INTELLIGENT INPUT DEVICE CONTROLLER FOR A ROBOTIC CATHETER SYSTEM

• US 20110144806A1
• Filed: 12/09/2010
• Published: 06/16/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: St. Jude Medical (Abbott Laboratories Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: St. Jude Medical (Abbott Laboratories Incorporated)
• Inventors: Olson, Eric S., Sandhu, Kulbir S., Shah, Devanshi, Adusumilli, Venkata, Kirschenman, Mark B., Hauck, John A.
• Granted Patent: US 9,241,768 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/264
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00026 Conductivity or impedance, e.g. of tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/107 Visualisation of planned trajectories or target regions
• 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 2034/305 Details of wrist mechanisms at distal ends of robotic arms
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/741 Glove like input devices, e.g. "data gloves"
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/742 Joysticks
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/064 for measuring force, pressure or mechanical tension
• 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 34/37 Master-slave robots A61B34/35 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/71 Manipulators operated by drive cable mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/76 Manipulators having means for providing feel, e.g. force or tactile feedback

Abstract

A robotic catheter system includes a robotic controller; a robotic manipulator; and in input controller. The input controller includes communication circuitry configured to receive a signal from a user input device; memory having stored therein a plurality of device drivers associated with a different type of input device or a differently configured input device; and a processor configured to recognize an input device connected with the communications circuitry, load a device driver according to the recognized input device, initialize the input device, and/or one of reject and notify an end user, and deliver an image to a display or graphical user interface.

Claims

1. A robotic catheter system comprising:

a robotic controller;

a robotic manipulator; and

an input controller;

the input controller including;

communication circuitry configured to receive a signal from a user input device;

a memory including a plurality of device drivers associated with a different type of input device or a differently configured input device; and

a processor configured to automatically perform one or more of the following;

recognize an input device connected with the communications circuitry;

load a device driver according to the recognized input device;

initialize the input device; and

one of reject and notify an end user, and deliver an image to a graphical user interface (GUI).

2. The robotic catheter system of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to allow a plurality of input devices to operate concurrently.

3. The robotic catheter system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to translate the signal from the user input device into a standard data format.

4. The input controller of claim 3, wherein the standard data format includes a three dimensional Cartesian position scheme.

5. The robotic catheter system of claim 4, wherein the standard data format further includes a plurality of discrete variables to linearize a desired motion vector for the input device.

6. The robotic catheter system of claim 1, wherein the memory includes a program memory and a storage memory.

7. The robotic catheter system of claim 1, further including an auxiliary display.

8. The robotic catheter system of claim 7, wherein the processor is configured to provide fault messages to the auxiliary display.

9. The robotic catheter system of claim 7, wherein the processor is configured to provide a steering wire tension value to the auxiliary display.

10. The robotic catheter system of claim 1, further comprising an input device.

11. The robotic catheter system of claim 10, wherein the input device comprises one of an instrumented sheath handle and catheter handle.

12. The robotic catheter system of claim 10, wherein the input device comprises a three dimensional input device.

13. The robotic catheter system of claim 10, wherein the input device comprises a touch screen display.

14. A method for operating a robotic catheter system comprising:

detecting an input device upon connection to an input device controller;

loading one of a rotary-based and linear-based input device driver for the connected input device;

initializing a control algorithm specific to one of the rotary-based and the linear-based connected input device, the algorithm being configured to translate an input signal from the input device into a standard data format; and

operating one of a rotary-based and a linear-based robotic catheter manipulator in response to the input signal.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the standard data format includes a three dimensional Cartesian position.

16. The method of claim 14, further including providing a fault message to an auxiliary display.

17. The method of claim 16, further including providing a steering wire tension value to the auxiliary display.

18. The method of claim 14, further including prompting a selection of an input device from a list of connected or connectable input devices.

19. The method of claim 14, further including initializing a second algorithm specific to a second input device;

the second algorithm being configured to translate an input signal from the second input device into a standard data format.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the first and second input devices operate concurrently.