A retractor apparatus for a surgical robotic system includes a frame defining a central open region, a connecting member that connects the frame to a robotic arm, a plurality of coupling mechanisms for attaching a set of retractor blades within the central open region of the frame such that blades define a working channel interior of the blades, and a plurality of actuators extending between the frame and each of the coupling mechanisms and configured to move the blades with respect to the frame to vary a dimension of the working channel. Further embodiments include a surgical robotic system that includes a robotic arm and a retractor apparatus attached to the robotic arm, and methods for performing a robot-assisted surgical procedure using a retractor apparatus attached to a robotic arm.

Improved mapping and ablation procedures and corresponding devices are provided. A variety of methods and apparatuses can be used for the treatment of cardiac arrhythmias by identifying the location of an arrhythmia source and ablating that source. The methods and apparatuses can provide an improved means of electrical mapping of the heart to identify the location of the arrhythmia source and advancing an ablation electrode to that location so that it may be ablated.

A method for guiding ablation of atrial or ventricular arrhythmia in a patient's heart is provided. A digital representation of the electrical functioning of atria or ventricles of the patient's heart is generated based on imaging data of the patient's heart that reveals the presence of adipose tissue. The arrhythmias arising in the presence of the adipose tissue in the digital representation of the patients atria or ventricles are determined. The method further includes identifying, in the digital representation, ablation targets that need to be ablated to terminate determined arrhythmias; executing, in the digital representation, a mock-up of a clinical ablation procedure of the patient to determine the electrical response of the patients heart to ablating the ablation targets, and to determine whether the heart continues to generate new arrhythmias post-procedure; and generating a final set of ablation targets based on the mock-up of the clinical ablation procedure.

Devices, systems, and methods of the present disclosure can overcome physical constraints associated with catheter introduction to facilitate the use of a catheter with a large distal portion as part of a medical procedure benefitting from such a large distal portion, such as, for example, cardiac ablation. More specifically, devices, systems, and methods of the present disclosure can compress an expandable tip of a catheter from an expanded state to a compressed state along a tapered surface of an insertion sleeve for advancement of the expandable tip into vasculature of a patient. The tapered surface of the insertion sleeve can, for example, apply compressive forces at an angle against the advancing expandable tip. As compared to other approaches to the application of compressive force to an expandable tip, compressing the expandable tip using an angled force can reduce the likelihood of unintended deformation of the expandable tip.

A system is provided that furnishes expert procedural guidance based upon patient-specific data gained from surgical instruments incorporating sensors on the instrument's working surface, one or more reference sensors placed about the patient, sensors implanted before, during or after the procedure, the patient's personal medical history, and patient status monitoring equipment. Embodiments include a system having a surgical instrument with a sensor for generating a signal indicative of a property of a subject tissue of the patient, which signal is converted into a current dataset and stored. A processor compares the current dataset with other previously stored datasets, and uses the comparison to assess a physical condition of the subject tissue and/or to guide a procedure being performed on the tissue.

A system includes a processor and an output device. The processor is configured to: (a) receive electrical signals indicative of measured positions of (i) one or more chest position sensors attached externally to a chest of a patient, and (ii) one or more back position sensors attached externally to a back of the patient; (b) compare between (i) a first shift between the measured positions and respective predefined positions of the one or more chest position sensors, and (ii) a second shift between the measured positions and respective predefined positions of the one or more back position sensors; and (c) produce an alert in response to detecting a discrepancy between the first and second shifts. The output device is configured to output the alert to a user.

Novel tools and techniques are provided for presenting patient information to a user. In some embodiments, a computer system may: receive device data associated with one or more devices configured to perform a cardiac shunting procedure to change a cardiac blood flow pattern to improve cardiac blood flow efficiency or cardiac pumping efficiency; receive one or more imaging data associated with one or more imaging devices configured to generate images of one or more internal portions of the patient; analyze the device data and the imaging data; map the device data and the imaging data to a multi-dimensional representation of the one or more internal portions of the patient; generate one or more image-based outputs based at least in part on the mapping; and present, using a user experience (“UX”) device, the generated one or more image-based outputs.

A system and method for obtaining an OIS coordinate frame comprising an electronic control unit configured to determine a local 3D electric field loop, create a zero mean version of E(t) over a depolarization interval, compute an Ė value at each of a plurality of time intervals, compute an initial estimate of ŵ from a cross product of E and the Ė value for each of the plurality of time intervals, average the initial estimate of ŵ from each of the plurality of time for a best estimate of ŵ, determine a plurality of â(θ) values and using the corresponding {circumflex over (n)}(θ) values, compute a composite match score, and choose at least one best value for â and a best value for {circumflex over (n)}.

Ablation systems of the present disclosure facilitate the safe formation of wide and deep lesions. For example, ablation systems of the present disclosure can allow for the flow of irrigation fluid and blood through an expandable ablation electrode, resulting in efficient and effective cooling of the ablation electrode as the ablation electrode delivers energy at a treatment site of the patient. Additionally, or alternatively, ablation systems of the present disclosure can include a deformable ablation electrode and a plurality of sensors that, in cooperation, sense the deformation of the ablation electrode, to provide a robust indication of the extent and direction of contact between the ablation electrode and tissue at a treatment site.

Devices, systems, and methods of the present disclosure can overcome physical constraints associated with catheter introduction to facilitate the use of a catheter with a large distal portion as part of a medical procedure benefiting from such a large distal portion, such as, for example, cardiac ablation. More specifically, devices, systems, and methods of the present disclosure can compress an expandable tip of a catheter from an expanded state to a compressed state along a tapered surface of an insertion sleeve for advancement of the expandable tip into vasculature of a patient. The tapered surface of the insertion sleeve can, for example, apply compressive forces at an angle against the advancing expandable tip. As compared to other approaches to the application of compressive force to an expandable tip, compressing the expandable tip using an angled force can reduce the likelihood of unintended deformation of the expandable tip.