Instrument insertion compensation

• US 10,299,870 B2
• Filed: 06/26/2018
• Issued: 05/28/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Auris Health, Inc. (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: Auris Health, Inc. (Johnson & Johnson)
• Inventors: Connolly, Ryan Jeffrey, Landey, Casey Teal, Graetzel, Chauncey F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Holloway, Jason
• Application Number:
  US16/018,644
• Publication Number:
  US 20190000568A1
• Time in Patent Office: 336 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00147 Holding or positioning arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00149 using articulated arms
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0016 using motor drive units
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0051 with controlled bending of insertion part
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/018 for receiving instruments
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/2676 Bronchoscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00809 Lung operations
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/2048 using an accelerometer or inertia sensor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/2051 Electromagnetic tracking systems
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/2059 Mechanical position encoders
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/2065 Tracking using image or pattern recognition
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/309 using white LEDs
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/3614 using optical fibre
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/376 using X-rays, e.g. fluoroscopy
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/3966 Radiopaque markers visible in an X-ray image
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/20 Surgical navigation systems; Devices for tracking or guiding surgical instruments, e.g. for frameless stereotaxis
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/25 User interfaces for surgical systems
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/30 Surgical robots
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/71 Manipulators operated by drive cable mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/062 using magnetic field
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/067 : using accelerometers or gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0803 : Recording apparatus specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/361 : Image-producing devices, e.g. surgical cameras
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/39 : Markers, e.g. radio-opaque or breast lesions markers
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/90 : Identification means for patients or instruments, e.g. tags
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/96 : using barcodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/98 : using electromagnetic means, e.g. transponders

Abstract

Disclosed herein are systems and techniques for compensating for insertion of an instrument into a working channel of another instrument in a surgical system. According to one embodiment, a method of compensation includes: detecting insertion of an insertable instrument into a working channel of a flexible instrument; detecting, based on a data signal from at least one sensor, a position change of a distal portion of the flexible instrument from an initial position: generating a control signal based on the detected position change; and adjusting a tensioning of a pull wire based on the control signal to return the distal portion to the initial position.

Claims

1. A robotic system, comprising:

a first instrument, comprising;

a shaft comprising a proximal portion and a distal portion, the distal portion comprising an articulable region and a distal end, the shaft comprising a working channel extending therethrough; and

at least one pull wire;

at least one sensor configured to detect a position of the distal end of the shaft;

at least one computer-readable memory having stored thereon executable instructions;

one or more processors in communication with the at least one computer-readable memory and configured to execute the instructions to cause the system to at least;

detect, based on a data signal from the at least one sensor, a position change of the distal end of the shaft in response to insertion of a second instrument into the working channel of the shaft; and

generate at least one control signal based on the detected position change; and

a drive mechanism connected to the at least one pull wire at the proximal portion of the shaft, the drive mechanism configured to adjust a tensioning of the at least one pull wire based on the at least one control signal, wherein the adjusted tensioning facilitates returning the distal end of the shaft towards an initial position before the position change occurred.

2. The robotic system of claim 1, wherein:

the drive mechanism is connected to an end effector of a robotic arm,

the robotic arm and the drive mechanism are configured to navigate the distal portion of the shaft through a luminal network of a patient to a treatment site.

3. The robotic system of claim 1, further comprising an electromagnetic (EM) field generator, wherein:

the at least one sensor comprises a first set of one or more EM sensors at the distal end of the shaft; and

the one or more processors are configured to execute the instructions to cause the system to;

calculate a first position of the first set of EM sensors within an EM field based on data from the first set of EM sensors; and

detect the positon change of the distal end of the shaft based on the calculated first position.

4. The robotic system of claim 3 wherein:

the second instrument further comprises a second set of one or more EM sensors at the distal end; and

the one or more processors are configured to execute the instructions to cause the system to;

calculate a second position of the second set of EM sensors within the EM field based on data from the second set of EM sensors; and

generate the at least one control signal further based on the calculated second position.

5. The robotic system of claim 1 wherein:

the at least one sensor comprises a set of one or more inertial sensors at the distal end of the shaft; and

the one or more processors are configured to execute the instructions to cause the system to;

calculate a first position of the set of one or more inertial sensors based on data from the set of one or more inertial sensors; and

generate the at least one control signal further based on the calculated first position.

6. The robotic system of claim 1 wherein:

the at least one sensor comprises a set of one or more strain gauges; and

the one or more processors are configured to execute the instructions to cause the system to;

calculate a first position of the distal end of the shaft based on data from the set of one or more strain gauges; and

generate the at least one control signal further based on the calculated first position.

7. The robotic system of claim 6 wherein the drive mechanism comprises the set of one or more strain gauges.

8. The robotic system of claim 1 wherein:

the first instrument comprises a leader; and

the at least one sensor comprises a set of one or more cameras at the distal end of the leader.

9. The robotic system of claim 1, wherein the instructions of the at least one control signal comprise commands for the drive mechanism to increase the tension in one or more of the pull wires until the distal end of the shaft is returned to the initial position as measured by the data signal from the at least one sensor.

10. The robotic system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are a part of a workstation that includes a user interface for controlling the system.

11. The system of claim 1, further comprising at least one respiration sensor, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to execute the instructions to cause the system to:

determine, based on data from the at least one respiration sensor, a respiration pattern of a patient during acquisition of the data signal from the at least one sensor; and

distinguish the position change of the distal end of the shaft caused by the insertion of the second instrument into the working channel from a position change of the distal end of the shaft caused by the respiration pattern of the patient.

12. The robotic system of claim 1 wherein the one or more processors are configured to execute the instructions to cause the system to:

detect an identifier on the second instrument; and

generate the at least one control signal further based on the detected identifier.

13. The robotic system of claim 12 wherein the one or more processors are configured to execute the instructions to cause the system to detect the identifier based on reading a radio-frequency identification (RFID) tag of the second instrument.

14. A method of controlling at least one pull wire of a first instrument, the method comprising:

determining an initial position of the first instrument, the first instrument comprising;

a shaft comprising proximal and distal portions, the distal portion comprising an articulable region and a distal end, the shaft comprising a working channel extending therethrough; and

the at least one pull wire;

detecting, based on a data signal from at least one sensor, a position change of the distal end of the shaft in response to insertion of a second instrument into the working channel of the first instrument;

generating at least one control signal based on the detected position change of the distal end of the shaft; and

adjusting a tensioning of the at least one pull wire based on the at least one control signal, wherein the adjusted tensioning facilitates returning the distal end of the shaft to the initial position.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein:

the at least one sensor comprises a first set of one or more EM sensors at the distal end of the shaft; and

the detecting of the position change of the distal end of the shaft is further based on receiving data from the first set of one or more EM sensors.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein:

the at least one sensor comprises a set of one or more inertial sensors at the distal end of the shaft; and

the detecting of the position change of the distal end of the shaft is based on data from the set of one or more inertial sensors.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein;

the at least one sensor comprises a set of one or more one or more strain gauges; and

the detecting of the position change of the distal end of the shaft is based on data from the set of one or more strain gauges.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein:

the at least one sensor comprises a set of one or more cameras at the distal end of the first instrument; and

the detecting of the position change of the distal end of the shaft is based on data from the set of one or more cameras.

19. The method of claim 14, further comprising

determining, based on data from at least one respiration sensor, a respiration pattern of a patient during acquisition of the data signal from the at least one sensor, and

distinguishing the position change of the distal end of the shaft caused by the insertion of the second instrument into the working channel from a position change of the distal end of the shaft caused by the respiration pattern of the patient.

20. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having stored thereon instructions that, when executed, cause at least one computing device to at least, for a first instrument comprising at least one pull wire:

determine an initial position of a distal end of the first instrument;

detect, based on a data signal from at least one sensor, a position change of the distal end of the first instrument in response to insertion of a second instrument into a working channel of the first instrument;

generate at least one control signal based on the detected position change; and

adjust a tensioning of the at least one pull wire based on the at least one control signal, wherein the adjusted tensioning facilitates returning the distal end of the first instrument to the initial position before the position change occurred.

21. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 20, wherein the at least one sensor comprises a set of one or more EM sensors at the distal end of the first instrument, and the instructions that cause the at least one computing device to detect the position change causes the at least one computing device to detect the position of the distal end of the first instrument based on data from the set of one or more EM sensors.

22. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 20, wherein the at least one sensor comprises a set of one or more inertial sensors at the distal end of the first instrument, and the instructions that cause the at least one computing device to detect the position change causes the at least one computing device to detect the position change of the distal end of the first instrument based on data from the set of one or more inertial sensors.

23. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 20, wherein the at least one sensor comprises a set of one or more strain gauges configured to measure tensioning of the at least one pull wire, and the instructions that cause the at least one computing device to detect the position change cause the at least one computing device to detect the position change of the distal end of the first instrument based on data from the set of one or more strain gauges.

24. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 20, wherein the at least one sensor comprises a set of one or more cameras at the distal end of the first instrument, and the instructions that cause the at least one computing device to detect the position change cause the at least one computing device to detect the position change of the distal end of the first instrument based on data from the set of one or more cameras.

25. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 20, having further stored thereon instructions that, when executed, cause the at least one computing device to:

determine, based on data from at least one respiration sensor, a respiration pattern of a patient during acquisition of the data signal from the at least one sensor; and

distinguish the position change of the distal end of the first instrument caused by the insertion of the second instrument into the working channel from a position change of the distal end of the first instrument caused by the respiration pattern of the patient.