A guidance apparatus includes: a magnetic field generator configured to generate a magnetic field that acts on a magnet; a magnetic field shielding material configured to shield the magnetic field generated by the magnetic field generator; an operation input device configured to receive an input of at least one of a target position and a target posture for guiding a position and a posture of a capsule medical apparatus; and a controller configured to control the magnetic field generator to generate a magnetic field that has been corrected to offset or reduce a deviation amount of the position or the posture of the capsule medical apparatus with respect to the target position or the target posture, caused by distortion, due to the magnetic field shielding material, of a magnetic field for guiding the capsule medical apparatus to at least one of the target position and the target posture.

Described here are devices, systems, and methods for moving and/or supporting an internal organ or other tissue, such as during minimally-invasive surgery. Generally, a system for moving and/or supporting tissue may comprise a magnetic control component and a retractor having at least one magnetic portion. The retractor may have a first low-profile configuration for passing through an incision into a surgical site within a patient and a second expansive configuration for engaging tissue. The magnetic control component may be placed over the surgical site external to the patient and generate a magnetic field to manipulate the retractor and engaged tissue.

Some embodiments provide a system for external manipulation of magnetic nanoparticles in vasculature using a remotely placed magnetic field-generating stator. In one aspect, the systems and methods relate to the control of magnetic nanoparticles in a fluid medium using permanent magnet-based or electromagnetic field-generating stator sources. Such a system can be useful for increasing the diffusion of therapeutic agents in a fluid medium, such as a human circulatory system, which can result in substantial clearance of fluid obstructions, such as vascular occlusions, in a circulatory system resulting in increased blood flow.

Disclosed embodiments provide a biopsy tool and methodologies for obtain biopsies and/or a tool and methodology that may be used to add material to a subject's tissue.

A system and method for performing surgical procedures within a body cavity, e.g. abdomen, uses a magnetized device is utilized to allow a surgeon to control intra-abdominal organs and objects. The system and method allows a surgeon to perform an intra-abdominal procedure without the need to position surgical tools inside of the body cavity. Additional surgical ports are not necessary as the magnetized device allows the surgeon to retract or position various objects within the abdomen.

A control device for a capsule endoscope is provided. The control device includes a balance arm device, a permanent magnet, a 2-DOF rotary platform and an examination bed. The bottom of the balance arm device is fixed, and the active end of the balance arm device connects with a boom. The 2-DOF rotary platform is fixed below the boom and the permanent magnet is located in the 2-DOF rotary platform. The examination bed is put below the 2-DOF rotary platform, and the area between the examination bed and the 2-DOF rotary platform is an examination area.

A magnetic guidance system (20) for guiding a guidewire (70) or other elongate medical device includes a magnet unit (20) disposed in one implementation adjacent a head end of a patient table (30). The magnet unit is disposed on a magnet support which enables the magnet unit (20) to move in a periodic motion substantially around a single plane. The preferred motion is a rotary motion about a patient's head, which creates a repetitive repulsive force at the distal end of the medical device, causing the distal end of the medical device to move in different directions within the patient's vasculature, useful in assisting the guidance of the medical device through tortuous vessel structures. The repetitive alternating medical field makes guidance of a medical device within a patient's vasculature a relatively simple task.

A propelling device and methods of use thereof. The device is configured to propel through a medium, using external magnetic stimuli applied thereon; the device comprises: a propelling-element and a magnet in communication with the propelling element. The magnet is configured to respond to the applied magnetic stimuli and to rotate the propelling-element; the propelling-element is configured to convert rotary motion thereof into translation motion, and thereby to propel the device through the medium.

A magnetic manipulation system and method for moving and navigating a magnetic device in a body are provided. The system includes a robotic parallel mechanism having at least three electromagnets and at least three electromagnetic coils coupled to the at least three electromagnets, respectively. The electromagnetic coils are actuated to keep the electromagnets in static conditions or move the electromagnets along a desired trajectory, a current control unit supplying currents to the electromagnetic coils which have soft iron cores. The currents supplied by the control unit are configured to generate dynamic magnetic field in the soft iron core's linear region. The current control unit and the robotic parallel mechanism are configured to generate desired dynamic magnetic fields in desired positions within a workspace to control a magnetic device, and a three-dimensional position sensor is configured for performing a close loop control of the robotic parallel mechanism.

The present invention discloses a system to control a movement of a magnetic capsule using an external magnet control system. The external magnet control system includes more than one external magnetic balls, and at least one external magnetic ball can be moved freely in five degrees of the freedom.