A surgical stapling system for stapling the tissue of a patient is disclosed. The stapling system comprises a housing, a shaft extending from the housing, and an end effector extending from the shaft. The end effector comprises a plurality of staples removably stored therein and, also, an anvil configured to deform the staples. The stapling system further comprises a firing mechanism configured to deploy the staples along a staple firing path longer than 60 mm, a camera configured to capture an image of the patient tissue, a display, and a controller configured to generate an image of the staple firing path, wherein the images are displayed on the display.

This document relates to the apparatus and methods used in the minimally invasive creation of arteriovenous fistula (AVF). In particular, the invention relates to the creation of an AVF using catheters and an alignment methodology that is based upon detection of asymmetric electric fields. The invention finds particular application in vascular access (VA) in the hemodialysis (HD) population.

A system may comprise a first catheter having a first steerable segment and a second catheter disposed within the first catheter. The second catheter may have a second steerable segment. The system may also comprise an imaging element supported at a distal end of the second catheter, a coil reference sensor supported at a distal portion of the second catheter, and a processor in electrical communication with the coil reference sensor. The processor may be configured to determine a position of a distal portion of the first catheter with reference to the coil reference sensor.

Systems and methods for marking the location and extent of an anatomical region-of-interest, such as a tumor, using magnetic seeds whose position and orientation are measured or otherwise detected using a detection device that includes two or more magnetic sensors are described. One or more magnetic seeds are implanted to mark and define the center and extent of an anatomical region-of-interest and a magnetic sensor-based detector system is used to accurately identify the location of the magnetic seeds.

A head stabilization device or HFD includes a plurality of integrated markers. The HFD may be in the form of a skull clamp, vacuum bag, combinations thereof, or other supporting structure. The integrated markers include MRI markers detectable by an MRI scanner and fiducial markers detectable by a registration tool of a navigation system. The markers provide a reference point relative to an operation site in a patient for use in a navigation guided procedure and aid in registering or calibrating the location of the patient with captured images used in the navigation guided procedure.

The disclosed invention provides a transseptal insertion device which is suitable for facilitating precise and safe transseptal puncture of a cardiac interatrial septum. The transseptal insertion device includes a sheath that defines at least one lumen therein, one or more positioning balloons that are connected to a distal end of the sheath, a puncture member movably positioned within the at least one lumen, and a puncture member balloon located on the puncture member. The sheath has one or more deflation ports to deflate the one or more positioning balloons. The puncture member balloon, when inflated, is capable of sealing the one or more deflation ports in the sheath, permitting the inflation of the one or more positioning balloons. When the puncture member moves toward fossa ovalis, the inflated puncture member balloon moves away from the deflation ports, allowing the positioning balloons to be deflated.

A method for localizing a nodule of a patient includes inserting a delivery tool into tissue of a patient, such as lung tissue, releasing the magnetic fiducial into or adjacent a nodule from the delivery tool, and locating the magnetic fiducial with a localization tool.

The disclosure relates to localizing medical devices within a body lumen, such as for identifying the location of, or navigating to, a target tissue. Embodiments include localizing a medical device extended out of a working channel of a delivery device. The medical device may include an imaging sensor, such as for mapping the body lumen. In many embodiments, a delivery device may include one or more sensors including a first sensor to interact with a tracking system to determine the location of the delivery device within a tracking volume and a second sensor to determine the location of the medical device relative to the delivery device. In many such embodiments, a controller may determine the location of the medical device in the tracking volume based on the location of the delivery device in the tracking volume and the location of the medical device with respect to the delivery device.

The present invention relates to a system SY for determining a position of an RF transponder circuit RTC respective an ultrasound emitter unit UEU. The RF transponder circuit RTC emits RF signals that are modulated based on received ultrasound signals that are emitted or reflected by the ultrasound emitter unit UEU. The position of the RF transponder circuit RTC respective the ultrasound emitter unit UEU is determined based on a time difference ΔT1 between the emission of an ultrasound signal by the ultrasound emitter unit UEU and the detection by the RF detector unit RFD of a corresponding modulation in the RF signal emitted or reflected by the RF transponder circuit (RTC).

A system comprising: one or more field generating coils configured to generate a magnetic field; a sensor comprising a shell that contains a ferrofluid, the sensor configured to be introduced in proximity to the magnetic field, wherein the ferrofluid causes distortion of the magnetic field when the ferrofluid is in proximity to the magnetic field; and one or more field measuring coils configured to: measure a characteristic of the magnetic field when the ferrofluid is in proximity to the magnetic field; and provide, to a computing device, a signal representative of the measured characteristic of the magnetic field, wherein the computing device is configured to determine one or both of a position and an orientation of the sensor based on the measured characteristic of the magnetic field.