Method and system for assisting an operator in endoscopic navigation

• US 10,524,641 B2
• Filed: 03/18/2016
• Issued: 01/07/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intuitive Surgical Operations, Inc. (Intuitive Surgical Holdings, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Intuitive Surgical Operations, Inc. (Intuitive Surgical Holdings, LLC)
• Inventors: Prisco, Giuseppe Maria
• Primary Examiner(s): Newton, Alexandra L
• Application Number:
  US15/074,663
• Publication Number:
  US 20160198932A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,390 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/000094 extracting biological structures
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0005 combining images e.g. side-by-side, superimposed or tiled
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00059 provided with identification means for the endoscope
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0051 with controlled bending of insertion part
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/009 with bending or curvature detection of the insertion part
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/04 combined with photographic or television appliances
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/05 characterised by the image sensor, e.g. camera, being in the distal end portion
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00278 Transorgan operations, e.g. transgastric
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/102 Modelling of surgical devices, implants or prosthesis
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/105 Modelling of the patient, e.g. for ligaments or bones
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/2059 Mechanical position encoders
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/2068 using pointers, e.g. pointers having reference marks for determining coordinates of body points
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/256 having a database of accessory information, e.g. including context sensitive help or scientific articles
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/301 for introducing or steering flexible instruments inserted into the body, e.g. catheters or endoscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/3614 using optical fibre
• 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 5/065 Determining position of the probe employing exclusively positioning means located on or in the probe, e.g. using position sensors arranged on the probe
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/066 Superposing sensor position on an image of the patient, e.g. obtained by ultrasound or x-ray imaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/12 Arrangements for detecting or locating foreign bodies

Abstract

Navigation guidance is provided to an operator of an endoscope by determining a current position and shape of the endoscope relative to a reference frame, generating an endoscope computer model according to the determined position and shape, and displaying the endoscope computer model along with a patient computer model referenced to the reference frame so as to be viewable by the operator while steering the endoscope within the patient.

Claims

1. A surgical system comprising:

an elongated flexible instrument including a camera, the camera being configured to capture real-time images of a visited anatomy;

a display screen configured to display a synthetic representation of the elongated flexible instrument and of the visited anatomy registered to a three-dimensional patient computer model, wherein the synthetic representation of the elongated flexible instrument is three-dimensional and is registered to the three-dimensional patient computer model so as to provide endoscopic navigation assistance to an operator, and wherein the display screen is configured to display the three-dimensional patient computer model; and

a display processor configured to;

display on the display screen at least one of the captured real-time images adjacent to the synthetic representation of the elongated flexible instrument, the captured image being displayed in a position based on the registration of the synthetic representation of the elongated flexible instrument to the three-dimensional patient computer model; and

display on the display screen, over the three-dimensional patient computer model, a representation of a view angle of the elongated flexible instrument, wherein the representation of the view angle is displayed so as to appear to project from a distal tip of the elongated flexible instrument.

2. The surgical system of claim 1 wherein the elongated flexible instrument includes at least one sensor for determining shape.

3. The surgical system of claim 2 wherein the at least one sensor includes an optical fiber extending along the elongated flexible instrument.

4. The surgical system of claim 2 wherein the synthetic representation of the elongated flexible instrument is generated based on shape information from the at least one sensor.

5. The surgical system of claim 1 wherein the three-dimensional patient computer model is generated from a computed tomography scan.

6. The surgical system of claim 1 wherein the three-dimensional patient computer model is recorded prior to inserting the elongated flexible instrument into a patient anatomy.

7. The surgical system of claim 1 wherein the three-dimensional patient computer model is registered to a patient anatomy within a fixed reference frame.

8. The surgical system of claim 1 wherein the elongated flexible instrument is teleoperatively steerable.

9. The surgical system of claim 1 wherein the display screen is further configured to display an indicator of a target site within a patient anatomy modeled by the three-dimensional patient computer model.

10. The surgical system of claim 1 wherein the synthetic representation of the elongated flexible instrument is selectable from a plurality of directional view synthetic representations of the elongated flexible instrument.

11. The surgical system of claim 1 wherein the display screen is further configured to display an image captured by the elongated flexible instrument.

12. The surgical system of claim 1 wherein the synthetic representation of the elongated flexible instrument represents a length of the elongated flexible instrument extending from a distal portion of the elongated flexible instrument to a portion of the elongated flexible instrument at an anatomic entry point of a patient anatomy registered to the three-dimensional patient computer model.

13. The surgical system of claim 1 wherein the synthetic representation of the elongated flexible instrument represents a length of the elongated flexible instrument extending from a distal portion of the elongated flexible instrument to a portion of the elongated flexible instrument at an organ entry point of an organ of a patient anatomy registered to the three-dimensional patient computer model.

19. The surgical system of claim 1 wherein the elongated flexible instrument comprises a distal tip, and wherein the displaying the captured image comprises displaying the captured image so as to appear to project from the distal tip of the synthetic representation of the elongated flexible instrument being displayed on the display screen.

20. The surgical system of claim 1, wherein the three-dimensional patient computer model includes an exterior model including a torso of a patient.

14. A teleoperative surgical system comprising:

an elongated flexible instrument including a camera and a teleoperatively steerable portion for insertion within a patient anatomy, wherein the camera is configured to capture real-time images of a visited anatomy;

a display screen configured to display a synthetic representation of the elongated flexible instrument and of the visited anatomy within the patient anatomy registered to a three-dimensional patient computer model of the patient anatomy, wherein the synthetic representation of the elongated flexible instrument is registered to the three-dimensional patient computer model of the patient anatomy so as to provide endoscopic navigation assistance to an operator, and wherein the display screen is configured to display the three-dimensional patient computer model; and

a display processor configured to;

display on the display screen at least one of the captured real-time images adjacent to the synthetic representation of the elongated flexible instrument, the captured image being displayed in a position based on the registration of the synthetic representation of the elongated flexible instrument to the three-dimensional patient computer model of the patient anatomy; and

display on the display screen, over the three-dimensional patient computer model, a representation of a view angle of the elongated flexible instrument, wherein the representation of the view angle is displayed so as to appear to project from a distal tip of the elongated flexible instrument.

15. The teleoperative surgical system of claim 14 wherein the elongated flexible instrument includes at least one sensor for determining shape.

16. The teleoperative surgical system of claim 15 wherein the at least one sensor includes an optical fiber extending along the elongated flexible instrument.

17. The teleoperative surgical system of claim 15 wherein the synthetic representation of the elongated flexible instrument is generated based on shape information from the at least one sensor.

18. The teleoperative surgical system of claim 14 wherein the synthetic representation of the elongated flexible instrument is a three-dimensional synthetic representation.