A control unit for a medical device having an articulating shaft is provided. The control unit includes an interface immovably attached to a housing connectable to the medical device and a sensing unit for translating a rotation angle of the housing into a different rotation angle of an articulated region of the shaft.

A vitrectomy probe with combined vibration dampening and attenuating. The probe may include a variety of features to lessen the vibrations felt by a surgeon during a vitrectomy procedure. These may include minimizing the degree of flow restriction through a housing that facilitates cutter reciprocation by way of air pressure. Further, utilizing softer stops at a diaphragm that drives the cutter reciprocation may be of benefit as is strategically lessening compressive forces by seals at an extension tube coupled to the diaphragm where possible. The use of a softer gripping component that is actually held by the surgeon may be of benefit in terms of vibration attenuation.

A valve leaflet connecting device includes: a base; and first and second followers extending from the base. A first arm extends from the first follower in a direction away from the second follower and away from the base to define an acute angle between the first follower and first arm for capturing a first leaflet there between. A second arm extends from the second follower in a direction away from the first follower and away from the base to define an acute angle between the second follower and second arm for capturing a second leaflet there between, The first and second followers are resiliently deformable between: (i) an open condition, in which: the point from which the first arm extends from the first follower; and the point from which the second arm extends from the second follower, are spaced more than 15 mm; and (ii) a closed condition, in which: the point from which the first arm extends from the first follower; and the point from which the second arm extends from the second follower, are spaced less than 5 mm. Deforming means deform the followers towards the closed condition. A positioner extends from the base, between the first and second followers, and a fastener releasably secured to the positioner, includes first and second fastener jaws. The first and second jaws: extend away from the base; and are movable between: (i) a splayed condition in which leaflets may be received between the first and second fastener jaws; and (ii) a securing condition in which the first and second fastener jaws secure the leaflets there between. In use: (i) the first and second followers may be: passed axially through a valve, between first and second valve leaflets; and resiliently deformed by opening and closing of the valve leaflets; (ii) the first arm may capture the first leaflet between the first arm and the first follower, and the second arm may capture the second leaflet between the second arm and the second follower, with the first and second followers disposed between the first and second leaflets; (iii) the deforming means may deform the first and second followers towards the closed condition, thereby moving the first and second leaflets towards each other; (iv) the fastener may receive the first and second leaflets between the fastener jaws when the fastener jaws are in the spayed condition; and (v) moving the fastener jaws towards the securing condition secures the first and second leaflets to each other. Alternatively, the arms and fastener jaws may extend towards the base.

A system and method for tracking completeness of co-registered medical image data is disclosed herein. The system and method tracks the position of an anatomical reference marker positionable on a patient and an ultrasound probe during an imaging session and co-registers medical images based on positional data received from the anatomical reference marker and the ultrasound probe. Using the co-registered image data, the system and method generates a surface contour of a region of interest (ROI) of the patient, such as a breast. The surface contour is defined to represent an interface between a chest wall structure and tissue of the ROI in a plurality of co-registered medical images. A completeness map of the image data within the defined surface contour during the imaging session is generated and overlaid on a graphic representation of the ROI.

Apparatus and methods are provided for use with an endoluminal data-acquisition device that acquires a set of endoluminal data-points of a lumen of a subject's body at respective locations inside the lumen, a second endoluminal device, and a display configured to display images. At least one processor includes location-association functionality that associates a given data point acquired by the endoluminal data-acquisition device with a given location within the lumen. Location-determination functionality determines, by means of image processing, in an extraluminal image of the second endoluminal device, a current location of at least a portion of the second endoluminal device. Display-driving functionality drives the display to display an indication of the endoluminal data point associated with the location, in response to determining that the portion of the second device is currently at the location. Other applications are also described.

Systems, methods, and devices are provided for assisting or performing guided interventional procedures using. The system uses pre-procedure scans of a patient's anatomy to identify targets and critical structures. A measurement device containing position indicating elements or fiducials is placed in a pre-existing or physician created conduit or lumen whose geometry is known from a scan. During a procedure, the pre-procedure scans may be registered to the patient using the position indicating elements or fiducials and the geometry of the conduit. This registration may be used in an intervention to guide instruments that can obtain diagnostic information or provide therapy to the identified targets. During the procedure, the position indicating elements may be used to dynamically compensate for motion to further improve accuracy

Methods of removing tissue from a patient during a surgical procedure, such as for preparing a spine of a patient to receive an implant during a fusion procedure. A working portion of an instrument is moved with actuators relative to a hand-held portion in at least three degrees of freedom including pivoting in pitch and yaw about a pivot. The working portion is translated while the hand-held portion is manually grasped and moved during the surgical procedure. The working portion is rotated with a drive mechanism to remove a volume of the tissue of the patient with a cutting accessory of the working portion. The actuators may move the working portion to substantially maintain the cutting accessory in a desired relationship to a virtual boundary defining the volume of the tissue to be removed. A position of the cutting accessory relative to the virtual boundary may be determined and tracked.

Various embodiments provide a handheld surgical instrument including a laser source configured to emit a laser beam for generating a laser marker on a surface, an inertial measurement unit configured to detect a motion of the handheld surgical instrument and generate a first signal including information on the motion of the handheld surgical instrument detected by the inertial measurement unit, and a movable platform for holding a controlled tool tip. The handheld surgical instrument additionally includes an actuator mechanically coupled to the movable platform, and a processing circuit configured to control the actuator to move the movable platform based on the first signal generated by the inertial measurement unit and a second signal generated by a vision unit based on a movement of the laser marker, so that the movement of the movable platform at least partially compensates a tremulous motion of the handheld surgical instrument.

A method for improved robotic cutting, the method comprising: determining at least one of cutting force data and bone motion data during robotic cutting; determining when at least one of the cutting force data and bone motion data exceeds a predetermined parameter; and when it is determined that at least one of the cutting force data and the bone motion data exceeds the predetermined parameter, providing the user with an indication of the same and pausing the robotic cutting so as to enable the user to mitigate the cause of at least one of the cutting force data and the bone motion data exceeding the predetermined parameter.

The disclosure relates to a system for tracking the position of a target object. A marker arranged on the target object and an additional control marker are tracked by a tracking device secured to the robot arm. The control marker is arranged in a known specified three-dimensional positional relationship with the tracking device. During the tracking of the position of the target object, the specified three-dimensional positional relationship between the tracking device and the control marker is measured. In the event of a difference between the measured and the real specified three-dimensional positional relationship, a corresponding signal is generated depending on the difference.