A method of inhibiting cancer cell metastasis in a subject by providing a biopsy marker device constructed of a polymeric material, the polymeric material containing an anti-inflammatory agent which is releasable over an extended period of time from the polymeric material after the biopsy marker device has been implanted in a tissue of the subject, and implanting the biopsy marker device into a tissue cavity of the subject, wherein the tissue cavity is caused by a biopsy performed on a tumor in the subject, and wherein release of the anti-inflammatory agent from the polymeric material does not begin for at least 18 to 24 hours after implantation and continues for at least 14 to 60 days after implantation. Metastasis of cancer cells from the tissue cavity is inhibited when the tumor is cancerous. The tissue may be, for example, breast, lung, prostate, pancreas, liver, kidney, uterus, ovary, intestine, stomach, or neck tissue.

The present invention relates to a system, method, and computer programs for the placement of dental implants. The system comprises posts for modeling dental implants, each for the coupling thereof in a dental implant of a patient, wherein each post includes a plurality of first locators made of a radiologically visible material; a reference element suitable for the positioning thereof around the teeth of said patient, wherein said reference element includes a series of second locators made of a radiologically visible material, distributed at prefixed distance and position on a surface of the reference element; an image acquisition system for obtaining a three-dimensional image of the posts and of said reference element; and a processing unit configured for processing said three-dimensional image acquired by means of implementing algorithms calculating the position and axial orientation of each of the posts present in the image, providing a file.

Disclosed biopsy markers are adapted to serve as localization markers during a surgical procedure. Adaptation includes incorporation of materials detectable under ultrasound during surgery, as well as features for co-registration with image guidance or other real-time imaging technologies during surgery. Such biopsy markers, when used as localization markers, improve patient comfort and reduce challenges in surgical coordination and surgery time. Additional disclosed biopsy markers are adapted to serve as monitoring and/or detection apparatuses. Localization of an implanted marker may be done with ultrasound technology. Ultrasound image data is analyzed to identify the implanted marker. A distance to the marker or a lesion may be determined and displayed. The determined distance may be a distance between the ultrasound probe and the marker or lesion, a distance between the marker or lesion and an incision instrument, and/or a distance between the ultrasound probe and the incision instrument.

A marker for use in the lung of patients for marking the position of a lesion in the lung, wherein the marker comprises a self-expandable structure capable of self-expanding when released from a constricting device so as to implement marking function. Because the marker for use in the lung of a patient employs the self-expandable structure, when the position of a lesion is detected during a lung examination, the marker can be delivered to the position of the lesion via a catheter or a delivering device and substantively pressed and fixed by the lung when expanded at the lesion positions; as such, the lesion position can be located quickly by a surgeon during a surgery, the surgery time is shortened, the area of resection is reduced, and the post-surgery quality of life is improved for a patient.

Systems and methods for reducing pathogens near an implant are discussed. In some cases, the methods include reducing contaminants in a portion of a patient that has an implant and that is disposed interior to a closed surface of skin of the patient. The method can further include placing a conduit in the closed surface of skin and flowing an antimicrobial fluid into that portion of the patient to contact the antimicrobial fluid with a surface of the implant and tissue adjacent to the implant. In some cases, the antimicrobial fluid is then removed from the portion of the patient having the implant. As part of this method, biofilm near the implant can be mechanically, ultrasonically, electrically, chemically, enzymatically, or otherwise disrupted. Other implementations are described.

Embodiments of the invention provide a system and method for resecting a tissue mass. The system for resecting a tissue mass includes a first sensor for measuring a signal corresponding to the position and orientation of the tissue mass. The first sensor is dimensioned to fit inside of or next to the tissue mass. The system also includes a second sensor attached to a surgical instrument configured to measure the position and orientation of the surgical instrument. A controller is in communication with the first sensor and the second sensor, and the controller executes a stored program to calculate a distance between the first sensor and the second sensor. Accordingly, visual, auditory, haptic or other feedback is provided to the clinician to guide the surgical instrument to the surgical margin.

A marker delivery device including a delivery catheter, a marker, and a push rod. The delivery catheter is adapted to be inserted into a biopsy site and having a discharge opening. The marker having a coating layer disposed on the surface of a core. The coating layer includes an adhesive with a plurality of microbubbles. The microbubbles are configured to enhance visibility of the marker under ultrasound imaging. The marker is positioned inside the delivery catheter near the discharge opening. The push rod is positioned within the delivery catheter and is adapted to deploy the marker from the delivery catheter into the biopsy site.

Disclosed is an apparatus for tracking and recording the movements of a person's jaw including a reference system with two parts to be fixed to the respective dental arches, an infra-red light projector, a video camera sensitive to infra-red light and a computerized system connected to the projector and to the video camera, wherein the projector projects patterns of points of light onto the face and onto the reference system and wherein the computerized system includes a processing unit configured to process the images taken by the video camera to calculate, for each of these, the distance of at least the points of light that are on the surface of the markers with respect to a pre-determined point with known coordinates, by way of a comparison of the image of the projected pattern with an image of a reference pattern.

A CT apparatus is a so-called CT scanning apparatus that captures a tomographic image of the whole or a part of the area from the upper jaw to the lower jaw of a patient, and outputs CT data (captured image data). An oral cavity scanner is an apparatus that obtains a stereoscopic image by optically capturing an image of the inside of an oral cavity in a state that a plate is fixed to teeth, and outputs the stereoscopic image as three-dimensional shape data. A processing apparatus computes a positional relationship between the teeth and fiducial frame markers on the basis of the CT data and three-dimensional shape data that are obtained by image-capturing performed in a state that the plate is put on the teeth, and a positional relationship between plate markers and the fiducial frame markers.

A scan body member includes a body portion having a first end portion and second end portion opposite the first end portion. A wall portion extends between the first end portion and the second end portion. The wall portion has an exterior surface portion. A system of indicia has a non-recurring distribution about the exterior surface portion and is recessed within the wall portion. The system of indicia is scannable by an optical scanning system to provide unique scan body imaging information for constructing computerized models.