The present disclosure presents a trajectory array guide system for defining a trajectory to a target location in the brain of a subject and for guiding an elongated tool along the trajectory. The trajectory array guide system can comprise: a base, an array guide, an imaging unit, and an elongated handle configured for connection with a stereotaxic navigation system. The present disclosure presents a method of using a trajectory array guide system for defining a trajectory to a target location in the brain of a subject and for guiding an elongated tool along the trajectory.

Methods and devices are disclosed for puncturing tissue, comprising a puncture device for puncturing tissue and a supporting member for supporting the puncture device. The puncture device is capable of being insertable within the supporting member and being selectively usable in co-operation therewith during a portion of a procedure for puncturing tissue and wherein the puncture device is usable independently therefrom during another portion of the procedure. The puncture device comprises visual or tactile markers for determining the relative positioning between puncture device and supporting member.

The present invention provides a medical image guidance marker to be placed in a body, adapted to be applicable to at least all three types of imaging modalities, namely, MRI, ultrasound, and CT, and to minimize the occurrence of artifacts. The present invention provides a medical image guidance marker to be placed in a body. The medical image guidance marker is made of an alloy with a magnetic susceptibility in the range from −13 ppm to −5 ppm and has a shape of a coil. The coil is formed of a wire with a wire diameter of not less than 0.15 mm and not more than 0.45 mm and has a coil diameter of not less than 0.55 mm and not more than 1.20 mm, and the pitch of the coil is not less than 0.3 mm and not more than 1.5 mm and is not less than 1.8 times and not more than 4 times the wire diameter.

Methods and devices are disclosed for puncturing tissue, comprising an assembly for puncturing a target tissue. The puncture device of the assembly has a distal tip configured to puncture the target tissue and at least one proximal marker, formed on the proximal portion of the puncture device. The supporting member of the assembly includes a proximal end, a distal end, and a lumen for receiving the puncture device. The puncture device is configured to enable advancement and withdrawal of the supporting member overtop of the puncture device. Alignment of the proximal end of the supporting member and the at least one proximal marker of the puncture device occurs when the distal tip of the puncture device protrudes from the distal end of the supporting member.

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

Multimodality markers for delineation of a region of interest (ROI) within a patient's body are disclosed. The markers may comprise a hermetic bio-compatible container and an external element that is associated with the hermetic bio-compatible container. A unique collective identification (ID) is assigned to each of the markers. The collective ID can comprise a visible component seen on an imaging system and an electronic component stored in a microelectronic chip and embedded within the hermetic bio-compatible container.

A method of making an intracorporeal marker, including the method steps of providing a core having a first material with porous hydroxyapatite; and completely covering the core an outer region having a second material with less porous hydroxyapatite, wherein ultrasonic or radiative imaging reveals a difference between the marker and tissue.

A tracking system for tracking a marker device for being attached to a medical device is provided, whereby the marker device includes a sensing unit comprising a magnetic object which may be excited by an external magnetic or electromagnetic excitation field into a mechanical oscillation of the magnetic object, and the tracking system comprises a field generator for generating a predetermined magnetic or electromagnetic excitation field for inducing mechanical oscillations of the magnetic object, a transducer for transducing a magnetic or electromagnetic field generated by the induced mechanical oscillations of the magnetic object into one or more electrical response signals, and a position determination unit for determining the position of the marker device on the basis of the one or more electrical response signals.

The present disclosure relates to systems and methods for robotic, computer-aided or virtual/augmented reality assisted procedures, including with use a of patient-specific or patient-matched, customized apparatus for assisting in various surgical procedures. In varying embodiments, patient-specific guides may comprise embedded markers, chips, circuits, or other registerable components for providing information to a robotic or computer-aided device. Other apparatus described herein may be aligned and/or matched with the robotic or augmented reality equipment or another apparatus during a surgical procedure.

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.