Disclosed is an image processing device for estimating a position of an endoscope in a model of the human airways using a first machine learning data architecture trained to determine a set of anatomic reference positions, said image processing device comprising a processing unit operationally connectable to an image capturing device of the endoscope, wherein the processing unit is configured to obtain a stream of recorded images; continuously analyse the recorded images of the stream of recorded images using the first machine learning data architecture to determine if an anatomic reference position of a subset of anatomic reference positions, from the set of anatomic reference positions, has been reached; and where it is determined that the anatomic reference position has been reached, update the endoscope position based on the anatomic reference position, and an endoscope system comprising an endoscope and an image processing device, a display unit comprising an image processing device, and a computer program product.

According to embodiments, a substantially coaxial arrangement of a camera, a light source, and an ultrasonic sensor can be positioned in an housing of a system that can be deployed from the tool port of a standard bronchoscope. Illumination from the light source facilitates positioning of the system by an operator using information from the camera. The ultrasonic system can determine when an object to be biopsied is adjacent to a biopsy needle.

A clamp for inter alia a bronchoscope, the clamp comprising a spine with frame which has a channel through which a tube of inter alia the bronchoscope is received. The frame includes clamping means to grip the tube within the frame to fix it in position. The clamping is releasable to allow further movement of the tube relative to the frame.

A living tissue sampling method includes inserting an endoscope inserted into a guide sheath into a body cavity of a subject, checking three-dimensional image information of a body cavity path against distal end position data of the endoscope, bringing distal ends of the endoscope and the guide sheath close to a focused region, removing the endoscope from the guide sheath while keeping the guide sheath stationed inside the body cavity, inserting a biopsy instrument into the guide sheath, and sampling living tissue of the focused region by the biopsy instrument.

A system for performing a surgical procedure includes a controller including a memory and a processor, the memory storing instructions, which when executed by the processor cause the processor to receive an image captured by a camera, generate a segmented image by applying a first threshold value to the image captured by the camera, identify a lumen within the segmented image, determine a centroid of the lumen within the segmented image, and align a portion of a surgical device operably coupled to the controller with the centroid of the lumen.

A laryngoscope blade which improves the transmission of light from the laryngoscope to enhance the amount of light reflected from an area of interest in a patient. The laryngoscope blade has a channel which extends at least partially though the blade and receives a light source. The channel has a substantially transparent end face which is situated towards the blade end and has an optical clement adapted to reduce the ambient light signal from the light source in the channel.

A laryngoscope blade which improves the transmission of light from the laryngoscope to enhance the amount of light reflected from an area of interest in a patient. The laryngoscope blade has a channel which extends at least partially though the blade and receives a light source. The channel has a substantially transparent end face which is situated towards the blade end and has an optical clement adapted to reduce the ambient light signal from the light source in the channel.

Vision systems on catheters, cannulas, or similar devices with guiding lumens include receptors distributed in annular areas around respective lumens. Each of the receptors has a field of view covering only a portion of an object environment, and the field of view of each of the receptors overlaps with at least one of the fields of view of the other receptors. A processing system can receive image data from the receptors of the vision systems and combine the image data to construct a visual representation of the object environment.

The endoscope herein described has a unique steering capability allowing the highly flexible distal end of the shaft of the device to be moved to a full range angular positions without rotating the device on its long axis, thus enabling the device to be steered within the cavity of interest. The relative lengths of the control cables used to move the distal end of the bendable shaft can be changed whenever the flexible or malleable shaft is to be re-shaped to a new configuration thus preventing the distal end or the steering mechanism from assuming an undesired angular position. When used as an endotracheal device, a novel tongue retractor is described which forms an internal conduit, allowing passage of the bendable shaft of the endotracheal intubation device and an endotracheal tube therethrough. Methods for performing a tracheal intubation and changing the relative lengths of the cables are disclosed.

The endoscope herein described has a unique steering capability allowing the highly flexible distal end of the shaft of the device to be moved to a full range angular positions without rotating the device on its long axis, thus enabling the device to be steered within the cavity of interest. The relative lengths of the control cables used to move the distal end of the bendable shaft can be changed whenever the flexible or malleable shaft is to be re-shaped to a new configuration thus preventing the distal end or the steering mechanism from assuming an undesired angular position. When used as an endotracheal device, a novel tongue retractor is described which forms an internal conduit, allowing passage of the bendable shaft of the endotracheal intubation device and an endotracheal tube therethrough. Methods for performing a tracheal intubation and changing the relative lengths of the cables are disclosed.