Techniques and technologies for guiding medical instruments during medical procedures using real-time imaging technologies are disclosed. A representative apparatus includes a medical instrument, an imaging system, a stage assembly, and a control system. The medical instrument includes an elongated portion configured to be inserted into a body portion and having an optical fiber that includes a tip portion that is extendable beyond a distal end of the elongated portion. The imaging system provides a sampling energy that is emitted from the tip portion. The stage assembly actuates the tip portion to perform scanning of one or more tissues with the sampling energy. The imaging system receives a reflected energy, providing a plurality of one-dimensional arrays of intensity values of the reflected energy. The control system analyzes the plurality of one-dimensional arrays of intensity values to determine a shape and a location of the target tissue, and displays information for guiding the medical instrument into engagement with the target tissue.

A supply tray for a surgical procedure is selected based on the surgical procedure and patient data retrieved from an electronic health records database. Multiple steps of the surgical procedure are retrieved from the electronic health records database. A message is sent to a first manipulator to move a supply from the supply tray to a staging area for performing a step. A first indication is received from a first sensor that the supply is needed at a present time. A position where the supply is needed in an operating area proximate to the staging area is determined using a second sensor. A second message is sent to a second manipulator to move the supply from the staging area to the position. A second indication is received from a third sensor that the step is complete. A third message is sent to a third manipulator to remove the supply.

A system and method for displaying an endoscope image in a preferred orientation. An endoscope scans a sample with spectrally encoded light by rotating imaging optics inside an endoscope guide. A processor generates an image based on light returned from the sample, and rotates the image by a first angle offset value and a second angle offset value to display the rotated image in the preferred orientation. The first offset value is an angle difference between a specific direction in which the image is to be displayed on a display and a direction in which the tip of the endoscope is oriented with respect to the imaging plane. The second offset value is an angle difference between a direction of the line of scanning light projected onto a plane perpendicular to the tip and the specific direction in which the image is to be displayed.

A medical support arm includes: a support arm that supports an endoscope; an actuator that drives the support arm; a measurement unit that measures a load applied to the actuator; a generation unit that generates three-dimensional information in a body into which the endoscope is inserted; and a correction unit that corrects the three-dimensional information on a basis of the measured load.

An illuminating ring assembly is disclosed. The illuminating ring configured to be used with a surgical access element. The illuminating ring assembly comprises a housing defined by a cover and a wall member extending from the cover, wherein the cover and wall member cooperate to define a cavity therein, a light element configured to be disposed with the cavity, and an attachment mechanism configured to selectively attach the housing to a surgical access element. Wherein the cover and the light element both include an opening therethrough.

A method of notifying personnel in an operating room of a potential hazard comprising, at a computing system: capturing at least one image of the operating room by at least one camera that can detect light outside of a visible spectrum; determining that at least one potential hazard is in the operating room based on analysis of the at least one image; and in response to determining that the at least one potential hazard is in the operating room, generating at least one notification for notifying the personnel in the operating room that there is the at least one potential hazard in the operating room.

A system for removing a kidney stone from a ureter may include: an elongate, flexible, outer shaft having a distal end configured to be advanced into the ureter and a proximal end; an elongate, flexible, inner shaft extending through at least part of the outer shaft; an expandable stone retention member extending through at least part of the inner shaft and moveable along the longitudinal axis relative to the inner shaft; an elongate, flexible camera positioned coaxially within the retention member shaft, such that a distal end of the camera is located at or near a distal end of the inner shaft; and a handle coupled with the proximal end of the outer shaft, a proximal end of the inner shaft, and a proximal end of the retention member shaft.

A catheter comprises an elongated catheter body, a control handle, and a hollow tip electrode having a radially-symmetrical shell defining a cavity surrounding a center inner location from which light is emitted to pass through a plurality of openings formed in the shell for interaction with tissue and/or fluid, such as blood, outside of and in contact with the shell. Light interacting with tissue is reflected back into the cavity for collection whereas light interacting with fluid, such as blood, is absorbed. By analyzing the light collected in the cavity, a determination is made as to a ratio of light reflected by tissue versus light absorbed by fluid for indicating the amount of contact between the tip electrode and tissue. Alternatively, fluorescence may similarly be employed (light is emitted at one wavelength and detected at one or more different wavelengths) since tissue and blood have different fluorescence properties at various wavelengths. An integrated ablation and spectroscopy system further comprises an RF generator, a light source and a light analyzer adapted to analyze the light collected in the cavity.

Certain aspects relate to systems and techniques for luminal network navigation. Some aspects relate to incorporating respiratory frequency and/or magnitude into a navigation system to implement patient safety measures. Some aspects relate to identifying, and compensating for, motion caused by patient respiration in order to provide a more accurate identification of the position of an instrument within a luminal network.

Disclosed herein are systems and techniques for compensating for insertion of an instrument into a working channel of another instrument in a surgical system. According to one embodiment, a method of compensation includes: detecting insertion of an insertable instrument into a working channel of a flexible instrument; detecting, based on a data signal from at least one sensor, a position change of a distal portion of the flexible instrument from an initial position: generating a control signal based on the detected position change; and adjusting a tensioning of a pull wire based on the control signal to return the distal portion to the initial position.