Systems and related methods for identifying and/or ablating targeted nerves are provided. A probe with stimulating electrodes and/or ablation members are provided. The probe may be inserted into a nasal cavity and current may be introduced through the electrodes to stimulate a targeted area. The response to stimulation may be used to identify the targeted nerve. Once identified, the ablation member may ablate the targeted nerve.

In a method for implantation of a physically stabilized aggregate of living cells or tissue fragment is injected into a channel provided in soft tissue filled with an aqueous gel. Also discloses are methods of stabilizing such aggregates and fragments and of forming such channel in soft tissue as well as means for carrying out the methods.

An example apparatus includes a light source, first and second polarizers, an image sensor, a filter, and control circuitry. The light source outputs a light beam, and the first polarizer passes first polarized light from the output light beam and toward a sample. The image sensor collects light reflected from the sample responsive to the passed first polarized light. The second polarizer passes second polarized light from the reflected light and toward the image sensor. The filter selectively passes the reflected light in a visible light range and near infrared range (NIR) light range toward the image sensor. The control circuitry causes the first and second polarizers to adjust to different polarization angles, and collects the image data of the sample from the reflected light.

Optical fiber waveguide for communicating electromagnetic radiation pulsed by an emitter in an endoscopic imaging system. A system includes an emitter for emitting pulses of electromagnetic radiation and an endoscope comprising an image sensor for sensing reflected electromagnetic radiation. The system includes a waveguide communicating the pulses of electromagnetic radiation from the emitter to the endoscope. The system is such that at least a portion of the pulses of electromagnetic radiation emitted by the emitter comprises one or more of a hyperspectral emission, a fluorescence emission, and/or a laser mapping pattern.

This disclosure describes, among other embodiments, systems and related methods for selecting electrode combinations to be used during nerve pacing procedures. A first set of electrode combinations of a nerve pacing system, such as a phrenic nerve pacing system for diaphragm activation, may be mapped (or tested) to determine the location of the electrode combinations relative to a target nerve. Once the general location of the target nerve is known, a more localized second set of electrode combinations may be tested to determine the most suitable electrode combinations for nerve stimulation. At various stages of the mapping process, electrode combinations that are non-optimal may be discarded as candidates for use in a nerve pacing procedure. The systems and methods described herein may allow for the selection of electrode combinations that are most suitable for stimulation of the left and right phrenic nerves during diaphragm pacing.

The present invention generally relates to improved medical devices, systems, and methods. In many embodiments, devices, systems, and methods for locating and treating a target nerve with cold therapy are provided. For example, a focused cold therapy treatment device may be provided that is adapted to couple with or be fully integrated with a nerve stimulation device such that nerve stimulation and focused cold therapy may be performed concurrently with the cryo-stimulation device. Improvements in nerve localization and targeting may increase treatment accuracy and physician confidence in needle placement during treatment. In turn, such improvements may decrease overall treatment times, the number of repeat treatments, and the re-treatment rate. Further, additional improvements in nerve localization and targeting may reduce the number of applied treatment cycles and may also reduce the number of cartridge changes (when replaceable refrigerant cartridges are used).

A nerve mapping system includes an elongate medical device, a non-invasive mechanical sensor, and a processor. The elongate medical device includes a distal end portion configured to explore an intracorporeal treatment area of a subject, and the distal end portion includes an electrode. The non-invasive mechanical sensor is configured to provide a mechanomyography output signal corresponding to a monitored mechanical response of a muscle innervated by the nerve. The processor is in communication with the electrode and the sensor, and is configured to provide a plurality of electrical stimuli to the electrode. Each of the plurality of stimuli is provided when the electrode is located at a different position within the intracorporeal treatment area. The processor determines the likelihood of a nerve existing at a particular point using the magnitudes of each of the stimuli and the detected response of the muscle.

A system comprises a neuromonitoring system configured to generate nerve data regarding a state of a nerve of a patient during a surgical procedure on the patient. The system includes a robotic system configured to receive or generate, for the surgical procedure, location data that identifies a location of the nerve of the patient. The robotic system may cause the neuromonitoring system to be in either an active state or an inactive state based on the location data, where the active state is a state in which the neuromonitoring system provides the nerve data to the robotic system, while the inactive state is a state in which the neuromonitoring system does not provide the nerve data to the robotic system. The robotic system may further generate at least one control signal that implements one or more safeguards for the surgical procedure.

A system and related methods for performing nerve detection during surgical access using ultrasound testing during surgery.

A system and method for identifying a stimulation location on a nerve is disclosed. The system includes an image-based navigation interface used to facilitate advancing a stimulation element within a patient body toward a target nerve stimulation site. Using the system one determines, separately for each potential target nerve stimulation site, a neuromuscular response of muscles produced upon applying a stimulation signal at the respective separate potential target stimulation sites. The image-based navigation interface is configured to display a graphic identification of which muscles were activated for each respective potential target nerve stimulation site upon applying the stimulation signal.