A detection system and method uses an implantable magnetic marker comprising at least one piece of a large Barkhausen jump material (LBJ). The marker is deployed to mark a tissue site in the body for subsequent surgery, and the magnetic detection system includes a handheld probe to excite the marker below the switching field for bistable switching of the marker causing a harmonic response to be generated in a sub-bistable mode that allows the marker to be detected and localised. The marker implanted may also be shorter than the critical length required to initiate bistable switching of the LBJ material.

An imaging system, such as a DBT system, capable of providing an operator of the system with information concerning the location, magnitude and direction of motion detected by the system during performance of the scan to enhance image processing. The imaging system provides the motion information to the operator directly in conjunction with the images processed by the imaging system thereby providing the operator with sufficient information for decisions regarding the need for additional images for completing the scan with the imaging system before the patient is discharged, or even before the breast is decompressed.

Provided herein are systems, devices, assemblies, and methods for generating exciter signals, for example, to activate a remotely located tag. The systems, devices, assemblies, and methods find use in a variety of application including medical applications for the locating of a tag in a subject.

The present disclosure relates to systems and methods to perform a surgical procedure. The systems and methods utilize MRI-compatible fiducial markers including a body having at least one feature configured to receive an MRI-compatible and MRI-visible material and to allow registration of a navigational tool. The MRI-compatible fiducial markers can be affixed to a bone of a patient. The registered navigational tool can be used to advance a surgical tool along a navigational path to perform a surgical procedure.

Device 1 for fixation to the skull 2 of a patient that can serve as a fiducial marker in scan guided surgical operations using a surgical instrument. The device 1 comprises a material translucent for the applied electromagnetic waves of the scan and a fiducial marker and where the device 1 comprises means to fixate the device in a well-defined manner to the surgical instrument.

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 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.

An intravascular catheter includes a catheter shaft having a distal portion, a plurality of magnetic localization elements disposed within the distal portion, and an integrated electronics package disposed within the distal portion of the catheter shaft. The integrated electronics package, which can be a system on a chip such as an application specific integrated circuit, includes a power supply, a pre-amplifier, a multiplexor, and an imaging element driver. It can also include imaging elements. The magnetic localization elements can include magnetic coils and/or solid state magnetic localization elements, such as anisotropic magnetoresistive sensors, and can also be incorporated into the integrated electronics package.

An implantable array, such as an electrode array, is provided. The array is suitable for being placed in anatomic tissue of a human or animal body, and has a structure for referencing predefined distinct points of the implantable electrode array in magnetic resonance images. A structure is arranged in a predefined portion of the implantable array, where the structure has multiple patterns, each pattern having a predefined form and formed from a material having a magnetic susceptibility which is different from the magnetic susceptibility of the anatomic tissue surrounding the implantable array when placed in the human or animal body. Each pattern is in a predefined spatial relationship with one of the predefined distinct points.

Surgical sealing ports for use with surgical instruments for access of a natural body orifice are provided. In one exemplary embodiment, a surgical sealing port includes a seal housing and at least one retention element. The seal housing is configured to be at least partially disposed within a natural body orifice and defining a plurality of ports. The plurality of ports includes at least one first port configured to control the ingress and egress of fluid between an interior volume of the natural body orifice and an ambient environment, and at least one second port that is configured to form a seal around an instrument inserted therethrough. The at least one retention element is arranged on an exterior surface of the housing and configured to affix the housing to the natural body orifice. Methods for using the same are also provided.