A surgical instrument navigation system and method of use is provided that visually simulates a virtual volumetric scene of a body cavity of a patient from a point of view of a surgical instrument residing in the cavity of the patient, wherein the surgical instrument, as provided, may be a steerable surgical catheter with a biopsy device and/or a surgical catheter with a side-exiting medical instrument, among others. Additionally, systems, methods and devices are provided for forming a respiratory-gated point cloud of a patient's respiratory system and for placing a localization element in an organ of a patient.

Certain aspects relate to biopsy apparatuses, systems and techniques for biopsy using a biopsy pattern. Some aspects relate to moving a distal portion of a medical instrument to one or more sample locations of the biopsy pattern and guiding the instrument to obtain tissue samples from the sample locations within the biopsy pattern. Some aspects relate to obtaining the biopsy pattern and adjusting the sample locations within the biopsy pattern based on various factors such as anatomical features.

During a focused-ultrasound or other non-invasive treatment procedure, the motion of the treatment target or other object(s) of interest can be tracked in real time based on (i) the comparison of treatment images against a reference library of images that have been acquired prior to treatment for the anticipated range of motion and have been processed to identify the location of the target or other object(s) therein and (ii) complementary information associated with the stage of the target motion during treatment.

A medical device is configured to sense a cardiac electrical signal and determine from the cardiac electrical signal at least one of a maximum peak amplitude of a positive slope of the cardiac electrical signal and a maximum peak time interval from a pacing pulse to the maximum peak amplitude. The device is configured to determine a capture type of the pacing pulse based on at least one or both of the maximum peak amplitude and the maximum peak time interval.

Provided herein are systems and methods for generating fetal cardiac magnetic resonance (MR) images of a living fetus, within a uterus of a parent of the fetus, by imaging the fetus within the uterus using a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system. Also provided herein are methods for deriving information indicative of fetal cardiac cycles from MR data obtained by an MRI system while imaging the fetus, the MR data including MR data for the center of k-space. The derived information may be used to differentiate the fetal cardiac cycles from other sources of noise in the MR data such as the parental cardiac cycles.

In an example, a method includes receiving a cardiac signal that is sensed by an electrode at a tissue location inside the heart. Fractionations are identified in the cardiac signal. The fractionations identified at the tissue location are compared between first and second cardiac cycles of the cardiac signal. Based on the comparing, a likelihood is estimated, that the tissue location is causing a stable arrhythmia. Based on the estimated likelihood, the tissue location is indicated to a user as likely to be causing the stable arrhythmia.

Described here are systems and methods for using a laser-induced demagnetization of magnetic particles disbursed in a tracking marker to generate variable susceptibility effects that can be imaged with magnetic resonance imaging (“MRI”). As one example, laser power is delivered to nickel particles using fiber optics. This demagnetization effect can be used in rapid tracking of interventional devices by subtracting the two images acquired when the laser is off and on.

According to an embodiment, there is provided that processing circuitry configured to determine a first radiation timing at which a subject is irradiated with an X-ray, based on information on motion of an object in X-ray image data, the information on motion being calculated by the X-ray image data, the X-ray image data being associated with an electrocardiographic waveform of the subject, and repeatedly irradiate the subject with an X-ray at the first radiation timing per cycle of the electrocardiographic waveform of the subject.

A method includes emitting optical energy, detecting a feature, emitting optical energy, and determining a physiological parameter. The method includes emitting optical energy having spectral content in a first range. The first range includes green light or infrared light. The optical energy is directed at tissue using a wearable module. The method includes detecting a feature in a photoplethysmogram signal. The feature has spectral content corresponding to optical energy in the first range. In response to detecting the feature, the method includes emitting optical energy having spectral content in a second range. The second range is different from the first range. The method includes determining a physiological parameter using the optical energy in the second range.

A method is for medical imaging of a patient using a medical imaging system with ECG triggering. In an embodiment, the method includes capturing a respiration signal of the patient including n respiration cycles; concurrently capturing an ECG signal of the patient including m heartbeat intervals; determining a respiration-dependent heartbeat model based upon the n respiration cycles and the m heartbeat intervals; specifying at least one trigger time-point based upon the respiration-dependent heartbeat model; and starting the medical imaging at the specified trigger time-point.