An intracranial prosthesis comprised of a flat body having an interior ultrasound-compatible window and means about the outer portion capable of engaging a plurality of diagnostic instruments and/or intracranial delivery systems so that a practicing medical professional can monitor certain parameters of a patient or deliver therapeutic agents to the patient while using an ultrasound-monitoring device to image the patient's brain. The prosthesis is designed to allow for the continuous, uninterrupted, simultaneous monitoring of a number of parameters of a patient's brain at the patient's bedside.

An articulated robotic platform is provided as an end-actuator intended to be fitted to an articulated robotic arm. One use of the articulated robotic platform is to more accurately guide surgical tools during a surgical intervention making it possible to achieve positional accuracy on the level of millimeters or fractions of a millimeter. The articulated robotic platform includes support members attached to the patient or anchoring the articulated robotic platform onto a clamp. The support members of the articulated robotic platform are capable of changing in length, and this change can be monitored by an extension measurement sensor fitted to one or more of the support members. The controller, when provided with feedback information of the extension measurement and direction of several of the legs, can calculate accurately the position of the articulated robotic platform relative to an intervention area of a patient.

An anchoring system for cannulas or tools to be inserted into a surgical workspace in the body, particularly the brain, of a patient. The system comprises a grommet which may be fixed to the skull to both secure the system to the skull and protect the skull opening from passage of cannulas and tools, a resilient clip with grasping jaws adapted to firmly grasp a cannula or tool, and a flexible membrane secured to the outer rim of the grommet and the clip.

An OCT (Optical Coherence Tomography) handheld device is provided comprising: a housing configured for handheld OCT scanning during a surgical procedure, the housing comprising an OCT scanning end and a proximal end opposite the OCT scanning end; an OCT scanning device inside the housing, the OCT scanning device configured for one or more of OCT polarized scanning and Doppler OCT scanning from the OCT scanning end, the OCT scanning device further configured to receive and convey OCT light between the proximal end and an OCT analysing system; and a tip extending from the OCT scanning end, the tip being removably attached to the OCT scanning end, the tip configured to receive and collect the OCT light therethrough. The OCT handheld device is configured to be removably draped around the tip, for use in the surgical procedure.

This document discusses, among other things, examples of a low profile instrument immobilizer and means for positioning the same. In one example, the low profile instrument immobilizer grasps, secures, and immobilizes an electrode or other instrument that extends through a burr hole in a skull to a target location in a patient's brain.

Systems and methods for monitoring physiological parameters such as intracranial pressure (“ICP”), intracranial temperature, and subject head position are provided. In some embodiments, an implantable apparatus for measuring ICP can be implanted into a subject skull. The apparatus can comprise an implant body having a hermetically sealed chamber housing a gas at a reference pressure, and a pressure conduction catheter having a proximal end and a distal end, wherein the distal end is configured to extend into the brain through a burr hole in the skull and includes a plurality of ports. A barrier can cover the ports of the distal end of the pressure conduction catheter, wherein the barrier and pressure conduction catheter are filled with a number of gas molecules so that the barrier is not in tension in a predefined range of ICPs. The ports may also be configured such that a barrier is not necessary. Standoffs on the body may be included that stabilize the implant on the skull and enhance reliability and robustness of the measurements.

Systems and methods for transferring fluid to or from a subject use a set of MRI compatible components that can aspirate intrabody structure and/or fluids. The components include a device guide, a semi-rigid guide sheath configured to slidably extend through the device guide, a stylet releasable coupled to the guide sheath and extending a fixed distance out of a distal end thereof, and a cannula coupled to flexible tubing that is releasably interchangeably held in the guide sheath in lieu of the stylet.

An endoscope particularly suited for endocranial procedures and a method of using the endoscope. In some examples the endoscope is rigid except for a bend/tilt portion near a distal end of a rigid tube that is inserted in a patient's cranium, which distal end is controlled in a degree and direction of tilt with a finger operated controller at the endoscope's handle. Some examples use telescoping tubes that allow customizing the endoscope size for specific procedures. A distal portion of the endoscope can be disposable, supplied in a sterile package for a single procedure, thus taking into account contamination dangers that are particularly high for intracranial and certain other interventions and the fact that it can be difficult or impossible to effectively autoclave heat-sensitive components of certain endoscopes or effectively sterilize them using other techniques.

A cortical access system for delivering a medical tool into an epidural and/or subdural space and onto a patient's brain tissue through a cranium opening comprises: a turret including a proximal end portion, a distal end portion, and a first channel extending from an entrance opening to an exit opening, the first channel configured to guide the medical tool from the entrance opening to the exit opening for positioning on the patients brain tissue. The medical tool may be an electrode or an endoscope.

A surgical access assembly and method of use is disclosed. The surgical access assembly comprises an outer sheath and an obturator. The outer sheath and obturator are configured to be delivered to an area of interest within the brain. Either the outer sheath or the obturator may be configured to operate with a navigational system to track the location of either within the brain. Once positioned at a desired location, the obturator is removed, leaving a distal end of the outer sheath adjacent an area of interest, and creating a working corridor. Interrogation of the area of interest may be performed to evaluate a disorder and/or abnormality, as well as evaluate treatment regimes. Interventional devices may also be introduced to the area of interest, as well as a variety of treatments.