In one embodiment, a method of repairing a heart valve accesses an interior of a patient's beating heart minimally invasively and inserts one or more sutures into each of a plurality of heart valve leaflets with a suturing instrument. The suture ends of the sutures are divided into suture pairs, with each pair including one suture end from a suture inserted into a first valve leaflet and one suture end from a suture inserted into a second valve leaflet. One or more tourniquet tubes is advanced over the suture pairs to the leaflets to draw the sutures together to coapt the leaflets and then the sutures are secured in that position.

The present invention relates to a method, such as a surgical method for assisting a surgeon for placing screws in the spine using a robot attached to a passive structure. The present invention also related to a method, such as a surgical method for assisting a surgeon for removing volumes in the body of a patient using a robot attached to a passive structure and to a device to carry out said methods. The present invention further concerns a device suitable to carry out the methods according to the present invention.

A system and method for tracking completeness of co-registered medical image data is disclosed herein. The system and method tracks the position of an anatomical reference marker positionable on a patient and an ultrasound probe during an imaging session and co-registers medical images based on positional data received from the anatomical reference marker and the ultrasound probe. Using the co-registered image data, the system and method generates a surface contour of a region of interest (ROI) of the patient, such as a breast. The surface contour is defined to represent an interface between a chest wall structure and tissue of the ROI in a plurality of co-registered medical images. A completeness map of the image data within the defined surface contour during the imaging session is generated and overlaid on a graphic representation of the ROI.

A surgical system includes an arm extending from the base and having a distal end configured to be coupled to a tool, a first marker coupled in fixed relation to the base, and a tracking system. The tracking system is configured to collect first data indicative of a position of the first marker and collect second data indicative of a position an anatomical feature of a patient. The surgical system also includes a processor configured to calculate a position of the tool relative to the anatomical feature based on the first data and the second data.

Systems and methods for aiding a clinician in the proper positioning, placing or otherwise locating of a non-contact detector component of a non-contact patient monitoring system are described. The systems and methods may employ a targeting aid superimposed on a display screen component of the non-contact patient monitoring system, the targeting aid being designed to assist the clinician in properly locating the non-contact detector for proper and accurate functioning of the non-contact patient monitoring system. The systems and methods described herein may also employ a bendable mounting arm to which the non-contact detector is attached such that the non-contact detector can be easily moved into the proper location when used in conjunction with the targeting aid superimposed on the display.

A path preparation system for preparing a path for a device. The path preparation system includes an ultrasound transmitter and a tracking system. The tracking system is configured to determine a current position of the device on the path. The ultrasound transmitter is configured to focus an ultrasound wave onto a focus position that lies in front of the device in the direction of the path, in spatial relation to the current position of the device.

In certain embodiments, the systems, apparatus, and methods disclosed herein relate to robotic surgical systems with built-in navigation capability for patient position tracking and surgical instrument guidance during a surgical procedure, without the need for a separate navigation system. Robotic based navigation of surgical instruments during surgical procedures allows for easy registration and operative volume identification and tracking. The systems, apparatus, and methods herein allow re-registration, model updates, and operative volumes to be performed intra-operatively with minimal disruption to the surgical workflow. In certain embodiments, navigational assistance can be provided to a surgeon by displaying a surgical instrument's position relative to a patient's anatomy. Additionally, by revising pre-operatively defined data such as operative volumes, patient-robot orientation relationships, and anatomical models of the patient, a higher degree of precision and lower risk of complications and serious medical error can be achieved.

A system for controlling a robotic tool includes a memory that stores instructions and a processor that executes the instructions. When executed by the processor, the instructions cause the system to perform a process that includes monitoring sequential motion of tissue in a three-dimensional space. The process also includes projecting locations and corresponding times when the tissue will be at projected locations in the three-dimensional space. An identified location of the tissue in the three-dimensional space is identified based on the projected locations. A trajectory of the robotic tool is set to meet the tissue at the identified location at a projected time corresponding to the identified location.

The invention relates to a surgical system for cutting an anatomical structure (F, T) of a patient according to at least one target plane defined in a coordinate system of the anatomical structure, comprising: (i) a robotic device (100) comprising: —an end effector (2), —an actuation unit (4) having at least three motorized degrees of freedom, configured for adjusting a position and orientation of the end effector (2) relative to each target plane, —a passive planar mechanism (24) connecting the terminal part (40) of the actuation unit (4) to the end effector (2); (ii) a tracker (203) rigidly attached to the end effector (2), (iii) a tracking unit (200) configured to determine in real time the pose of the end effector (2) with respect to the coordinate system of the anatomical structure, a control unit (300) configured to determine the pose of the end effector with respect to the target plane and to control the actuation unit so as to bring the cutting plane into alignment with the target plane.

In certain embodiments, the systems, apparatus, and methods disclosed herein relate to robotic surgical systems with built-in navigation capability for patient position tracking and surgical instrument guidance during a surgical procedure, without the need for a separate navigation system. Robotic based navigation of surgical instruments during surgical procedures allows for easy registration and operative volume identification and tracking. The systems, apparatus, and methods herein allow re-registration, model updates, and operative volumes to be performed intra-operatively with minimal disruption to the surgical workflow. In certain embodiments, navigational assistance can be provided to a surgeon by displaying a surgical instrument’s position relative to a patient’s anatomy. Additionally, by revising pre-operatively defined data such as operative volumes, patient-robot orientation relationships, and anatomical models of the patient, a higher degree of precision and lower risk of complications and serious medical error can be achieved.