Example embodiments relate to surgical systems and methods. System includes an end-effector assembly and arm assembly. End-effector assembly includes an instrument assembly and wrist assembly. Instrument assembly includes an instrument and instrument driven portion. Instrument driven portion includes an instrument connection portion and instrument driven gear. Instrument connection portion connects the instrument driven gear to the instrument. Wrist assembly includes a wrist driven gear and wrist body, which connects the wrist driven gear to the instrument assembly. Arm assembly includes a wrist connector portion and integrated motors. Arm assembly attaches to and detaches from the wrist assembly. When the arm assembly is attached to the wrist assembly, the instrument driven gear and wrist driven gear are drivable to rotate by the integrated motors. When the arm assembly is detached from the wrist assembly, the instrument driven gear and wrist driven gear are not drivable to rotate by the integrated motors.

Various exemplary methods, systems, and devices for controlling electrosurgical tools are provided.

The disclosure relates to a method and a tracking system for tracking a medical object. Herein, image data obtained by an imaging method and a predetermined target position is acquired for the medical object. The image data is used to detect the medical object automatically by an image processing algorithm and track the position thereof in a time-resolved manner. Furthermore, it is furthermore indicated when, or that, the detected medical object has reached the target position. A plurality of the detected positions of the medical object and associated detection times are stored in a database.

A method of using a robotic guidance system for performing surgery on a spine is provided. The method includes utilizing a computerized tomographic scan image of a location on a spinal column of a patient, such that the computerized tomographic scan image is connected to a computer and visible on a monitor connected to the computer. The method also includes attaching a coupling component to the spinal column of the patient, coupling a marker to the coupling component, and imaging, with a fluoroscope, the view of the spinal column of the patient, wherein the fluoroscope image is transmitted to the computer and visible on the monitor and the at marker is clearly visible in the fluoroscope image. The method also includes positioning a cannula, with a robotic mechanism, to a first position relative to a vertebra in the spinal column of the patient, drilling a passage through the cannula into bone of the vertebra in the spinal column of the patient, inserting a guidewire through the cannula into the passage in the bone of the vertebra in the spinal column of the patient, and positioning a screw into the bone of the vertebra in the spinal column of the patient.

A method for visualizing branches of a lumen includes inserting (402) a fiber optic shape sensing device into a lumen and determining (404) changes in the lumen based upon strain induced in the fiber optic shape sensing device by flow in the lumen. Locations of branches are indicated (410) on a rendering of the lumen. An instrument is guided (414) to the locations of branches indicated on the rendering.

A material-mapped actuator useful as, or as part of, a soft robot along with automated methods of design and manufacture. The actuator exhibits mechanical properties that spatially vary along a coordinate system of the actuator. The actuator body has an initial shape with a corresponding initial map of mechanical attributes consisting of locally-varying stiffness at each point in a volume of the actuator body. The actuator is configured to change to a different shape or distribution of mechanical properties upon being activated by an actuation medium. The map of mechanical attributes influences and determines the new shape or distribution. The material-mapped actuator can incorporate a spatially-varying distribution of mechanical properties that dictates multiple desired shapes as the actuation medium is applied, including an actuation sequence in which the actuator transitions from a first shape to a desired intermediate shape(s), and from the intermediate shape to a desired final shape.

Described embodiments include a capsule, including a cyclically everting sleeve shaped to define a sleeve interior, a fluid, configured to facilitate the everting of the sleeve, contained within the sleeve interior, and a plurality of electrically-conductive coils coupled to the sleeve. The coils are configured to, when at least two of the coils are magnetized, advance the capsule within a lumen by applying an everting force to the sleeve. Other embodiments are also described.

A capsule-type microrobot is provided. A capsule-type microrobot according to the present invention comprises a motor including a receptacle having an internal space, with one portion thereof being open, a body extending from the receptacle, and a magnetic layer disposed on an outer surface of the body. A cap is coupled to a predetermined portion of the receptacle to close the internal space such that contents are contained in the receptacle. The motor separates the cap therefrom by rotating with respect to the cap through an interaction between a rotating magnetic force applied from an external source and the magnetic layer, whereby the contents are discharged from the receptacle.

A method of using a robotic guidance system for performing surgery on a spine is provided. The method includes utilizing a computerized tomographic scan image of a location on a spinal column of a patient, such that the computerized tomographic scan image is connected to a computer and visible on a monitor connected to the computer. The method also includes attaching a coupling component to the spinal column of the patient, coupling a marker to the coupling component, and imaging, with a fluoroscope, the view of the spinal column of the patient, wherein the fluoroscope image is transmitted to the computer and visible on the monitor and the at marker is clearly visible in the fluoroscope image. The method also includes positioning a cannula, with a robotic mechanism, to a first position relative to a vertebra in the spinal column of the patient, drilling a passage through the cannula into bone of the vertebra in the spinal column of the patient, inserting a guidewire through the cannula into the passage in the bone of the vertebra in the spinal column of the patient, and positioning a screw into the bone of the vertebra in the spinal column of the patient.

A medical system comprises a surgical device including a tracking system. The medical system also includes a memory storing anatomical data describing a patient anatomy. The medical system also includes a processor configured for generating a first model, that includes a set of anatomical passageways including a first proximal branch connected to a first distal branch, from the stored anatomical data describing the patient anatomy. The processor is also configured for determining, by the tracking system, a shape of an elongate flexible body of the surgical device positioned within the first proximal branch and the first distal branch of the set of anatomical passageways. The processor is also configured for computing, based on the determined shape of the elongate flexible body, a total set of forces acting on the set of anatomical passageways in response to the surgical device positioned within the first proximal branch and the first distal branch. The processor is also configured for deforming the first model into a second model of the anatomical passageways by adjusting at least one joint between branches in the set of anatomical passageways in the first model based on the total set of forces computed, to thereby change a pose of at least one branch through which the surgical device extends and at least one additional branch through which the surgical device does not extend.