Systems, methods and a sensor alignment mechanism are disclosed for medical navigational guidance systems. In one example, a system to make sterile a non-sterile optical sensor for use in navigational guidance during surgery includes a sterile drape having an optically transparent window to drape the optical sensor in a sterile barrier and a sensor alignment mechanism. The alignment mechanism secures the sensor through the drape in alignment with the window without breaching the sterile barrier and facilitates adjustment of the orientation of the optical sensor. The optical sensor may be aligned to view a surgical site when the alignment mechanism, assembled with the sterile drape and optical sensor, is attached to a bone. The alignment mechanism may be a lockable ball joint and facilitate orientation of the sensor in at least two degrees of freedom. A quick connect mechanism may couple the alignment mechanism to the bone.

A surgical instrument is disclosed. The surgical instrument can include an end effector, comprising an anvil and a staple cartridge. The surgical instrument can further include a shaft defining a longitudinal axis. The surgical instrument can also include an articulation joint, wherein the end effector is rotatably connected to the shaft about the articulation joint between an unarticulated position and at least one articulated position. The surgical instrument can include means for adjusting the length of a firing stroke as a function of the degree in which the end effector is articulated relative to the longitudinal axis. The surgical instrument can include a sensor configured to defect shifting of lateral portions of a flexible firing bar that extends through the articulation joint. Additionally or alternatively, the surgical instrument can include a relief feature configured to accommodate shifting of lateral portions of a flexible firing bar.

System and method for position and posture detection are provided to determine whether to update an original position and posture information of a surgical machine during surgery navigation. The system includes a sensing element, a displacement and/or angle sensing element and a processor. A coordinate signal of a marker module generated by the sensing element and a displacement and/or angle signal of the marker module generated by the displacement and/or angle sensing element are received by the processor and used to create a transformation matrix. A position and posture information of the surgical machine is obtained using the transformation matrix and the coordinate signal and provided to determine whether to update the original position and posture information.

A method includes obtaining rotational data and translational data for a joint, the rotational and translational data being indicative of rotational and translational movement of the joint during rotational and translational joint testing, respectively, the rotational and translational joint testing being implemented by a robotic testing apparatus applied to the joint. A quantity indicative of joint play of the joint is computed. The quantity is computed via a function of the rotational data and the translational data. The method includes determining whether the computed quantity exceeds a joint play threshold and, if the computed quantity exceeds the joint play threshold, comparing the rotational data and the translational data with preset rotational data and preset translational data for the rotational and translation joint testing, respectively.

A system to measure and display the orientation of a handheld instrument is disclosed.

A device and system for and methods of using an ultrasound probe housing containing ultrasound probes configured to produce images inside the body of a patient for procedures requiring needle or probe insertion. The ultrasound probe housing can be configured with a guide channel cut-out or aperture between the ambient side and body side of a patient. A needle guide assembly may be pivotally connect internal to the guide channel cut-out or aperture of the ultrasound probe housing at a pivot point such that during use the needle enters the patient through the needle guide assembly within the ultrasound probe housing so that the needle can be visualized by the ultrasonic probes in real time. The ultrasound probe housing may also provide an adhesion or suction quality to the body side of the device to facilitate aspects of the invention.

A surgical robotic arm includes an instrument having a coupler rotatable about a longitudinal axis, the coupler including: a drive screw; a drive nut threadably coupled to the drive screw, the drive nut movable along the longitudinal axis in response to rotation of the drive screw; and a drive member coupled to the drive nut and movable in response to movement of the drive nut. The surgical robotic arm also includes an instrument drive unit having: a motor configured to engage the coupler and rotate about the longitudinal axis to rotate the coupler and the drive screw; one or more sensors configured to measure one or more properties of the motor; and a controller coupled to the sensor(s) and the motor. The controller is configured to control the motor based on the property of the motor.

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.

A surgical upper computer for a total knee arthroplasty, and a total knee arthroplasty system, and in the field of surgical equipment. The surgical upper computer includes a memory storing a first computer program which enables a processor to execute a first operating mode of the surgical upper computer, where the first operating mode includes: exhibiting, by an interactive interface, to a user, first information to be input, the first information including a magnitude range and change interval of a pushing force applied between a femur and a tibia; in response to user input, controlling a butting member and a push plate to apply different pushing forces at a preset joint flexion angle, and acquiring relationship data between the pushing force and a gap; and displaying the relationship data. Accordingly, the force and gap between soft tissues in the total knee arthroplasty can be acquired and displayed.

A manipulator system including a manipulator having a flexible manipulator provided with an elongated flexible insertion portion, a movable portion provided at a distal end of insertion portion, a driving portion provided at a proximal end of insertion portion and drives movable portion; an operation input portion operated by operator and with which an operation instruction for flexible manipulator is input; a control unit that controls driving portion based on operation instruction input via operation input portion; an information input portion with which treatment-site specifying information for specifying a treatment target by using flexible manipulator is input; and an information storage portion that sets a control parameter for controlling driving portion based on treatment-site specifying information, control unit controls driving portion based on the treatment-site specifying information input via information input portion using control parameter set by information storage portion.