Markers, medical instruments, and/or medical devices have a composition and/or other features or characteristics such that they will generate twinkling artifacts when imaged with ultrasound. In this way, the markers, medical instruments, and/or medical devices can be detected and localized using ultrasound. Ultrasound technical specifications that are optimized to generate twinkling artifact signatures are selected and used to facilitate localization of such markers, instruments, and/or devices.

Marking device (100) for implantation into a tissue (260), having a support structure (102) which is formed by at least one elastic metal wire, is compressible and is self-expanding and which, in an expanded state, encompasses an interior space (104), characterized in that the marking device (100) is designed to transform itself on its own from a compressed state into an expanded state, even against a tissue pressure prevailing at a tissue site to be marked, and the marking device (100) in the expanded state has a hollow, approximately spherical shape.

A tracker, a surgical navigation system with the tracker, and a method of operating the tracker are described. The tracker comprises a first switch configured to be operated between a first switch configuration and a second switch configuration. The tracker also comprises one or more sources of electromagnetic radiation configured to selectively emit electromagnetic radiation with a first radiation characteristic or a second radiation characteristic. The tracker further comprises electrical circuitry configured to selectively control the one or more sources of electromagnetic radiation to emit electromagnetic radiation having the first radiation characteristic in the first switch configuration and to emit electromagnetic radiation having the second radiation characteristic in the second switch configuration, wherein the second radiation characteristic is different from the first radiation characteristic.

A system according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure includes a processor; and a memory storing instructions thereon that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to: receive, from an inertial sensor disposed proximate an anatomical element, a reading indicative of a first movement of the anatomical element; determine a second movement of a fiducial marker being positioned with a known physical relationship to the inertial sensor; and determine, based on the first movement and the second movement, a change in pose of the anatomical element.

An implantable device has a body that is substantially rigid and has a predetermined shape. The body is further bioabsorbable and has a density less than or equal to about 1.03 g/cc. When the device is implanted in a resected cavity in soft tissue, it causes the cavity to conform to the predetermined shape. The implantable device is further imageable due to its density being less than that of soft tissue such that the boundaries of the tissue corresponding to the predetermined shape can be determined.

An AR headset is described to co-localize an image data set with a body of a person. One method can include identifying optical codes with a contrast medium in a tubing on the body of the person using the AR headset. The image data set can be aligned with the body of the person using the fixed position of the image visible marker with the contrast medium in the tubing with respect to the optical code referenced to a representation of the image visible marker. In one configuration, an image data set can be scaled by comparing a measured size of the image visible marker (e.g., gadolinium tubing) in the captured image data set to the known size of the image visible marker. In addition, a center of an optical code may be identified to more accurately align the image data set with a body of a person.

A breast biopsy marker includes a catheter shaft and a bioabsorbable balloon. The catheter shaft has a lumen, a proximal tube portion, and a distal tube portion. The proximal tube portion is joined to the distal tube portion by a frangible link. The distal tube portion has a one-way valve located in the lumen. The bioabsorbable balloon is fixedly connected to the distal tube portion to define a balloon assembly. The bioabsorbable balloon is configured for fluid communication with the lumen of the catheter shaft at a location distal to the one-way valve of the distal tube portion of the catheter shaft. The balloon assembly is configured to be separated from the proximal tube portion of the catheter shaft by breaking the frangible link.

A medical lead includes a main body having a length extending from a proximal end to a distal end, a longitudinal axis parallel to the length, and a proximal portion adjacent to the proximal end and a distal portion adjacent to the distal end; a plurality of electrodes defining an electrode region; and an imaging marker positioned between the electrode region and the proximal end and separated from the electrode region by a distance in an axial direction. The imaging marker may include one or more marker segments. The imaging marker may be disposed in a pocket of a sleeve at least partially surrounding the main body and comprising one or more pockets for receiving the imaging marker. The medical lead may be operatively connected to an implantable medical device.

A method includes placing a set of electrodes on a body surface of a patient's body. The method also includes digitizing locations for the electrodes across the body surface based on one or more image frames using range imaging and/or monoscopic imaging. The method also includes estimating locations for hidden ones of the electrodes on the body surface not visible during the range imaging and/or monoscopic imaging. The method also includes registering the location for the electrodes on the body surface with predetermined geometry information that includes the body surface and an anatomical envelope within the patient's body. The method also includes storing geometry data in non-transitory memory based on the registration to define spatial relationships between the electrodes and the anatomical envelope.

Apparatus and methods are described including acquiring 3D image data of a targeted skeletal portion within a body of a subject, and a 2D radiographic image of the targeted skeletal portion. A machine-learning engine is used to generate machine-learning data based on (i) the 3D image data of the targeted skeletal portion, (ii) a database of 2D projection images generated from the 3D image data, and (iii) respective values of one or more viewing parameters corresponding to each 2D projection image. A computer processor receives the machine-learning data, receives the 2D radiographic image of the targeted skeletal portion, and registers the 2D radiographic image to the 3D image data by using the machine-learning data to find a 2D projection from the 3D image data that matches the 2D radiographic image of the targeted skeletal portion. Other applications are also described.