The present invention relates to a method, such as a surgical method for assisting a surgeon for placing screws in the spine using a robot attached to a passive structure. The present invention also related to a method, such as a surgical method for assisting a surgeon for removing volumes in the body of a patient using a robot attached to a passive structure and to a device to carry out said methods. The present invention further concerns a device suitable to carry out the methods according to the present invention.

The various inventions relate to robotic surgical devices, consoles for operating such surgical devices, operating theaters in which the various devices can be used, insertion systems for inserting and using the surgical devices, and related methods.

An ultrasound probe includes a probe body including a side surface and a bottom surface, a display unit on the side surface, first and second imaging units arranged on the bottom surface, separated from each other in a first direction, and each configured to acquire a cross-sectional image of a human body, and a controller configured to determine a position of a blood vessel using the cross-sectional image acquired by each of the first and second imaging units, determine an orientation of the blood vessel based on the determined position of the blood vessel, and control the display unit to display an indicator indicating the orientation of the blood vessel.

Systems and methods for automated steering control of a robotic endoscope, e.g., a colonoscope, are provided. The control system may comprise: a) a first image sensor configured to capture a first input data stream comprising a series of two or more images of a lumen; and b) one or more processors that are individually or collectively configured to generate a steering control output signal based on an analysis of data derived from the first input data stream using a machine learning architecture, wherein the steering control output signal adapts to changes in the data of the first input data stream in real time.

Disclosed herein are gear shifters to reverse an output shaft rotation and a method for using the same. A gear shifter in accordance with the present invention may include a housing, an input shaft, an output shaft and an idler shaft. The input shaft may have input gears, the output shaft may have output gears and the idler shaft may have idler gears. The output shaft may be slidably coupled with the input shaft and the idler shaft to rotate in a first direction in a first position and in a second opposite direction in a second position. A method of reversing an output shaft direction using a gear shifter may include the steps of pushing the gear shifter in a first direction to rotate the output shaft in a first direction and pushing the gear shifter in a second direction to rotate the output shaft in a second direction.

A system and method for ensuring safe and tolerable insertion of a needle into a subject's body according to a preplanned or continuously monitored sequence of insertion steps. The system comprises a gripping device for gripping the needle in order to perform robotic insertion steps, yet for releasing the grip between such insertion steps, until the next insertion step is initiated. Thereby, the robot has full control of the needle during insertion steps, but does not constrain the needle between insertions, such that movement of the subject can cause neither damage nor discomfort. The gripping and insertion steps may be coordinated to keep in synchronization with the subject's breathing cycles, such that the insertion steps may be performed in the same segment of each cycle of motion of the subject's chest. The gripper can either fully disconnect from the needle, or can partially disconnect but constrain motion within limits.

A surgical instrument adaptor comprises a member including a first mating surface that is removably attachable with a surgical instrument and a second mating surface that is connectable with an actuator. An image guide is attachable with the member and oriented relative to a sensor to communicate a signal representative of a position of the surgical instrument. Systems, surgical instruments, spinal implants and methods are disclosed.

A surgical instrument comprises a first member including a drive engageable with a first mating surface of a bone fastener. A second member is rotatable relative to the first member and includes an engagement element connectable with a second mating surface of the bone fastener. A part is disposed with the first member and being alternately connectable with an actuator and an adaptor attachable with an image guide. Systems, surgical adaptors, spinal implants and methods are disclosed.

A surgical instrument comprises a first member including a drive engageable with a first mating surface of a bone fastener. A second member is rotatable relative to the first member and includes an element engageable with a second mating surface of the bone fastener. The members are engageable with the bone fastener in a release configuration, an intermediate configuration and a locked configuration. Systems, surgical adaptors, spinal implants and methods are disclosed.

A medical system includes: a slave having at least one moving part; an operation device having at least one operation part; and a processor that controls operations of the slave based on a conversion table that associates operations of the moving part of the slave with inputs of the operation part of the operation device. The processor is programmed to execute: acquiring user identification information of a user of the slave, slave identification information of the slave, and operation device identification information of the operation device, and generating and proposing the conversion table based on the user identification information, the slave identification information, and the operation device identification information.