Disclosed herein are segmented MRI-compatible interventional devices, such as catheters and guidewires, that provide desired mechanical properties while avoiding undesired interactions with MRI fields. Disclosed devices can include helical wires with insulated breaks at intervals along each wire so that the insulated wire segments are individually short enough to avoid substantial resonance and heat being generated in the wires due to an applied MRI field. The segmented wires can be organized into a braided/woven tubular configuration or a non-braided intercalated/parallel tubular configuration that provides the desired mechanical properties similar to conventional metallic braided catheters. The helical wire segments can be insulated such that the wires do not touch each other at points where they cross over each other. Breaks in the wires can be staggered along the longitudinal axis of the device and/or circumferentially around the device to minimize formation of weak areas where wire breaks are aligned or grouped.

The invention provides devices and methods for aneurysm treatment using a material that minimizes susceptibility artifacts in MRA images. Since images are not obscured by susceptibility artifacts associated with the aneurysm treatment device, those images are useful and reliable for evaluating the success of treatment. The material is preferably a non-ferromagnetic metal alloy and may include one or a combination of cobalt, nickel, chromium, and molybdenum. In certain embodiments, the material is a 35Cobalt-35Nickel-20Chromium-10Molybdenum-Low Titanium alloy medical-grade material.

Various embodiments of a non-metal retractor device having a ratchet arm for retracting an incision and retaining a shunt are described herein.

Various embodiments of a non-metal retractor device having a ratchet arm for retracting an incision and retaining a shunt are described herein.

Various embodiments of a non-metal retractor device for retracting an incision and retaining a shunt are described herein.

A trajectory guiding apparatus and one or more methods associated therewith for facilitating precision-guided alignment and implantation of a DBS therapy device in a patient. A base plate and base frame combination provides a platform for a dual-stage slider (DSS) assembly comprising a bottom stage slider (BSS) table and a top stage slider (TSS) table that each have suitably sized apertures or orifices therethrough for allowing the passage of and securely holding an instrumentation column (IC) assembly whose translational movement (i.e., sideways or forward and/or backward directions along a translational plane) and pivotal/rotational movement (i.e., around a perpendicular axis orthogonal to the translational plane and extending through a pivot or fulcrum) are independently controlled by respective slide actuators in order to properly align the IC assembly to a desired trajectory.

A trajectory guiding apparatus and one or more methods associated therewith for facilitating precision-guided alignment and implantation of a DBS therapy device in a patient. Orthogonally disposed first and second arcuate racks are independently actuatable by respective pinion drives, wherein the first arcuate rack is coupled to a base support and the second arcuate rack is operative to support a slider assembly arranged to accommodate an instrumentation column (IC) containing the therapy device. The first pinion drive is actuatable to cause a first curvilinear motion of the second arcuate rack including the slider assembly, the first curvilinear motion defined along a first arcuate path on a first perpendicular plane. The second pinion drive is actuatable to cause a second curvilinear motion associated with the slider assembly including the IC, the second curvilinear motion defined along a second arcuate path congruent with the second arcuate rack's curvature and disposed on a second perpendicular plane orthogonal to the first perpendicular plane.

A trajectory guiding apparatus and one or more methods associated therewith for facilitating precision-guided alignment and implantation of a DBS therapy device in a patient. A pivotally rotatable stage is pivotally coupled to a base support and a vertical support operative to support a slider assembly arranged to accommodate an instrumentation column (IC) containing the therapy device. A first gimbal drive is disposed between the pivotally rotatable stage and the base support, wherein the first gimbal drive is actuatable to cause a first pivotal motion of the slider assembly including the IC, the first pivotal motion defined along a first arcuate path pivoted around a first pivotal axis. A second gimbal drive is disposed between the pivotally rotatable stage and the vertical support, wherein the second gimbal drive is actuatable to cause a second pivotal motion of the slider assembly including the IC, the second pivotal motion defined along a second arcuate path pivoted around a second pivotal axis perpendicular to the first pivotal axis.

A device for applying external pressure on a surface of an anatomical object, such as a blood vessel, comprises at least two jaws, a closing force generating device for applying compressive or closing force to the jaws so to driving said jaws against each other. The device also comprises an actuating device for applying counterforce against said compressive force, and a control unit. The control unit controls the operation of the actuating device to apply said counterforce so that said external pressure applied by said jaws into the surface of said anatomical object, such as a blood vessel, is applied in a way to manipulate a flow rate of a fluid circulation in the anatomical object as a function of time in a controllable manner.

A pneumatic stepper motor includes a housing, said housing accommodating at least part of: a rack or geared axle comprising a plurality of gear elements; and two pistons, each comprising at least two teeth, said pistons being arranged to cooperate with said rack or geared axle. The racks may either be straight or curved. The pistons are preferably double-acting pistons. A device includes at least one, and preferably a plurality of, such pneumatic stepper motor(s). The device may in particular be an MRI-compatible robotic system, more in particular for example an MRI-guided breast biopsy device.