Surgical robot systems, anatomical structure tracker apparatuses, and US transducer apparatuses are disclosed. A surgical robot system includes a robot, a US transducer, and at least one processor. The robot includes a robot base, a robot arm coupled to the robot base, and an end-effector coupled to the robot arm. The end-effector is configured to guide movement of a surgical instrument. The US transducer is coupled to the end-effector and operative to output US imaging data of anatomical structure proximately located to the end-effector. The least one processor is operative to obtain an image volume for the patient and to track pose of the end-effector relative to anatomical structure captured in the image volume based on the US imaging data.

A system for tracking an instrument with ultrasound includes a probe (122) for transmitting and receiving ultrasonic energy and a transducer (130) associated with the probe and configured to move with the probe during use. A medical instrument (102) includes a sensor (120) configured to respond to the ultrasonic energy received from the probe. A control module (124) is stored in memory and configured to interpret the ultrasonic energy received from the probe and the sensor to determine a three dimensional location of the medical instrument and to inject a signal to the probe from the transducer to highlight a position of the sensor in an image.

A positioning system includes a group of positioning devices including a first device comprising a first positioning source associated with a first positioning modality, the first positioning source being configured to view a first field, a second device comprising a second positioning source associated with a second positioning modality that is of a different type than the first positioning modality, the second positioning source being configured to view a second field, a third device comprising one or more first markers detectable within the first field using the first positioning modality, and a fourth device comprising one or more second markers detectable within the second field using the second positioning modality. A linking structure physically links two of the group of positioning devices to one another in a fixed, rigid relative position and orientation.

A surgical instrument navigation system is provided that visually simulates a virtual volumetric scene of a body cavity of a patient from a point of view of a surgical instrument residing in the cavity of the patient. The surgical instrument navigation system includes: a surgical instrument; an imaging device which is operable to capture scan data representative of an internal region of interest within a given patient; a tracking subsystem that employs electro-magnetic sensing to capture in real-time position data indicative of the position of the surgical instrument; a data processor which is operable to render a volumetric, perspective image of the internal region of interest from a point of view of the surgical instrument; and a display which is operable to display the volumetric perspective image of the patient.

Protective packaging, surgical kits, systems, and methods are described herein for assisting in determining whether a tool is properly installed on a surgical device. The protective packaging retains the tool and has trackable features defined relative to a tool center point of the tool. The trackable features have a predetermined state defined relative to the tool center point and the trackable features are configured to be detectable by a localizer to locate the tool center point. One or more controllers can compare the actual state of the tool center point with an expected state of the tool center point, which is based on an expected condition in which the tool is properly mounted to the surgical device. Based on the comparison, the one or more controllers can determine whether the tool is properly mounted to the surgical device.

A system and method for providing enhanced information to a surgeon is described. A three-dimensional reconstruction of a patient's anatomical structure selected for surgery and a representation of a surgical treatment apparatus are rendered on a display device. At least one attachment metric for a proposed attachment between the surgical treatment apparatus and the patient's anatomical structure is calculated using the three-dimensional position of the surgical treatment apparatus relative to the patient's anatomical structure. And, an indication of the attachment metric is rendered on the display device.

An ultrasound device (10) includes a probe (12) including a tube (14) sized for insertion into a patient and an ultrasound transducer (18) disposed at a distal end (16) of the tube. A camera (20) is mounted at the distal end of the tube in a fixed spatial relationship to the ultrasound transducer. At least one electronic processor (28) is programmed to: control the ultrasound transducer and the camera to acquire ultrasound images (19) and camera images (21) respectively while the ultrasound transducer is disposed in vivo inside the patient; and construct a keyframe (36) representative of an in vivo position of the ultrasound transducer including at least ultrasound image features (38) extracted from at least one of the ultrasound images acquired at the in vivo position of the ultrasound transducer and camera image features (40) extracted from one of the camera images acquired at the in vivo position of the ultrasound transducer.

An intraoperative ultrasound imaging system and method capable of using ultrasound imaging to safely place a surgical access instrument (e.g. guide wire, dilator, cannula, etc.) through a tissue (e.g., muscle, fat, brain, liver, lung, etc.) without damaging nearby neurovascular structure is described herein. The intraoperative ultrasound system includes an ultrasound probe assembly configured for emitting and receiving ultrasound waves and a computer system including a processor and a display unit. Once the probe is in position, ultrasound imaging is performed wherein the computer receives RF data from the probe and causes a B-mode image of the visible anatomical structures (e.g. muscle, bone, etc.) to be displayed on the display unit.

A representation apparatus for displaying a graphical representation of an augmented reality includes a capture unit, a first display unit, and a processing unit. The first display unit is at least partially transparent. The capture unit is configured to capture a relative positioning of the first display unit relative to a representation area of a second display unit. The processing unit is configured to determine an observation geometry between the first display unit and the representation area of the second display unit based on the relative positioning, receive a dataset, generate the augmented reality based on the dataset, and provide the graphical representation of the augmented reality via virtual mapping of the augmented reality onto the representation area along the observation geometry. The first display unit displays the graphical representation of the augmented reality in at least partial overlaying with the representation area of the second display unit.

A system for delivering drugs or other molecules to the brain comprises an ultrasound imaging transducer configured to image structures such as the circle of Willis within a patient's head by way of a low attenuation acoustic window. The system includes a processor configured to register the ultrasound images to previously obtained images which also include the structures. The system includes ultrasound transducer elements operable to deliver ultrasound energy to a target region to cause the blood brain barrier to open. The system may include a drug delivery system that may be operated to deliver a drug to the patient in coordination with opening the blood brain barrier. Coordinates of the target region relative to the ultrasound imaging transducer are determined using registration information.