Systems and methods are disclosed that utilize a robotic device supporting and moving a cutting tool in at least three degrees of freedom. A control system commands the robotic device to control or constrain movement of the cutting tool. A first tracker is coupled to the robotic device and a second tracker is coupled to an anatomy. The second tracker includes three markers that generate optical signals and a non-optical sensor that generates non-optical signals. A navigation system with an optical sensor is in communication with the control system. The navigation system receives, with the optical sensor, the optical signals from one or more of the three markers and receives the non-optical signals from the non-optical sensor. The navigation system communicates position data indicative of a position of the anatomy to the control system to control cutting of the anatomy based on the received optical and non-optical signals.

Systems and methods of tracking the position of an endoscope within a patient's body during an endoscopic procedure is disclosed. The devices and methods include determining a position of the endoscope within the patient in the endoscope's coordinate system, capturing in an image fiducial markers attached to the endoscope by an external optical tracker, transforming the captured fiducial markers from the endoscope's coordinate system to the optical tracker's coordinate system, projecting a virtual image of the endoscope on a model of the patient's organ, and projecting or displaying the combined image.

An apparatus for administering a cancer drug, comprising an optical emitter operatively arranged to emit a visible point of light onto a tissue surface to be treated, a robotic arm, operatively arrange to move a drug-delivery device, in sequence, to each of a plurality of predetermined positions within the tissue to be treated, a tactile sensor operatively arranged at the distal end of the drug-delivery device to determine vertical height movement of the robotic arm for contact of the tissue surface to be treated, a reservoir arranged to store the cancer drug, a needle, operatively arranged to be moved to each of the specific positions within the tissue, and to deliver the drug at those positions, and, a torch head for generating non-thermal plasma in proximity to an end of the needle and the area to be treated.

A technique of generating surgical information from intra-operatively acquired image data of vertebrae and pre-operatively acquired image data of the vertebrae is presented. A method implementation includes obtaining first image segments each containing a different vertebra, and second image segments each containing a different vertebra. The first image segments have been derived by processing the pre-operatively acquired image data, and the second image segments have been derived by processing the inter-operatively acquired image data. The method includes identifying one of the second image segments and one of the first image segments that contain the same vertebra, and determining a transformation that registers the identified first image segment and the identified second image segment. The method includes generating surgical information based on the transformation and the identified first image segment.

Described herein are devices and methods for applying a tension force to various tissues. The devices may be delivered in minimally invasive fashion and used to manipulate tissues in the nose, ear, and throat. Force may be maintained by the devices for a time period that allows shaping, compression, or approximation of tissues.

Systems and methods track objects within an operating room. A machine vision system includes a camera and a controller. A navigation system includes a camera unit including a sensor array. The sensor array includes a plurality of sensing elements. The controller system identifies a first subset of the plurality of sensing elements to be active based on the position of the object. The controller is also configured to track a movement of the object within the operating room using the first subset of the plurality of sensing elements while preventing the use of the second subset of the plurality of sensing elements.

A passive end effector of a surgical system includes a base connected to a rotational disk, and a saw attachment connected to the rotational disk. The base is attached to an end effector coupler of a robot arm positioned by a surgical robot, and includes a base arm extending away from the end effector coupler. The rotational disk is rotatably connected to the base arm and rotates about a first location on the rotational disk relative to the base arm. The saw attachment is rotatably connected to the rotational disk and rotates about a second location on the rotational disk. The first location on the rotational disk is spaced apart from the second location on the rotational disk. The saw attachment is configured to connect to a surgical saw including a saw blade configured to oscillate for cutting. The saw attachment rotates about the rotational disk and the rotational disk rotates about the base arm to constrain cutting of the saw blade to a range of movement along arcuate paths within a cutting plane.

Devices, Systems, and Methods for controlled movement of the robot system. The surgical robot system may include a robot having a robot base, a robot arm coupled to the robot base, and an end-effector coupled to the robot arm. The robot may include a plurality of omni-directional wheels affixed to the robot base allowing multiple-axis movement of the robot. The robot may further include sensors for detecting a desired movement of the robot base and a control system responsive to the plurality of sensors for controlling the multiple-axis movement of the robot by actuating two or more of the plurality of omni-directional wheels.

A mobile surgical tracking system comprises a mobile surgical tracking device comprising an integrated fiducial marker and an imaging device. The imaging device is configured to generate an image of a patient's anatomical structure. The mobile surgical tracking system comprises a tracking system coordinate frame. The integrated fiducial marker has a position which has a known relation to the tracking system coordinate frame for the direct registration of the image to the coordinate system of the mobile surgical tracking device.

A guidance method comprising: placing a tracking pad adjacent a body, the tracking pad including a guiding opening and a plurality of sensors, locating a distal end of a needle inside of the guiding opening at an insertion point adjacent the body, the needle including at least one beacon, operating the plurality of sensors with the at least one beacon to track an actual disposition of the needle, establishing a target disposition for the needle, moving the needle in a direction of movement to synchronize the actual disposition with the target disposition, and inserting the distal end of the needle into the body along an insertion axis.