Pose of an ultrasound transducer is recovered. In one approach, inertial measurement units are positioned on the ultrasound transducer. The measurements from the inertial measurement units are used with pose or measurements from another position sensor (e.g., x-ray, electromagnetic, or optical) to improve accuracy and/or provide pose information at a greater rate. In another approach, a curve, line, or other connected shape of light emitting diodes are incorporated into the transducer. Optical tracking, with a filter specific to the light emitting diodes, using the connected shape pattern is used to determine the pose.

Multiple, small, staple-like supports are inserted through a small tube into the disc space then rotated into position on the edge of the vertebral bodies. The tooth-like geometry of the proximal and distal faces of these staples mates with the outer edge of the vertebral body, extending past the front of the endplate anteriorly. The staples have teeth that dig into the endplate on the inside of the rim as well.

Navigational imaging system and method for use in branched luminal structure. Flexible, spatially steerable probe is equipped with forward- and side-imaging mutually complementing means to enable sub-surface imaging, quantitative determination of probe's positioning with respect to anatomical identifiers of structure, forming 3D image of structure in a volume defined by the imaging means, and positioning of probe in registration with a 3D coordinate system that is independent from the structure. Method includes determining anatomical identifiers of luminal structure branches based on 3D and sub-surface images, assigning such identifiers as fiducial points, and correlating the determined identifiers with those obtained from anatomical model to select target branch for further steering the probe. Optionally, data representing a distance between a branch of lumen from fiducial point and angular orientation of the branch is extracted from complete 3D and quantitative image of lumen obtained during a pull-back of probe along the lumen.

A transducer subassembly with combined imaging and therapeutic capabilities is disclosed. The subassembly includes heat sinks that are configured to maintain the transducer at a low operating temperature so that the transducer operates at high efficiency and also can handle a wider range of frequencies. The subassembly is also configured to allow cooling fluid to flow past the transducer element. One heat sink in the subassembly also acts as an acoustic matching layer and another heat sink acts as a backing Alternatively, the second heat sink which acts as a backing is optional. The transducer is configured to transmit at one power level for imaging, and at a second power level for ablating. The transducer may comprise sub-elements transmitting at different power levels. The subassembly may be operated at one power level for imaging and a second power level for ablating.

Body tissue ablation is carried out by inserting a probe into a body of a living subject, urging the probe into contact with a tissue in the body, generating energy at a power output level, and transmitting the generated energy into the tissue via the probe. While transmitting the generated energy the ablation is further carried out by determining a measured temperature of the tissue and a measured power level of the transmitted energy, and controlling the power output level responsively to a function of the measured temperature and the measured power level. Related apparatus for carrying out the ablation is also described.

A device for intraoperative, image-controlled navigation during surgical procedures in the spinal and/or adjacent thorax, pelvis or head regions, includes multiple non-x-ray detection devices to be distributed about at least one object to be operated on, and to intraoperatively capture real time image and position data, respectively including information relating to the outer contour of at least one subregion of the object, and to the subregion position relative to the respective detection device. Also, a position determining device for determining respective detection device position relative to a stationary reference system, and a data processing device operatively connected with the detection devices and the position determining device are designed to create, based on the respective detection device image and position data and the position determining device position data, a virtual real-time image, referenced with respect to the reference system, of the object, and displayed on an image display device.

An illuminated needle device for performing a heart valve repair includes an outer member and an inner member. The outer member includes a body that has a proximal end and a distal end. The body of the outer member defines a lumen therethrough and the distal end of the body includes a needle. The inner member is slidably disposed within the lumen of the outer member. The inner member includes a distal end that has a radiation emitting element. The illuminated needle device is characterized by the outer and inner members together forming a flexible, elongate shaft, and the inner member being configured to emit radiation from the radiation emitting element from a location proximate to the distal end of the outer member.

Apparatus and methods are described including an endoluminal device configured to move along a portion of a lumen of a subject's body, an extraluminal imaging device, and at least one computer processor. While the endoluminal device moves along the portion of the lumen, a display displays an extraluminal image of the lumen in which a first indication of a location of the lumen is shown. The extraluminal imaging device acquires a sequence of extraluminal images of the endoluminal device moving along the portion of the lumen. The indication of the location of the lumen that is displayed is updated based upon the acquired sequence of extraluminal images, and the acquired sequence of images is displayed with the updated indication of the location of the lumen overlaid upon the images. Other applications are also described.

A device and method for ablating tissue is disclosed comprising the steps of acquiring an anatomical image of a patient, correlating the image to the patient, guiding an ablating member within the patient while tracking the position of the ablating member in the patient, positioning the ablating member in a desired position to ablate tissue, emitting ablating energy from the ablating member to form an ablated tissue area and removing the ablating member from the patient.

An insertion method includes: specifying a part of a mucous membrane which lies between a nasal cavity and a maxillary sinus and which is located in a space surrounded by an inferior nasal concha, a lacrimal bone, an ethmoid bone, and a palatine bone, as an opening formation position where an opening connected to the maxillary sinus is formed; forming the opening at the opening formation position; and inserting a medical device into the maxillary sinus through the formed opening.