Medical devices are disclosed. For example, a medical device includes an elongated member. The medical device includes a hole forming surface along a portion of the elongated member. The medical device includes an open cell element in physical communication with the elongated member. The open cell element is configured to house at least a first portion of a biocompatible substance.

Devices and methods for gastrointestinal bypass are described. A gastrointestinal bypass device includes a gastrointestinal cuff and a gastrointestinal sleeve. The cuff may be configured to be attached in the esophagus, and may be sufficiently flexible to expand and collapse to conform with the inside of the esophagus to allow the esophagus to function substantially normally. The sleeve is configured to be coupled to the cuff, and may be made of a material that is floppy or flaccid but does not substantially expand radially.

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.

A method of inserting an intervertebral disc implant into a disc space includes accessing a spinal segment having a first vertebral body, a second vertebral body and a disc space between the first and second vertebral bodies. The method includes securing a first pin to the first vertebral body and a second pin to the second vertebral body, using the first and second pins for distracting the disc space, and providing an inserter holding the intervertebral disc implant. The method also desirably includes engaging the inserter with the first and second pins, and advancing the inserter toward the disc space for inserting the intervertebral disc implant into the disc space, whereby the first and second pins align and guide the inserter toward the disc space.

Disclosed are systems, methods, and techniques for registering a HMD coordinate system of a head-mounted display (HMD) and a localizer coordinate system of a surgical navigation localizer. A camera of the HMD captures at least one image of a registration device having a registration coordinate system and a plurality of registration markers. The registration markers are analyzed in the at least one image to determine a pose of the HMD coordinate system relative to the registration coordinate system. One or more position sensors comprised in the localizer detect a plurality of tracking markers comprised in the registration device to determine a pose of the registration coordinate system relative to the localizer coordinate system. The HMD coordinate system and the localizer coordinate system are registered using the registration device, wherein positions of the registration markers are known with respect to positions of the tracking markers in the registration coordinate system.

Embodiments include devices and methods configured to fractionally resect skin and/or fat. Fractional resection is applied as a stand-alone procedure in anatomical areas that are off-limits to conventional plastic surgery due to the poor tradeoff between the visibility of the incisional scar and amount of enhancement obtained. Fractional resection is also applied as an adjunct to established plastic surgery procedures such as liposuction, and is employed to significantly reduce the length of incisions required for a particular application. The shortening of incisions has application in both the aesthetic and reconstructive realms of plastic surgery.

Methods of bioprinting a bio-ink construct on an internal tissue defect or a chondral defect during a minimally invasive surgery on an individual in need thereof are provided, comprising: visualizing the defect; positioning a bioprinter comprising a printhead within proximity of or in contact with the defect; and ejecting a bio-ink from the printhead onto the defect to form a bio-ink layer, thereby generating a bio-ink construct. Further provided are systems for bioprinting a bio-ink construct on an internal tissue defect during a minimally invasive surgery on an individual in need thereof, comprising a control system, an endoscope, and a bioprinter comprising a printhead.

Provided is a tissue staining composition containing carbon particles having a mean particle diameter less than 0.3 μm in diameter (optionally less than 0.2 μm in diameter) together with one or more agents that maintain the carbon particles in suspension (for example, an anti-settling agent and/or surfactant). In certain circumstances, the anti-settling agent may also have mucoadhesive properties. The tissue staining composition is visually dark and does not disperse rapidly when introduced into regions of tissue of interest making it ideal for marking the regions that can be visualized clearly and over prolonged periods of time via, for example, direct visualization, endoscopic or laparoscopic inspection. The invention also provides methods of making and using the tissue staining composition for marking regions of tissue of interest, for example, gastrointestinal tissue, as well as other tissues.

A number of improvements are provided relating to computer aided surgery. The improvement relates to both the methods used during computer aided surgery and the devices used during such procedures. Some of the improvement relate to controlling the selection of which data to display during a procedure and/or how the data is displayed to aid the surgeon. Other improvements relate to the structure of the tools used during a procedure and how the tools can be controlled automatically to improve the efficiency of the procedure. Still other improvements relate to methods of providing feedback during a procedure to improve either the efficiency or quality, or both, for a procedure.

A method of performing bariatric surgery using a robotic surgical system includes positioning a gastrectomy device in a selected location in a stomach; applying an adherent material to the stomach along a desired transection line; and cutting the stomach along the desired transection line delineated by the adherent material.