Described herein are microelectrode array devices, and methods of fabrication, assembly and use of the same, to provide highly localized neural recording and/or neural stimulation to a neurological target. The device includes multiple microelectrode elements arranged protruding shafts. The protruding shafts are enclosed within an elongated probe shaft, and can be expanded from their enclosure. The microelectrode elements, and elongated probe shafts, are dimensioned in order to target small volumes of neurons located within the nervous system, such as in the deep brain region. Beneficially, the probe can be used to quickly identify the location of a neurological target, and remain implanted for long-term monitoring and/or stimulation.

A dilation introducer for orthopedic surgery is provided for minimally invasive access for insertion of an intervertebral implant. The dilation introducer may be used to provide an access position through Kambin's triangle from a posterolateral approach. A first dilator tube with a first longitudinal axis is provided. An access cannula may be introduced over the first dilator tube. A drill may be inserted through the access cannula and used to perform a foraminoplasty, Surgical instruments may pass through the access cannula to operate on an intervertebral disc and/or insert an intervertebral implant.

Driving an emitter to emit pulses of electromagnetic radiation according to a jitter specification in a laser mapping imaging system is described. A system includes an emitter for emitting pulses of electromagnetic radiation and an image sensor comprising a pixel array for sensing reflected electromagnetic radiation. The system includes a driver for driving emissions by the emitter according to a jitter specification. The system is such that at least a portion of the pulses of electromagnetic radiation emitted by the emitter comprises a laser mapping pattern.

A method of imaging nervous tissue, comprising acquiring functional imaging modality data from a functional imaging modality which images an intrabody volume of a patient having a body part, the patient having been injected with an imaging agent having a nervous tissue uptake by an autonomic nervous system (ANS); and locating the nervous tissue in the intrabody volume based on the functional imaging modality data.

Fluorescence imaging with reduced fixed pattern noise is disclosed. A method includes actuating an emitter to emit a plurality of pulses of electromagnetic radiation and sensing reflected electromagnetic radiation resulting from the plurality of pulses of electromagnetic radiation with a pixel array of an image sensor. The method includes reducing fixed pattern noise in an exposure frame by subtracting a reference frame from the exposure frame. The method is such that at least a portion of the plurality of pulses of electromagnetic radiation emitted by the emitter comprises one or more of electromagnetic radiation having a wavelength from about 770 nm to about 790 nm or from about 795 nm to about 815 nm.

A retractor for use in surgical operations comprises a pair of blade assemblies. In operation, the blade assemblies are initially in a closed position to assume a low profile, inserted into a relatively small incision, and stretched apart from each other, thereby stretching the skin about the incision to form an aperture longer than the incision. The retractor is adapted to rotate a first blade about a first axis and a second blade about a second axis. The retractor is adapted to move the pair of blade assemblies apart along a third axis. The retractor is adapted to pivot the first blade about a fourth axis and the second blade about a fifth axis. In some embodiments, a method of performing an operation, e.g. a spinal operation, on a patient using the disclosed retractor is provided.

Disclosed herein is a method of generating augmented images of tissue of a patient undergoing open treatment, in particular open surgery, wherein each augmented image associates at least one tissue parameter with a region or pixel of the image of the tissue, said method comprising the following steps: estimating a spectral composition of light illuminating a region of interest of the tissue, obtaining one or more multispectral images of the region of interest, applying a machine learning based regressor or classifier to the one or more multispectral images, or an image derived from said multispectral image, to thereby derive one or more tissue parameters associated with image regions or pixels of the corresponding multispectral image, wherein said regressor or classifier has been trained to predict the one or more tissue parameters from a multispectral image under a given spectral composition of illumination, wherein the regressor or classifier employed is made to match the estimated spectral composition of light illuminating said region of interest of the tissue.

A blood flow measurement apparatus of an aspect example includes a scanning optical system, a front image acquiring unit, a region-of-interest determining processor, a scan controller, and a blood flow information acquiring unit. The scanning optical system applies OCT scanning to a fundus of a subject's eye. The front image acquiring unit acquires a front image of the fundus. The region-of-interest determining processor determines a region of interest that intersects a blood vessel by analyzing the front image based on a condition set in advance. The scan controller controls the scanning optical system to apply a repetitive OCT scan to the region of interest. The blood flow information acquiring unit acquires blood flow information based on data collected by the repetitive OCT scan.

A surgical access system including a tissue distraction assembly and a tissue retraction assembly, both of which may be equipped with one or more electrodes for use in detecting the existence of (and optionally the distance and/or direction to) neural structures before, during, and after the establishment of an operative corridor to a surgical target site.

Speckle removal in a pulsed laser mapping imaging system is described. A system includes a coherent light source for emitting pulses of coherent light, a fiber optic bundle connected to the coherent light source, and a vibrating mechanism attached to the fiber optic bundle. The system includes and an image sensor comprising a pixel array for sensing reflected electromagnetic radiation. The system is such that at least a portion of the pulses of coherent light emitted by the coherent light source comprises a laser mapping pattern.