A working end of a catheter includes at least one therapeutic element, such as a resistive heating element, usable to deliver energy for ligating, or reducing the diameter of, a hollow anatomical structure. In certain examples, the catheter includes a lumen to accommodate a guide wire or to allow fluid delivery. In certain embodiments, a balloon is inflated to place resistive element(s) into apposition with a hollow anatomical structure and to occlude the structure. Indexing devices and methods are also disclosed for successively treating portions of the hollow anatomical structure. In certain examples, marks along the catheter shaft provide visual verification to the physician of the relative position of the therapeutic element of the catheter. Embodiments of indexing devices may include pairs of rings and/or hinged arms that move a catheter a desired indexed position between successive treatments.

A surgical robotic arm (520) for use with an external vision system (512) includes onboard control and at least four degrees of articulation. The robotic arm (520) can position various tools (534) in the surgical theatre responsive to positional feedback In from the vision system (512). Exemplary tools (534) include a handpiece (519) that includes a motorized bun or saw, a cutting guide (542) for a handheld saw, or a laser to actively define a resection area for a surgeon. The tool (534) or a reference point on the arm (520) relative to the tool (534) includes fiducial marks to register the position of the tool (534) with the vision system (512). Exemplary (534) are especially suited for knee and hip arthroplasty and can be moved under processor or manual control.

A method for performing a medical procedure may comprise advancing a first device through a first body lumen. A distal portion of the first device may include a magnet. The method may further comprise advancing a second device through a second body lumen. The second device may include a magnetic field sensor. The method may further comprise receiving a signal from the magnetic field sensor. The signal may be indicative of a magnetic field measured by the magnetic field sensor. The method may further comprise, if the received signal matches a magnetic field of the magnet, identifying a position of the magnet.

Navigation systems, methods and software for assisting in determining whether a tool is properly installed on a surgical device. A protective packaging retains the tool and has a trackable feature. The trackable feature has a predetermined state defined relative to the tool and the trackable feature is detectable by a localizer. One or more controllers acquire the actual state of the tool based on the detected trackable feature and compare the actual state of the tool with an expected state of the tool, 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 registration method involves receiving image information corresponding to an anatomical element of a patient; receiving sensor information about a simultaneous pose of each of a patient reference frame, a first robot, and a second robot; determining, based on the image information and the sensor information, a correlation among a patient coordinate system, a first coordinate system of the first robot, and a second coordinate system of the second robot; and controlling movement of the first robot and the second robot within a common work volume based on the correlation.

A high-speed optical tracking with compression and CMOS windowing for tracking applications that require high-speed and/or low latency when delivering pose (orientation and position) data. The high-speed optical tracking with compression and CMOS windowing generally includes an optical tracking system (10) that sense fiducial (22) and by extension markers (20). The markers can either be integrated on tools (20) handled by an operator (e.g. surgeon) (50) or fixed on the subject to track (e.g. patient) (40). The low-level processing (101, 107, 140) is realized within the tracking system to reduce the overall data to be transferred and considerably reduce the processing efforts. Pose data (127) are finally computed and transferred to a PC/monitor (30,31) or to tablet (60) to be used by an end-user application (130).

Disclosed are various embodiments for improved surgical devices and methods of using the same in connection with bariatric and gastroesophageal surgery. The present disclosure includes a lighted bougie device that can include an elongate member and a light source. The light source can be configured to emit near-infrared light. The light source can also be positioned about the bougie such that light emitted from the light source illuminates along a portion of the bougie.

Methods and systems for performing computer-assisted surgery, including robot-assisted image-guided surgery. Embodiments include marker devices for an image guided surgery system, marker systems and arrays for tracking a robotic arm using a motion tracking system, and image guided surgery methods and systems using optical sensors.

A medical robot system, including a robot coupled to an effectuator element with the robot configured for controlled movement and positioning. The system may include a transmitter configured to emit one or more signals, and the transmitter is coupled to an instrument coupled to the effectuator element. The system may further include a motor assembly coupled to the robot and a plurality of receivers configured to receive the one or more signals emitted by the transmitter. A control unit is coupled to the motor assembly and the plurality of receivers, and the control unit is configured to supply one or more instruction signals to the motor assembly. The instruction signals can be configured to cause the motor assembly to selectively move the effectuator element and is further configured to (i) calculate a position of the at least one transmitter by analysis of the signals received by the plurality of receivers; (ii) display the position of the at least one transmitter with respect to the body of the patient; and (iii) selectively control actuation of the motor assembly in response to the signals received by the plurality of receivers.

An optical tracking system includes at least one tracking array for generating and optically transmitting data between 1 and 2,000 MB/s. At least one tracker for optically receiving the optically transmitted data between 1 and 2,000 MB/s is also provided. The tracking system is used not only for tracking objects and sending tracking information quickly but also providing the user or other components in an operating room with additional data relevant to an external device such as a computer assisted device. Orthopedic surgical procedures such as total knee arthroplasty (TKA) are performed more efficiently and with better result with the optical tracking system.