A system for determining proximity of a surgical device relative to an anatomical structure includes at least one surgical device having a sensor assembly operably coupled to a processing unit. The sensor assembly is configured to transmit at least one electrical signal through the target anatomical structure to elicit a measurable response from the target anatomical structure. The processing unit is configured to calculate a signature property value of the target anatomical structure based on the measurable response and to determine proximity of the at least one surgical device relative to the target anatomical structure based on a comparison between the signature property value and at least one other signature property. An indicator is operably coupled to the processing unit and is configured to alert a user of the identified target anatomical structure based on the determined proximity.
