Röthinger, Rainer

A surgical system includes a navigation system with a localizer and a surgical instrument having a body, a shaft with a distal tip for contacting material associated with an anatomy, and a tracking device detectable by the localizer. The shaft houses first and second conductors, insulated from each other, extending to the distal tip. One or more controllers are configured to transmit a variable-frequency signal across the conductors, measure impedance of the material based on the signal, and characterize the material type based on the measured impedance.

Surgical or medical systems and methods involve a manipulator to facilitate collaborative interaction with a human. A control system is coupled to the manipulator and is configured to acquire robotic data from the manipulator during the collaborative interaction. The control system implements a machine learning model that is configured to receive and process the robotic data to determine an interaction style of the human in collaborating with the manipulator. The control system customizes a physical feel of the manipulator based on the interaction style.

A system for augmenting a vertebral body comprises an access cannula comprising a distal end positionable within the vertebral body and defining a lumen along a longitudinal axis, and an introducer device comprising an actuator, and a shaft comprising a rigid proximal portion coupled to said actuator and defining a proximal end of said shaft, and a flexible distal portion at or near a distal end opposite said proximal end with a length of said shaft between said proximal and distal ends being sufficient for said shaft to extend through and be operable beyond said distal end of said access cannula, wherein said flexible distal portion is configured to move between a plurality of curved configurations within the vertebral body to target sites offset from said longitudinal axis. The system further comprises a flexible sheath at least partially overlying said shaft with said flexible sheath comprising a distal end positionable near said distal end of said shaft such that said flexible sheath is configured to extend through and be operable beyond said distal end of said access cannula with at least a distal portion of said flexible sheath configured to conform to said flexible distal portion as said flexible distal portion moves between said curved configurations, and at least two radiopaque markers disposed on said distal portion of said flexible sheath and spaced apart from one another such that, as said distal portion is curved within the vertebral body, relative positions between said at least two radiopaque markers is viewable on radiography to determine extent of curvatures of said curved configuration.

A surgical system configured to control a surgical instrument along with methods for controlling the surgical system are provided. The surgical system includes a camera and a control system coupled to the camera and the surgical instrument. The control system is configured to receive video data from the camera, detect a hand of a user within the video data, identify a sub-region of the video data that includes the hand of the user, track the hand in the sub-region of the video data, detect a presence of the surgical instrument in the sub-region of the video data, determine at least one characteristic of the surgical instrument in response to detecting the presence of the surgical instrument in the sub-region of the video data, and control the surgical instrument based on the at least one characteristic of the surgical instrument.

Apparatus (54) for decoding a predetermined block (18) of a picture using intra-prediction, configured to read, from a data stream (12), a mode index (200) using a binarization code (202). The mode index (200) points to one out of a list (204) of matrix-based intra-prediction modes. The apparatus is configured to predict samples (108) of the predetermined block (18) by computing a matrix-vector product (206) between an input vector (102) derived from reference samples (17) in a neighbourhood of the predetermined block (18) and a prediction matrix (19) associated with the matrix-based intra-prediction mode (k) pointed to by the mode index (200) and associating components (210) of an output vector (208) obtained by the matrix-vector product (206) onto sample positions (104) of the predetermined block. The list (204) of matrix-based intra-prediction modes consists of an even number of matrix-based intra-prediction modes. The list (204) of matrix-based intra-prediction modes consists of pairs (212) of matrix-based intra-prediction modes, and, for each pair (212) of matrix-based intra-prediction modes, the prediction matrix (19) associated with a first matrix-based intra-prediction mode of the respective pair (212) of matrix-based intra-prediction modes is equal to the prediction matrix (19) associated with a second matrix-based intra-prediction mode of the respective pair (212) of matrix-based intra-prediction modes. For each pair (212) of matrix-based intra-prediction modes, the apparatus is configured so that, if the matrix-based intra-prediction mode pointed to by the mode index (200) is the first matrix-based intra-prediction mode of the respective pair (212) of matrix-based intra-prediction modes, an association of the reference samples (17) in the neighbourhood of the predetermined block (18) with components (214) of the input vector (112) and of the sample positions (104) of the predetermined block (18) with the components (210) of the output vector (208) is transposed relative to the association in case of the matrix-based intra-prediction mode pointed to by the mode index (200) being the second matrix-based intra-prediction mode of the respective pair (212) of matrix-based intra-prediction modes. Furthermore, the apparatus is configured to read the mode index (200) using the binarization code (202) from the data stream (12) in a manner so that for each pair (212) of matrix-based intra-prediction modes the first matrix-based intra-prediction mode is assigned a first codeword and the second matrix-based intra-prediction mode is assigned a second codeword and both codewords are equal in length.

A surgical system comprises a surgical helmet configured to be worn on a wearer's head. The surgical helmet comprises a ventilation system to circulate air about the wearer, and at least one coupling member. A surgical garment of the system is configured to be at least partially disposed over the wearer and the surgical helmet. The surgical garment comprises a surgical fabric, the surgical fabric defining a hood and a body portion. The hood has a front portion and a rear portion, the front portion coupled to the body portion and defining an opening configured to be in front of the wearer's face when disposed over wearer and the surgical helmet, and the rear portion defining a flap extending below a top edge of the body portion and configured to be at least partially disposed between the wearer and the body portion. A transparent face shield is disposed over the opening defined in the hood. At least one attachment element is disposed on the hood or transparent face shield, the attachment element for removably coupling the hood to the surgical helmet.

Systems and methods for uplink transmission timing are provided. In some embodiments, a method of operation of a wireless device in a cellular communications network includes receiving a transmission, from a network node, in a downlink slot; determining a reference uplink slot index in an uplink frame timing of the wireless device where the reference uplink slot index corresponds to the downlink slot in which the transmission was received; and transmitting an uplink transmission in response to the received transmission in an uplink slot a number of slots, K, after the determined reference uplink slot index. This may enable transmission in satellite radio access networks by establishing the transmission timing relationships that are suitable for long propagation delays and the large differential delay in a spotbeam in satellite communications systems that may range from sub-milliseconds to tens of milliseconds.

A system including a patient transport apparatus having and a track assembly with a belt for engaging stairs, and a loading device configured to engage the patient transport apparatus for loading and unloading from a transport vehicle. The loading device includes a stage, a receiver arranged for translational movement relative to the stage between a lowered position and a raised position, a dock operatively attached to the receiver for supporting the patient transport apparatus, and an elevating mechanism operably coupled between the stage and the receiver, the elevating mechanism being operable between a first mode defined with a first lifting force acting on the receiver, and a second mode defined with a second lifting force acting on the receiver to for moving the receiver and the patient transport apparatus loaded onto the dock into a secured configuration for transit with the transport vehicle.

An apparatus is described that includes an encoder. The encoder receives image or video data, encodes the received image or video data and provides a bitstream representing the image or video data. The encoder includes a CABAC encoder. The CABAC encoder receives a binary valued syntax element associated with a block of the image or video data to be encoded, and encodes, using a selected context model, the binary valued syntax element into coded bits for the bitstream. The binary valued syntax element includes a tool flag indicating whether or not certain coding tool, like a linear weighted intra prediction, LWIP, is employed when encoding a block of the image or video data. For a block of the image or video data having an aspect ratio larger than 2 and to which the certain coding tool is applicable, a first context model for encoding the tool flag is selected from a group of one or more first context models, and for a block of the image or video data having an aspect ratio less than or equal to 2 and to which the certain coding tool is applicable, a second context model for encoding the tool flag is selected from a group of one or more second context models.

A patient care system includes a backboard assembly configured to be coupled to a patient for concurrent movement therewith. The backboard assembly includes a backboard defining a longitudinal axis, and a patient harness coupled to the backboard for coupling the backboard to the patient. The patient care system also includes a chest compression system configured to provide automatic chest compressions to the patient. The chest compression system includes a driver frame including lateral driver mounts configured to be releasably coupled to the backboard at a plurality of frame mounting positions along the longitudinal axis to support a driver adjacent to the chest of the patient. The patient care system further includes a retainer for releasably coupling the backboard assembly to an intermediate frame of a patient transport apparatus in a coupled state to inhibit movement of the patient and the chest compression system relative to a patient support surface.