An illustrative proximity detection system directs a first electrode of an electrode lead to apply a first pulse and directs a second electrode of the electrode lead to apply a second pulse concurrently with the first pulse so as to form a dipole that generates a field. The first and second electrodes are each configured as stimulating electrodes that apply stimulation to the cochlear tissue when the electrode lead is located at a resting position subsequent to a surgical insertion of the electrode lead into a cochlea of a patient. After the pulses are applied, and based on an energy magnitude of the field that is detected to reflect from cochlear tissue located within the field, the proximity detection system determines a proximity of the electrode lead to the cochlear tissue. Corresponding systems and methods are also disclosed.

A surgical access assembly comprises a trocar and a surgical instrument. The trocar comprises a housing and an access tube extending distally from the housing. The housing comprises a hollow light emitter. The housing and the access tube define a lumen extending through the housing and the access tube. The hollow light emitter is configured to project light in the lumen. The surgical instrument comprises an end effector and a shaft extending proximally from the end effector. The shaft comprises an optical receiver positioned within reach of the light from the hollow light emitter. The shaft further comprises a light guide extending from the optical receiver along at least a portion of the shaft toward the end effector.

A tissue contact detection system tracks, over time during a surgical procedure, a temperature of a surgical instrument associated with a surgical system used for the surgical procedure. The system determines, based on the tracked temperature of the surgical instrument, that the temperature of the surgical instrument changes from a first temperature to a second temperature that varies from the first temperature by at least a predetermined amount, and determines, based on the determination that the temperature of the surgical instrument changes from the first temperature to the second temperature, that the surgical instrument is in physical contact with patient tissue. The system performs, in response to the determination that the surgical instrument is in physical contact with patient tissue, a mitigation operation configured to mitigate the physical contact of the surgical instrument with the patient tissue.

A surgical robotic visualization system comprises a first robotic arm, a second robotic arm, a photoacoustic receiver coupled to the first robotic arm, an emitter assembly coupled to the second robotic arm, and a control circuit. The control circuit is configured to cause the emitter assembly to emit electromagnetic radiation toward an anatomical structure at a plurality of wavelengths capable of penetrating the anatomical structure and reaching an embedded structure located below a surface of the anatomical structure, receive an input of the photoacoustic receiver indicative of an acoustic response signal of the embedded structure, and detect the embedded structure based on the input from the photoacoustic receiver.

A system for scanning anatomical structures and for visualizing the scanning result, wherein the system includes an intraoral scanner, which intraorally captures an image of the anatomical structures, an extraoral detection unit, which detects a spatial position of the intraoral scanner relative to an observer or a person conducting the scan, and a computing unit, which, during the scanning procedure, connects the scanner with a screen and the detection unit and generates a scanning result based on the intraorally captured image of the anatomical structures and the detected spatial position of the intraoral scanner relative to the observer, and which, during pauses in the scanning procedure, estimates the position, orientation and scaling of the anatomical structures and, as a scanning result, generates an image of the anatomical structures corresponding to the estimation, and wherein the screen displays the scanning result generated by the computing unit.

A system for monitoring a person may include a person-worn sensor device including at least one sensor (e.g., at least one accelerometer, magnetometer, altimeter, etc.) configured to collect sensor data and a processor to process data from the person-worn sensor device. The processor may be configured to determine or access an orientation of a physical support apparatus (e.g., bed, table, wheelchair, chair, sofa, or other structure for supporting the person), receive sensor data collected by the person-worn sensor device, calculate an orientation of the person relative to the physical support apparatus based on (a) the orientation of the physical support apparatus and (b) the sensor data collected by the person-worn sensor device, and identify, based on the determined orientation of the person relative to the physical support apparatus, a physical support apparatus exit condition indicating an occurrence or anticipated occurrence of the person exiting the physical support apparatus.

A method for determining proper placement of a sensor pod on a patient comprising: performing a first quality control procedure on a detection device, wherein said detection device comprises a base unit, at least two sensor pods, a computer system implementing appropriate software, and a display; wherein the first quality control procedure generates a tone from a speaker embedded within said base unit and wherein each of said sensor pods measures and compares the measured sound to a predetermined measurement in real-time; wherein a sensor pod is determined to have met quality control if said sound is within 10% of the predicted measurements; performing a second quality control procedure on said sensor pods, wherein said sensor pods measure sounds on a patient; wherein the system, once engage, detects sounds from the sensor pods and compares the detected sounds in real-time to a predicted sound based on the fluid flow vessel; and wherein said method provides for an audio or visual alarm when said sensor pod is not detecting the predicted sounds, indicating an improper location for the sensor pod.

An exemplary sound processor within a cochlear implant system directs a cochlear implant to concurrently apply first and second pulses by way of first and second electrodes disposed on an electrode lead configured to be inserted into a cochlea of a patient. The first and second pulses have substantially equal magnitudes and opposite phases such that the application of the first and second pulses forms a dipole that generates a field. The sound processor further directs the cochlear implant to detect, by way of a third electrode disposed on the electrode lead, an energy magnitude of the field that reflects from cochlear tissue located within the field. Based on a difference between the detected energy magnitude of the field and a baseline energy magnitude of the field, the sound processor determines a proximity of the electrode lead to the cochlear tissue. Corresponding systems and methods are also disclosed.

Embodiments discussed herein facilitate system-independent quantitative perfusion measurements. One example embodiment is a method, comprising: accessing 4D (Four Dimensional) perfusion imaging data of a tissue, where the 4D perfusion imaging data comprises a plurality of 3D (Three Dimensional) stacks of perfusion imaging data over time; performing at least one of artifact reduction or post-processing on the 4D perfusion image data to generate processed 4D perfusion image data; computing one or more quantitative perfusion parameters for the tissue based at least in part on the processed 4D perfusion image data; and outputting a visual representation of the one or more quantitative perfusion parameters.

A method for determining position of an electrode lead inside a body tissue, including: receiving electrical signals recorded from at least one macro electrode contact of an electrode lead positioned inside a body tissue; extracting spiking (SPK) signals from the received electrical signals; providing stored measurements or indications thereof; determining a position of the lead and/or the at least one macro electrode contact inside said body tissue based on the extracted SPK signals and the provided stored measurements or indications thereof.