A device configured to provide a faster and more accurate measurement of depths of holes for placement of bone screws and fastener for bone implant fixation procedures. The device includes a combination of a bone probe for physical examination of a hole drilled in a bone and a depth gauge member for determining a depth of the hole and providing digital measurement of the depth.

In general, devices, systems, and methods for fiducial identification and tracking are provided.

A system for navigating to a catheter to a target is disclosed. The system includes a probe and a workstation. The probe is configured to be navigated through a patient's airways and includes a location sensor. The workstation is in operative communication with the probe. The workstation includes a memory and at least one processor. The memory stores a navigation plan and a program that, when executed by the processor, is configured to generate a 3D rendering of the patient's airways, generate a view using the 3D rendering, and display the view featuring at least a portion of the navigation plan. Generating the view includes executing a first transfer function for a first range from a distal tip of the location sensor and executing a second transfer function for a second range from the distal tip of the location sensor.

Devices and methods are described for occluding the left atrial appendage (LAA). The device excludes the LAA from blood flow to prevent blood from clotting within the LAA and subsequently embolizing, particularly in patients with atrial fibrillation. The implantable device is delivered via transcatheter delivery into the LAA and secured within the LAA. The implant comprises an expandable and compliant frame and an expandable and conformable tubular foam body. The device may have a thromboresistant cover at a proximal end. The frame may have recapture struts inclining radially outwardly from a central hub. The frame may have axially extending side wall struts, with adjacent pairs of side wall struts joined at one or more apexes. Anchors extend from the frame and into the foam to engage tissue.

Markers for use in bodily tissue take a variety of forms, and may include a plurality of ultrasound reflective elements, for example hollow shells filled with air, and a hydrogel that binds the ultrasound reflective elements. The hydrogel may be natural or artificial and may be cross-linked. An ultrasound system advantageously injects variance in a drive signal, that varies a frequency or phase of an ultrasound interrogation signal from a nominal frequency or nominal phase. The amount of variation is preferable one to six orders of magnitude less than the nominal frequency or phase. The ultrasound system can present or detect a twinkling artifact at least in a Doppler mode of operation, resulting from interaction of the varying interrogation signal with the ultrasound reflective elements.

A system for navigating to a catheter to a target is disclosed. The system includes a probe and a workstation. The probe is configured to be navigated through a patient’s airways and includes a location sensor. The workstation is in operative communication with the probe. The workstation includes a memory and at least one processor. The memory stores a navigation plan and a program that, when executed by the processor, is configured to generate a 3D rendering of the patient’s airways, generate a view using the 3D rendering, and display the view featuring at least a portion of the navigation plan. Generating the view includes executing a first transfer function for a first range from a distal tip of the location sensor and executing a second transfer function for a second range from the distal tip of the location sensor.

An endovascular device, including an elongated flexible sheath defining a lumen with an inner opening sized for enabling selective advancement of an endovascular instrument therethrough, the sheath having at least a first region and a second region; an electrode within the first region of the sheath; and a constrictor associated with the first region of the sheath, the constrictor being configured, while at least the first region and the second region of the sheath are positioned within a body and in response to an input received from outside the body, to reversibly narrow the lumen of the sheath in an area adjacent the electrode to thereby bring the electrode into contact with an adjacent portion of the endovascular instrument.

A method and apparatus are disclosed for an optimized transseptal procedure for providing left heart access, that reduces the number of devices that are used in order to minimize procedural time, complexity and cost. The apparatus comprises a reshapeable hybrid dilator that comprises the combined functionality of a transseptal sheath and dilator assembly. The hybrid dilator comprises: a dilator shaft defining a lumen for receiving a crossing device therethrough, the dilator shaft comprising a stiffening member and a deflectable portion, being structured to provide support for the crossing device when the crossing device is used to create a puncture in a tissue; and a distal tip having an outer diameter which tapers down to an outer diameter of the crossing device for providing a smooth transition between the crossing device and the distal tip when the crossing device is inserted through the lumen and protrudes beyond the distal tip.

The invention relates to a target apparatus for use in a surgical navigation system, comprising at least one marker, for pose determination both by way of a device for marker reference point-based pose determination using at least two image capturing devices for imaging the marker and by way of a device for marker shape-based pose determination using at least one further image capturing device for imaging the marker , the marker having a detection surface, the detection surface having at least one first region and at least one further region, wherein the first region is designed to be more reflective than the further region, at least one portion of the first region and at least one portion of the at least one further region forming a pattern for identifying the marker, and to a surgical navigation system and a method for producing the target apparatus.

The present invention is directed to an implantable medical device, comprising: a device body, with at least a portion of said body coated by a sensing coating that comprises an echogenic material or a radiopaque material, or combinations thereof, said sensing coating configured to dissolve or swell in presence of at least one infection biomarker; wherein a portion of said sensing coating is covered by a protective film, forming a protected portion, said protected portion configured not to dissolve or swell in presence of said biomarker and methods of detecting presence of biomarkers in the vicinity of an implanted medical device.