A catheter treatment apparatus comprises an elongate tubular member and an expandable support. The expandable support comprises a radioactive substance to treat cancerous tissue and is configured to expand from a narrow profile for insertion to a wide profile to engage and treat tissue remaining after resection. The expandable support can be sized to fit within a volume of removed tissue to place the radioactive substance in proximity to the capsule and remaining tissue, to spare the capsule and proximate nerves and vessels to treat tissue in proximity to the capsule. The elongate tubular member may comprise a channel such as a lumen to pass a bodily fluid such as urine when the expandable support engages the tissue to treat the patient for a plurality of days. The treatment apparatus can be used to resect and diagnose tissue concurrently. Based on the diagnosis, targeted segmental treatment may be given.

A transrectal probe manipulator system includes a probe comprising a biopsy needle and a manipulator. The manipulator includes a base including first and second base support shafts on a base body, a main frame, and a mounting plate. A lower end of the main frame is rotatably connected to the base through a first shaft to define a first degree of freedom. The mounting plate includes first and second mounting plate support shafts and a probe receiver, and is rotatably connected to the main frame through a second shaft to define a second degree of freedom. The probe receiver is rotatable about a central axis to define a third degree of freedom, and linearly moveable along the central axis to define a fourth degree of freedom. The probe is secured to the probe receiver. The manipulator is driven by cables which are attached to the shafts in an actuation assembly.

A system for planning and performing a guided and free-handed transperineal prostate biopsy includes a transrectal ultrasound probe, an access needle configured to perforate a perineal access site of a patient, a biopsy gun, and a guide. The guide includes a sliding platform, stabilization bars, upper and lower mounts, and fasteners. The system and guide apparatus is used for locating a target area using the ultrasound probe, positioning the ultrasound and the access needle at respective designated points, precisely measuring the distance to a designated point, and obtaining specimens from a precise point in the prostate, wherein the method is performed free-handed, and multiple tissue or cell specimens may be obtained from the prostate through an initial access needle.

A system and method for medical device detection includes a guidance system (38) configured to deliver a surgical device (32) into a subject. A surgical device deployment detector (25, 40, 42, 44) is configured to cooperate with the guidance system and is configured to detect a deployment of the surgical device in the subject. A coordination module (22) is configured to receive input from the guidance system and the deployment detector to determine and record one or more of a location and time of each deployment.

A system, method, and storage device storing computer executable instructions for use in tissue analysis and therapy. A motorized optical probe for illuminating tissue generates light fluorescence and/or diffuse reflectance signals corresponding to the illuminated tissue. One or more ultrasound, CT and MRI imaging guidance systems identify the position of the optical probes relative to the tissue. An imaging system generates a three-dimensional image of the tissue based on the generated light signals and the identified position of the optical probe.

According to an aspect of the present invention, a medical device is provided, which comprises the following: (a) a hollow elongate body (e.g., a elongate cylinder, such as a needle) having distal and proximal ends; and (b) a rotatable member comprising a tissue morselizer and an elongate shaft (e.g., an auger-like tissue-drilling bit). In the devices of the present invention, the elongate shaft is disposed within the hollow elongate body and cooperates with the hollow elongate body to (i) advance material (e.g., morselated tissue) toward the proximal end of the hollow elongate body when the shaft is rotated in a first direction, and (ii) advance material (e.g., a therapeutic agent and/or a bulking agent) toward the distal end of the hollow elongate body when the shaft is rotated in a second direction that is opposite the first direction. According to another aspect of the invention a method of treatment is provided that comprises: (a) inserting the a medical device like that above into the tissue of a patient; (b) morselizing and removing tissue from within the patient while rotating the shaft in a first direction, thereby creating a void within the patient; and (c) introducing a therapeutic agent and/or a bulking agent into the void.

Treatment of prostate cancer by regional and prolonged release of one or more nucleotide-based RNAi agents is provided.

An embodiment of the claimed invention is directed to a method that greatly streamlines and reduces costs for tissue preparation, preservation, long-term storage and sample retrieval for molecular analysis using a method based on dried blood spot (DBS) technology. In this method, a small needle punch sample of freshly excised tissue will be homogenized in stabilizing reagent and inserted into a device containing absorbent material and drying agent. This device is suitable for long-term sample storage at ambient temperature and allows for easy removal of sections for biomarker analysis.

A surgical treatment apparatus comprises a waterjet configured to fragment tissue and provide intact cells such as stem cells with the fragmented tissue. The intact cells can be used in one or more of many ways such as for genetic or other testing, and the intact cells can be identified as stem cells. In many embodiments, the intact cells comprise stem cells. In many embodiments, a waterjet is configured to fragment tissue. The fragmented tissue can be collected with a filter having pores sized smaller than the tissue fragments. In many embodiments cavitation with a waterjet is used to fragment the tissue comprising the intact stem cells. The waterjet may comprise a waterjet immersed in a liquid comprising water so as to form a plurality of shedding pulses. The plurality of shedding pulses can be generated with a frequency sufficient to fragment the tissue. The shedding pulses can generate cavitations that fragment the tissue.

A robot-assisted approach for transrectal ultrasound (TRUS) guided prostate biopsy includes a hands-free probe manipulator that moves the probe with the same 4 degrees-of-freedom (DoF) that are used manually. Transrectal prostate biopsy is taken one step further, with an actuated TRUS manipulation arm. The robot of the present invention enables the performance of hands-free, skill-independent prostate biopsy. Methods to minimize the deformation of the prostate caused by the probe at 3D imaging and needle targeting are included to reduce biopsy targeting errors. The present invention also includes a prostate coordinate system (PCS). The PCS helps defining a systematic biopsy plan without the need for prostate segmentation. A novel method to define an SB plan is included for 3D imaging, biopsy planning, robot control, and navigation.