A system for facet joint fusion includes a cannula having a body and a navigation arm mounted to the body. The navigation arm includes a base and a plurality of individual arms mounted to the base. The navigation arm also includes one or more markers mounted to the plurality of individual arms. The system also includes an imaging system configured to identify a position of the one or more markers relative to a facet joint of a patient. The system further includes a rotary tool that is configured to mount within the cannula. The rotary tool is configured to create a void in the facet joint by way of the cannula, and the void is configured to receive a bone graft or bone growth promoting material.

A computer-assisted imaging and localization system assists the physician in positioning surgical effecters, such as implants, tools and instruments, within a surgical site in a patient's body. The system displays overlapping images—one image of the surgical site with the patient's anatomy and another image showing the surgical effecter(s). The overlapping image of the surgical effecter(s) is moved over the static image of the anatomy as the implant/instrument is moved. The movement of the surgical effecter(s) is determined in a three-dimensional coordinate system at a home base location in the patient's anatomy, which home base can be moved during the procedure without interrupting the displays of the overlapping images.

Infusion system configurations and assemblies facilitate routing of infusion circuit tubing lines. Tubing lines are routed into and out from compartments of a shielding assembly for the infusion system, at locations which prevent kinking and/or crushing of the lines, and/or provide for ease in assembling the circuit. A plurality of the lines may be held together by a support frame to form a disposable infusion circuit subassembly, that can further facilitate routing of the lines.

A method and apparatus are disclosed for providing forward fluid delivery through an electrosurgical device, while avoiding coring when energy is delivered to the electrosurgical device. The device has a distal face defining an opening, with the distal face including at least one cutting portion and at least one non-cutting portion. An embodiment of the electrosurgical device for puncturing tissue includes an elongate member defining a lumen for receiving a fluid; a distal face defining at least one aperture; and the distal face including at least one cutting portion and at least one non-cutting portion cooperating to produce an elongated cut in a tissue when electrical energy is delivered to the distal face while avoiding coring of the tissue.

Composite markers employ a gel carrier to carry at least one radiopaque element (e.g., wire or band or clip) and one or more other contrast materials, each detectable by a detection modality different than one another. Methods for forming these composite markers and methods of marking a target site in a mammalian subject employing these composite markers are also discussed herein.

The present application is directed to various spinal stabilization systems. The systems can include one or more guiding elements attached to screw members to assist in guiding rod implants and tools to desired locations within a patient. The guiding elements can include a plurality of wires, blades, or tabs. The guiding elements can be capable of criss-crossing or intersecting at or near an incision, such that only a single incision may be needed to perform a surgery. The guiding elements can also include telescoping features that allow the height of the guiding elements to be adjusted in use, thereby allowing multiple telescoping guiding elements to be used with the same incision.

Systems and methods for visualization of a surgical site are disclosed. An imaging device provides image data of the surgical site. A computing device detects, in the image data, at least one obstruction. The computing device filters the image data to remove the at least one obstruction by being configured to alter pixels related to the at least one obstruction based on at least one of (i) one or more buffered frames and (ii) one or more pixels adjacent to the pixels related to the at least one obstruction. The computing device generates an output from the filtered image data. A display device presents the output for visualization of the surgical site.

A needle biopsy apparatus includes: a hollow needle for needling a patient; and a main body portion which retains the needle, and acquires a tissue of the patient through the needle. The needle is configured of gas not including a radioactive label, a liquid not including a radioactive label, or a solid not including a radioactive label, and includes a labelling portion of which a radiation dose to be detected is less than that of the tissue of the patient ingesting a radioactive-labelled radiopharmaceutical dosed to the patient, on a tip end side.

A system for percutaneous or open facet joint fusion includes an imaging system configured to identify a docking location on a facet joint between a first vertebra and a second vertebra of a patient. The system also includes a cannula configured to be positioned at the docking location on the facet joint. The cannula includes one or more markers mounted thereto, and the imaging system is configured to identify the one or more markers to position the cannula at the docking location. The cannula also includes one or more actuators configured to move the one or more markers. The system further includes a rotary tool that is configured to mount within the cannula. The rotary tool is configured to create a void in the facet joint by way of the cannula, and the void is configured to receive a bone graft or bone growth promoting material.

A system for percutaneous or open facet joint fusion includes an imaging system configured to identify a docking location on a facet joint between a first vertebra and a second vertebra of a patient. The system also includes a cannula configured to be positioned at the docking location on the facet joint. The cannula includes one or more markers mounted thereto, and the imaging system is configured to identify the one or more markers to position the cannula at the docking location. The cannula also includes one or more actuators configured to move the one or more markers. The system further includes a rotary tool that is configured to mount within the cannula. The rotary tool is configured to create a void in the facet joint by way of the cannula, and the void is configured to receive a bone graft or bone growth promoting material.