A method is provided for navigating an endoscopic device through an anatomical luminal network of a patient. The method comprises: (a) commanding a distal tip of an articulating elongate member to move along a pre-determined path; (b) concurrent with (a), collecting positional sensor data and kinematics data; and (c) computing an estimated roll angle based on the positional sensor data and the kinematics data.

A hybrid vision device is provided. The hybrid vision device comprises: an articulating elongate member comprising a proximal end and a distal end, and a positional sensor is located at the distal end of the articulating elongate member; and a multimodal sensing probe removably coupled to the articulating elongate member, and the multimodal sensing probe comprises an ultrasound transducer and a camera located at a distal portion of the multimodal sensing probe.

A biopsy needle has a central axis and includes one or more sensing regions, each sensing region formed by a plurality of sensing optical fibers located over a particular extent of said central axis and inside the outer shell of the needle. The sensing optical fibers are coupled to a wavelength interrogator. A steerable catheter has a central axis and outer shell, the outer shell coupled to a plurality of optical fibers in sensing regions and actuation regions, the sensing regions formed over particular extents of the central axis by bonding gratings to the inner surface of the outer shell, and the actuation regions formed by coupling optical energy into shape memory alloys bonded to the outer shell.

A robotic system includes a manipulator assembly including at least one actuator, a control system including at least one processor configured to control the manipulator assembly, an elongate flexible catheter configured to be manipulated by the at least one actuator, and a support structure mounted on a proximal portion of the elongate flexible catheter. The support structure includes a first alignment feature and a second alignment feature. The first alignment feature is configured to mate with a first sensor such that the first sensor is maintained parallel to a longitudinal axis of the support structure. The second alignment feature is configured to mate with a second sensor such that the second sensor is maintained parallel to the longitudinal axis of the support structure and such that the second sensor is fixed relative to the first sensor in at least one degree of freedom.

A system for dynamic localization of medical instruments includes an ultrasound imaging system (110) configured to image a volume where one or more medical instruments are deployed. A registration module (136) registers two images of the one or more medical instruments to compute a transform between the two images, the two images being separated in time. A planning module (142) is configured to have positions of the volume and the one or more medical instruments updated based on the transform and, in turn, update a treatment plan in accordance with the updated positions such that changes in the volume and positions of the one or more medical instruments are accounted for in the updated plan.

A system and method for navigation of a luminal network including receiving a computed tomography (CT) image data set, generating a three-dimensional (3D) model, displaying the 3D model in a user-interface on a display operatively connected to the computing device, and receiving an indication of a location of a tumor in the CT image data set. The system and method further including displaying the location of the tumor in the 3D model, receiving an indication of a margin around the tumor to achieve a desired therapy, generating a pathway to the tumor for navigation of a catheter, receiving a location of a sensor associated with a navigation catheter and registering the CT image data set with a luminal network of a patient, displaying the location of the sensor within the 3D model that substantially corresponds to the location of the sensor within the luminal network of the patient.

A system and method directed to detecting placement of a medical device within a patient body, the system including a medical device including an optical fiber having core fibers. Each of the one or more core fibers can include a plurality of sensors each configured to reflect a light signal having an altered characteristic due to strain experienced by the optical fiber. The system can further include logic configured to determine a 3D shape of the medical device in accordance with the strain of the optical fiber. The logic can be configured to define a reference plane for the 3D shape and render an image of the 3D shape on a display of the system in accordance with the reference plane.

The present invention relates to an optical connection device for optically connecting a first connector (42) of a first optical fiber device (44) with a second connector (46) of a second optical fiber device (48) along an optical axis, which comprises a plug part (40) having an elongated shaft (58) having a longitudinal shaft axis (62) and a lumen (60) extending through the shaft (58) along the shaft axis (62) for receiving the first connector (42), the plug part (40) further having a cap (64) at a first end of the shaft (58) which has an insertion opening (66) for insertion of the first connector (42) into the lumen (60), the opening (66) being aligned and communicating with the lumen (60), the plug part (40) having an optical window (68) having a solid body element (69), wherein the plug part (40) is at least in part deformable; and a clamp part (18), wherein the plug part (40) is configured to be at least partially inserted into the clamp part (18), and the clamp part (18) is configured to, when the plug part (40) is at least partially inserted in the clamp part (18) and when the first connector (42) is inserted into the lumen (60) of the shaft (58) of the plug part (40), exert a force onto the plug part (40) which deforms the plug part (40) upon tightening the clamp part (18) so as to clamp and hold the first connector (42) in position and orientation with respect to the optical axis.

An apparatus includes a shaft including a distal shaft end. The apparatus also includes a sleeve slidably coupled to the shaft. The sleeve includes a distal sleeve end. The apparatus further includes a colpotomy cup fixedly secured to the distal sleeve end, and an inflatable balloon positioned over the shaft near the distal shaft end such that the inflatable balloon is configured to manipulate an anatomical structure via movement of the shaft. The apparatus also includes at least one sensor configured to detect at least one of a fluid pressure within the inflatable balloon or a force acting upon the inflatable balloon. The at least one sensor is configured to generate at least one feedback signal based on the detected at least one of a fluid pressure or a force.

A navigation, tracking and guiding system for the positioning of operatory instruments inside the body of a patient. The system includes a control unit, a viewer and detecting means for determining the spatial position of the viewer. The system further includes a sensor associated to an operatory instrument and insertable inside the internal portion of the body of the patient. The control unit is configured to project on the viewer an image of the state of the internal portion.