An access device for accessing an intervertebral disc having an outer shield comprising an access shield with a larger diameter (˜16-30 mm) that reaches from the skin down to the facet line, with an inner shield having a second smaller diameter (˜5-12 mm) extending past the access shield and reaches down to the disc level. This combines the benefits of the direct visual microsurgical/mini open approaches and the percutaneous, “ultra-MIS” techniques.

Apparatus, systems, and methods are provided for localization of a needle within a patient's body using markers. In an exemplary embodiment, a probe includes a distal end for placement against a surface of the region and one or more antennas for transmitting electromagnetic signals into and receiving reflected signals from the region. A processor processes the modulated reflected signals at one or more of the surface locations to determine marker locations along the needle and generate a three-dimensional model of the body region and needle.

The lighted surgical access system is provided that includes a circumferential retractor and a plastic optical fiber (POF) attached thereto. The circumferential retractor retracts and protects a patient’s body opening while the POF illuminates the internal surgical site, body cavity and/or body opening.

The present disclosure relates to systems, devices, and methods to augment a two-dimensional image.

An access device for accessing an intervertebral disc having an outer shield comprising an access shield with a larger diameter (˜16-30 mm) that reaches from the skin down to the facet line, with an inner shield having a second smaller diameter (˜5-12 mm) extending past the access shield and reaches down to the disc level. This combines the benefits of the direct visual microsurgical/mini open approaches and the percutaneous, “ultra-MIS” techniques.

A method for assessing a cancer status of biological tissue includes the steps of: obtaining a Raman spectrum indicating a Raman spectroscopy response of the biological tissue, the Raman spectrum captured using a fiber-optic probe of a fiber-optic Raman spectroscopy system; inputting the Raman spectrum into a boosted tree classification algorithm of a computer program, and using the boosted tree classification algorithm for comparing, in real-time, the captured Raman spectrum to reference data and assessing the cancer status of the biological tissue based on said comparison, the reference data being previously determined based on a set of reference Raman spectra indicating Raman spectroscopy responses of reference biological tissues wherein each of the reference biological tissues is associated with a known cancer status; and generating a real-time output indicating the assessed cancer status of the biological tissue,

A suturing device comprising an elongated member including a cavity formed in a surface thereof, a needle passage, and a vacuum port. When the elongated member is inserted into a body including tissue and a vacuum is applied to the cavity, the tissue is captured by the cavity. A needle pusher is operable to move a needle having a sutured attached thereto through the tissue until a first end of the needle is captured by a needle capturing assembly. A clamp coupled to the elongated member is used to extract the needle from the needle capturing assembly and reposition the needle with suture attached to be re-engaged by the needle pusher. The cavity may include a plurality of cavity portions for capturing multiple contiguous portions of the tissue such that a single pass of the needle and the suture results in the suturing of the multiple portions of the tissue.

Some embodiments of a device comprise a tubular flexible body that includes a channel though a longitudinal axis; a first sensor that is located in a distal end of the tubular flexible body; a second sensor that is located in the distal end of the tubular flexible body; and wiring that connects to the first sensor and the second sensor and that extends to a proximal end of the tubular flexible body, wherein a sensed orientation of the first sensor is oriented opposite to a sensed orientation of the second sensor.

An air gap retractor illumination system includes any suitable retractor such as a McCulloch with a channel in the blade to accommodate an air gap illuminator. The illuminator is preferably made from a suitable light conducting plastic material such as acrylic or polycarbonate or silicone. The illuminator has active portions in which light passes and inactive or dead zones in which light does not pass as a result of the configuration and orientation of the input, output and surfaces of the illuminator. The illuminator is formed to have an air gap surrounding any active portion of the illuminator extending from the light input to the light output portion. The dead zones may include elements to allow the illuminator to securely engage the retractor. The light output portion of the illuminator contains from two to eight output zones, each zone having specially designed output optical structures that control and direct light to escape the illuminator to shine onto a predetermined area of interest or to form one or more predetermined shapes or footprints.

A surgical retractor for illuminating a surgical field includes an ergonomic handle, a retractor blade coupled with the handle, a quick release mechanism, and an illuminator blade. The retractor blade is adapted to engage and retract tissue, and the quick release mechanism is adapted to couple the handle with the retractor blade. The illuminator blade acts as a waveguide to transmit light by total internal reflection. Light is extracted from the illuminator to illuminate the surgical field. The retractor blade is releasable from the handle without requiring uncoupling of the illuminator blade from the handle and also without requiring optical uncoupling of the illuminator blade from a light source. The retractor may also be adapted to evacuate smoke from the surgical field.