preferably all housed within a fluid channel.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an ultrasound imaging system (10) for inspecting an object (97) in a volume (40). The ultrasound imaging system comprises an image processor (36) configured to conduct a segmentation (80) of the object (97) simultaneously out of three-dimensional ultrasound mage data (62) and contrast-enhanced three-dimensional ultrasound image data (60). In particular, this may be done by minimizing an energy term taking into account both the normal three-dimensional ultrasound image data and the contrast-enhanced three-dimensional image data. By this, the normal three-dimensional ultrasound image data and the contrast-enhanced three-dimensional image data may even be registered during segmentation. Hence, this invention allows a more precise quantification of one organ in two different modalities as well as the registration of two images for simultaneous visualization.

Abstract: A power management method and system for switching on a wireless tool when location frequencies are detected, and subsequently invoking a low-powered hibernation mode when location frequencies are not detected. The method and system include a wireless tool configured to emit a mixed electromagnetic frequency signal, and a processor configured to acquire a mixed signal and determine a voltage, set the wireless tool to a hibernation mode when the voltage is below a predetermined amount, and set the wireless tool to an active mode and apply an algorithm to calculate the location and orientation of the wireless tool when the voltage is above the predetermined amount. The system and method thus allow for conservation of battery power of the wireless tool, improving the battery life of the wireless tool and increasing procedural efficiency.

Abstract: A method of preventing or suppressing a false alarm during administration of food or medicine to a human or animal through a feeding tube having one or more sensors that generate a signal, comprises analyzing the signals to determine whether food or medicine is being administered and, if it is determined that food or medicine is present, preventing or suppressing an alarm. In a further step, the time and length of administration of food or medicine is recorded. When the feeding tube has at least two temperature sensors, differences in the temperatures recorded for the different temperature sensors indicate that food or medicine was administered. In a case where there is only one temperature sensor, the rate and extent of any temperature change of temperatures recorded from that temperature sensor are compared to an algorithm to determine whether feeding occurred.

Abstract: A digital topographic model of the luminal surface is generated by projecting an optical pattern on the luminal surface from the first location within the lumen. At least a portion of the projected pattern is detected from a second location within the lumen which is based apart from the first location. The dimensions of the luminal wall can be measured by triangulation in order to produce the digital topographic model of the body lumen.

Abstract: Systems and methods for conducting non-destructive testing of fiber composite components are disclosed. The system may include a wire coil proximate the component and a power source connected to the wire coil. A controller may be connected to the power source and configured to continuously vary a current passing through the wire coil to generate a constantly changing magnetic field. A temperature sensor may be configured to detect a temperature of a plurality of regions of the component. The power source may be an AC or DC power source. The method may include generating a constantly changing magnetic field in proximity to a carbon-fiber composite, thereby inducing an electrical current in the carbon-fiber composite, and measuring a temperature of a plurality of different regions of the carbon-fiber composite to determine whether a defect is present. A defect may be identified by a temperature abnormality in a region.

Abstract: A system that automatically detects a myocardial barotrauma (i.e., tissue pop) event so that proper post-procedure care can be given includes an electronic control unit (ECU), a computer-readable memory coupled with the ECU, and detection logic stored in the memory configured to be executed by the ECU. The detection logic is configured to receive a signal generated by an electro-acoustic transducer related to acoustic activity within the patient, monitor the signal for a pre-determined indication of a barotrauma event, and output a notification when the pre-determined indication is detected. The transducer can be integrated with an extra-body patch that includes one or more electrodes for use with a medical device navigation system.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes: a blood vessel sharpness image creation unit configured to create a blood vessel sharpness image representing sharpness of a blood vessel region in which a blood vessel is shown in an intraluminal image; an abnormal candidate region extraction unit configured to extract a region in which the sharpness is decreased in the blood vessel sharpness image, as a candidate region for an abnormal region in which a visible vascular pattern is locally lost; and an abnormal region determination unit configured to determine whether the candidate region is an abnormal region, based on extension information indicating a state of the blood vessel region extending in a neighborhood of the candidate region.

Abstract: A probe including a first sensor having a first magnetometer and a first accelerometer and a second sensor having a second magnetometer and a second accelerometer is configured for determining the distance and direction to a marker. The marker may be magnetic and may be surgically inserted into a patient's body to mark a specific location. The probe may be used to locate the marker, thus identifying the location. The probe may include a microprocessor that receives an output from the first sensor and an output from the second sensor and determines the distance and direction to the marker.

Abstract: A system and method for providing image guidance for placement of one or more medical devices at a target location. The system can determine one or more intersections between a medical device and an image region based at least in part on first emplacement data and second emplacement data. Using the determined intersections, the system can cause one or more displays to display perspective views of image guidance cues, including an intersection indicator in a virtual 3D space.

Abstract: A prosthesis implanting system includes a delivery sheath for receiving the prosthesis and delivering it to the treatment site and an alignment device on the sheath visible to a user for indicating a rotational and an axial position of the sheath with respect to the treatment site. The alignment device is part of a delivery assembly slidably disposed in a handle.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention introduce the concept of a virtual fiducial marker (VFM). This marker will not be placed prior to preoperative imaging. It will therefore not initially appear in the preoperative 3D image. Instead, the marker will be virtually placed in the 3D data set prior to surgery, and as such the marker does not even need to be attached to the patient, if the patient is not expected to move during surgery. The idea behind such a VFM comes from the observation that there is a big variation in the difficulty of an image based registration depending on the quality of the images and their field of view. However, provided two initial registrations to high quality wide field of view images can be carried out, it then becomes possible to use these registrations to insert a virtual fiducial marker within the 3D preoperative image. Once inserted it may then be used to obtain a starting position for a registration procedure, and particularly to obtain in-plane translations.

Abstract: Some embodiments of the present invention provide stimulation systems and components for selective stimulation and/or neuromodulation of one or more dorsal root ganglia through implantation of an electrode on, in or around a dorsal root ganglia. Some other embodiments of the present invention provide methods for selective neurostimulation of one or more dorsal root ganglia as well as techniques for applying neurostimulation to the spinal cord. Still other embodiments of the present invention provide stimulation systems and components for selective stimulation and/or neuromodulation of one or more dorsal root ganglia through implantation of an electrode on, in or around a dorsal root ganglia in combination with a pharmacological agent.

Abstract: Systems and methods of automatically controlling, on a graphical user interface used by a physician, display views of an anatomic structure of a patient. Such systems and methods of automatically controlling display views of an anatomic structure of a patient can facilitate visualizing a position of a medical device relative to the anatomic structure during a medical procedure directed to the anatomic structure. In certain implementations, the systems and methods of the present disclosure provide automatic display views of a cardiac catheter relative to a three-dimensional model of a patient's heart cavity during a medical procedure such as cardiac ablation.

Abstract: Systems and methods are described herein that improve control of a shapeable or steerable instrument using shape data. Additional methods include preparing a robotic medical system for use with a shapeable instrument and controlling advancement of a shapeable medical device within an anatomic path. Also described herein are methods for altering a data model of an anatomical region.

Abstract: Provided herein are system and methods for monitoring and guiding thermal therapy procedures within a human or animal tissue. The system comprises a therapeutic module configured to apply thermal treatment to a subject; an ultrasound imaging module; an optoacoustic imaging module; a processing module connected to both ultrasound and optoacoustic based imaging module; and an operating controlling module connected with said processing module and configured to manipulate at least one of said therapeutic module, ultrasound imaging module or optoacoustic imaging module. The calibration method is able to eliminate the inconsistency of optoacoustic based temperature measurements caused by sample-to-sample and spatial variations of Gruneisen parameter for different tissues. The method for temperature-structure imaging is able to generate both two dimensional and three dimensional co-registered structure and temperature images for the tissues inside a region of interest of a subject.

Abstract: A method for the reconstruction of planning images is based on a plurality of first respiratory cycles of a patient and tomographic raw data recorded at the same time as the first respiratory cycles being received. A reference cycle is determined based on respiratory cycles of the patient, in particular based on the first respiratory cycles of the patient. A reference cycle is subdivided into temporally equidistant reference phases, a reference amplitude being associated with each reference phase. The reference amplitudes are not equidistantly scanned therefore. Furthermore, the first respiratory cycles of the patient are subdivided into first phases, the temporal positions of the first phases each being based on one of the reference amplitudes. Reconstruction of planning images based on first intervals of the raw data follows, wherein the first intervals correspond to the first phases.

Abstract: A robotic catheter control system includes a collision detection logic configured to determine a collision metric indicative of a collision between a medical device that is manipulated by the robotic control system and an object. The object may be an anatomical feature or can be another medical device, including another device being manipulated by the robotic control system. The collision detection logic produces virtual representations of the medical device and the object and uses these representation to determine collision. Geometrical solids, such as spheres, are used to represent the outer surfaces of the devices and the logic determines whether the respective surfaces intersect, thereby indicating collision. Collision avoidance involves estimating future device poses and then computing an alternate path computation so as avoid predicted collision(s).

Abstract: A medical manipulator is disclosed, which includes a multiple-degree freedom arm which can be mounted with a medical instrument, an insertion port position which indicates a spatial position of an insertion port for inserting the medical instrument mounted in the multiple-degree freedom arm into a human body is retained, and the multiple-degree freedom arm is controlled so as to insert the medical instrument into the human body from the retained insertion port position. The multiple-degree freedom arm is driven under operational restriction in which movement of the medical instrument is restricted by the insertion port position after the medical instrument is inserted from the insertion port position. The multiple-degree freedom arm is driven so as to move a predetermined portion of the medical instrument to spatial coordinates instructed by a user while maintaining a state where the medical instrument passes through the insertion port position under the operational restriction.

Abstract: The application as disclosed herein describes systems and methods for performing patient registration using a surgical navigation system. This application attempts to provide for improvements upon existing systems through the addition of refinement steps used to increase the accuracy of registration and streamline said process. In some cases the improvements generally involve the manipulation of spatial data in an iterative manner.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a marker with a pattern formed thereon, which includes an optical system. At least a part of the pattern that uniquely appears depending on a direction in which the pattern is viewed from an outside of the marker through the optical system, is visually identified from the outside of the marker. The pattern includes a plurality of rows of binary-coded sequences. The binary-coded sequence of each of the plurality of rows includes aperiodic sequences that are repeatedly arranged. The aperiodic sequences included in the binary-coded sequence of one row of the plurality of rows are different from the aperiodic sequences included in the binary-coded sequence of another row of the plurality of rows, and each of the aperiodic sequences includes a plurality of sub-sequences that are arranged in a predetermined order.

Abstract: A positioning system includes a console, an ultrasound probe, a stylet, a stylet control module, and an external sensor. The console includes a display. The ultrasound probe is designed to communicate imaging information to the console. The stylet includes a radiating element capable of producing an electromagnetic field, the electromagnetic field providing electromagnetic field information. The stylet control module includes a timer circuit designed to send electrical pulses at a pulse signal frequency to the radiating element. The external sensor is designed to detect the electromagnetic field and to determine a position of the radiating element with respect to the external sensor as the stylet is advanced in a vasculature of a patient, the external sensor designed to communicate the electromagnetic field information to the console. The system may include a circuit configured to synchronize at least one of the console and the external sensor with the pulse signal frequency.

Abstract: Methods to access place data such as local business reviews, restaurant menus, merchant details, and other point-of-interest information directly from images is provided. Methods of the invention can enable users to interact with places digitally through pictures and videos. While digital images are captured, the location and orientation of the camera is also recorded. The method compares the digital images captured by the camera with images synthetically generated by a virtual camera placed inside a 3D geospatial model consisting of, for example, LIDAR, satellite image, and GIS data. The camera location and orientation of the virtual camera is iteratively refined until the synthetically generated image matches the camera image. The place information from the synthetically generated image is transferred to the actual picture once the match is completed. User can access the transferred place information directly through the picture.

Abstract: A computer assisted surgical system that includes an apparatus (110) for imaging a region of interest of a portion of an anatomy of a subject; a memory containing executable instructions; and a processor programmed using the instructions to receive two or more two-dimensional images of the region of interest taken at different angles from the apparatus and process the two or more two-dimensional images to produce three dimensional information associated with the region of interest.

Abstract: Devices, systems, and methods configured to assess the severity of a blockage in a vessel and, in particular, a stenosis in a blood vessel, provide visual depictions of vessel that allow assessment of the vessel and, in particular, any stenosis or lesion of the vessel, simulate one or more treatment options for the vessel, and perform treatment on any stenosis or lesion of the vessel, including guiding placement of one or more treatment devices are provided. The method can include obtaining pressure measurements from first and second instruments positioned within a vessel of a patient during a diagnostic procedure where the second instrument is moved longitudinally through the vessel; identifying a treatment option based on the obtained pressure measurements; and performing the identified treatment option, wherein a user display guides placement of one or more treatment devices associated with the identified treatment option.

Abstract: A robotic surgical system includes a robotic surgical assembly and a control assembly. The robotic surgical assembly includes a robotic actuation assembly, a processing device, and a first communication device. The robotic actuation assembly includes a robotic arm. The processing device is configured to instruct the robotic actuation assembly to perform a task based on a set of instructions. The first communication device is operable to transfer the set of instructions to the processing device. The control assembly includes a second communication device and a user input device. The second communication device is operable to communicate the set of instructions to the first communication device. The user input device assembly is configured to generate the set of instructions and send the set of instruction to the second communication device. At least a portion of the instructions are based on positioning of the user input device within three-dimensional space.

Abstract: The invention refers to a secondary endoscope mountable onto a mother endoscope. The secondary endoscope comprises a grip body (4; 400) having an outer body including an inner channel and an inner body (3; 300) arranged in the inner channel of the outer body, said inner body (3; 300) being movable relatively to the outer body; a catheter (5; 500) mounted on the grip body (4; 400); a control element (1; 100) at the proximal side of the grip body (4; 400) for controlling a bending portion (6; 600) arranged on the distal end of the catheter (5; 500), said control element (1; 100) being arranged on the proximal side of the inner body (3; 300); and a mounting connection on the distal end of the grip body (4; 400) for fixing the secondary endoscope to a mother endoscope (200), said mounting connection being attached to the outer body of the grip body (4; 400).

Abstract: A computer assisted surgical system that includes an apparatus for imaging a region of interest of a portion of an anatomy of a subject; a memory containing executable instructions; and a processor programmed using the instructions to receive two or more two-dimensional images of the region of interest taken at different angles from the apparatus and process the two or more two-dimensional images to produce three dimensional information associated with the region of interest.

Abstract: A system and method of maintaining a tool pose for a computer-assisted medical device with an articulated arm including one or more first joints and one or more second joints, a tool distal to the first joints and the second joints, and a control unit coupled to the first joints and the second joints. The control unit maintains a pose of the tool during movement of the first joints using the second joints by determining a reference coordinate frame for the tool, determining a reference transform of the tool in the reference coordinate frame prior to the movement of the first joints, determining an actual transform of the tool in the reference coordinate frame while the first joints are being moved, determining differences between the reference transform and the actual transform, and maintaining the pose of the tool by driving the second joints based on the differences.

Abstract: A device, system and method for accessing internal tissue include a probe (108) disposed on a distal end portion of a medical device and configured to be inserted into a body along a trajectory path. A sensor (102) is mounted on a displacement tracker portion (104) of the medical device which is disposed on a proximal end portion of the device. The sensor is configured to measure a distance parallel to the probe between the displacement tracker portion and a tissue surface such that a position of the probe is determinable relative to the tissue surface upon advance or retraction of the probe along the trajectory path.

Abstract: A system and method are described for determining candidate fiducial marker locations in the vicinity of a lesion. Imaging information and data are input or received by the system and candidate marker locations are calculated and displayed to the physician. Additionally, interactive feedback may be provided to the physician for manually selected or identified sites. The physician may thus receive automatic real time feedback for a candidate fiducial marker location and adjust or accept a constellation of fiducial marker locations. 3D renderings of the airway tree, lesion, and marker constellations may be displayed.