A surgical instrument navigation system is provided that visually simulates a virtual volumetric scene of a body cavity of a patient from a point of view of a surgical instrument residing in the cavity of the patient. The surgical instrument navigation system includes: a surgical instrument; an imaging device which is operable to capture scan data representative of an internal region of interest within a given patient; a tracking subsystem that employs electro-magnetic sensing to capture in real-time position data indicative of the position of the surgical instrument; a data processor which is operable to render a volumetric, perspective image of the internal region of interest from a point of view of the surgical instrument; and a display which is operable to display the volumetric perspective image of the patient.

An earpiece module includes a housing configured to be attached to an ear of a person, a first audio sensor within the housing configured to detect auscultatory sounds from an ear canal of the ear and generate a physiological information signal from the auscultatory sounds, and a second audio sensor within the housing and oriented in a direction towards an outside environment of the person. The second audio sensor is configured to detect sounds external to the person including voice sounds and footstep sounds, and to generate an environmental information signal from the external sounds. A processor is configured to receive the physiological information signal and the environmental information signal, process the external sounds in the physiological information signal and the environmental information signal to reduce the voice sounds and the footstep sounds from the physiological information signal and generate a cleaner physiological information signal.

A system includes an earpiece and a telecommunications device in communication with the earpiece. The earpiece includes a power source, a processor configured to process at least one algorithm stored within the earpiece, and an optical sensor. The optical sensor includes at least one optical emitter configured to direct optical energy to a region of an ear of a subject wearing the earpiece and at least one optical detector configured to sense absorbed, scattered, and/or reflected optical energy emanating from the ear region. The telecommunications device is configured to modify the at least one algorithm, to download additional algorithms to the earpiece, and to activate and deactivate the optical sensor.

Wearable apparatus for monitoring various physiological and environmental factors are provided. Real-time, noninvasive health and environmental monitors include a plurality of compact sensors integrated within small, low-profile devices, such as earpiece modules. Physiological and environmental data is collected and wirelessly transmitted into a wireless network, where the data is stored and/or processed.

A system and method for accounting for motion of a target in a medical procedure includes an endoscope (302) including a tracking mechanism (304) for tracking positions and orientations of the endoscope. Memory storage (310) is configured to record the positions of the endoscope when positioned at or near moving target tissue. A motion sensor (312) is configured to track cyclical motion of an organ such that the cyclical motion of the organ can be correlated to the recorded positions of the endoscope and the target tissue.

A wearable device includes a housing with a window and an electronic module supported by the housing. The electronic module includes a photoplethysmography sensor, a motion sensor, and a signal processor that processes signals from the motion sensor and signals from the photoplethysmography sensor. The signal processor is configured to remove frequency bands from the photoplethysmography sensor signals that are outside of a range of interest using a band-pass filter to produce pre-conditioned signals, and to further process the pre-conditioned signals using the motion sensor signals to reduce motion artifacts from footsteps during subject running. The device includes non-air light transmissive material in optical communication with the photoplethysmography sensor and the window that serves as a light guide for the photoplethysmography sensor. The window optically exposes the photoplethysmography sensor to a body of a subject wearing the device via the non-air light transmissive material.

A surgical instrument navigation system is provided that visually simulates a virtual volumetric scene of a body cavity of a patient from a point of view of a surgical instrument residing in the cavity of the patient. The surgical instrument navigation system includes: a surgical instrument; an imaging device which is operable to capture scan data representative of an internal region of interest within a given patient; a tracking subsystem that employs electro-magnetic sensing to capture in real-time position data indicative of the position of the surgical instrument; a data processor which is operable to render a volumetric, perspective image of the internal region of interest from a point of view of the surgical instrument; and a display which is operable to display the volumetric perspective image of the patient.

A monitoring apparatus includes a housing that is configured to be attached to a body of a subject. The housing includes a sensor region that is configured to contact a selected area of the body of the subject when the housing is attached to the body of the subject. The sensor region is contoured to matingly engage the selected body area. The apparatus includes at least one physiological sensor that is associated with the sensor region and that detects and/or measures physiological information from the subject and/or at least one environmental sensor associated with the sensor region that is configured to detect and/or measure environmental information. The sensor region contour stabilizes the physiological and/or environmental sensor(s) relative to the selected body area such that subject motion does not impact detection and/or measurement efforts of the sensor(s).

Wearable apparatus for monitoring various physiological and environmental factors are provided. Real-time, noninvasive health and environmental monitors include a plurality of compact sensors integrated within small, low-profile devices, such as earpiece modules. Physiological and environmental data is collected and wirelessly transmitted into a wireless network, where the data is stored and/or processed.

Wearable apparatus for monitoring various physiological and environmental factors are provided. Real-time, noninvasive health and environmental monitors include a plurality of compact sensors integrated within small, low-profile devices, such as earpiece modules. Physiological and environmental data is collected and wirelessly transmitted into a wireless network, where the data is stored and/or processed.