METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR ABSOLUTE THREE-DIMENSIONAL MEASUREMENTS USING A TWIST-INSENSITIVE SHAPE SENSOR

• US 20110202069A1
• Filed: 07/20/2010
• Published: 08/18/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intuitive Surgical Operations, Inc. (Intuitive Surgical Holdings, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Intuitive Surgical Operations, Inc. (Intuitive Surgical Holdings, LLC)
• Inventors: Curet, Myriam J., Stoy, Katherine D., Mohr, Catherine J., Prisco, Giuseppe M., Rogers, Theodore W., Duindam, Vincent
• Granted Patent: US 9,285,246 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/130
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/009 with bending or curvature detection of the insertion part
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/24 for use in the oral cavity, larynx, bronchial passages or nose for medical inspection of cavities or tubes in the body A61B1/00; Tongue scrapers
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00035 with return means
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/2005 with beam delivery through an interstitially insertable device, e.g. needle
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/202 Laser enclosed in a hand-piece
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/2061 using shape-sensors, e.g. fiber shape sensors with Bragg gratings
• 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 2562/00 Details of sensors; Constructional details of sensor housings or probes; Accessories for sensors
• 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 34/30 Surgical robots
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/71 Manipulators operated by drive cable mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 11/24 for measuring contours or curvatures
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 5/35316 using a Bragg gratings
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0807 using tickets, e.g. Kerberos cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using tickets or tokens H04L9/3213
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/068 using credential vaults, e.g. password manager applications or one time password [OTP] applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

An apparatus includes a reference fixture. The reference fixture includes a joint, and a joint tracker to track motion of the joint. The apparatus also includes a surgical instrument. A tether is connected between the joint and the surgical instrument. A shape sensor extends from the reference fixture through the joint, through the tether, and into the surgical instrument. The shape sensor is substantially free of twist. The joint tracker measures the motion of the joint. Information from the shape sensor in combination with information from the joint tracker provides absolute three-dimensional information relative to the reference fixture, i.e., provides absolute three-dimensional information in a fixed world reference frame.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a reference fixture including a joint;

a surgical instrument;

a tether connected between the joint and the surgical instrument; and

a shape sensor extending from the reference fixture through the joint, through the tether, and into the surgical instrument,

wherein the shape sensor is substantially free of twist in the tether, and

wherein information from the shape sensor is used in generating absolute three-dimensional information relative to a fixed world reference frame.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the reference fixture further comprises:

a joint tracker wherein the joint tracker tracks motion of the joint and wherein information from the joint tracker in combination with the information from the shape sensor is used in the generating the absolute three-dimensional information relative to the fixed world reference frame.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the joint has only one degree of freedom.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the joint comprises a roll joint and the one degree of freedom is roll.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the joint has no degrees of freedom.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the shape sensor includes a known feature upon entering the surgical instrument.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the tether defines a lumen extending along a longitudinal axis of the tether, and the shape sensor extends through the lumen.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the tether comprises a torsionally stiff tether.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the tether defines a lumen extending along a longitudinal axis of the tether, and the shape sensor extends through the lumen.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the lumen has a non-circular cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal axis and further wherein a portion of the shape sensor extending through the tether has the non-circular cross section.

11. The apparatus of claim 7 further comprising:

a liner, extending through the lumen, having a liner lumen,

wherein the shape sensor extends through the liner lumen, and

wherein the liner comprises a material so that the shape sensor rotates freely within the liner.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the material is a fluorinated polymer.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the surgical instrument is a cannula, and the apparatus further comprises:

a second surgical instrument; and

a second tether connected between the cannula and the second surgical instrument.

14. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the surgical instrument comprises a flexible surgical instrument.

15. A method comprising:

processing, by a processor, information from a joint tracker to generate first pose information,

wherein the joint tracker is connected to a reference fixture;

wherein the joint tracker measures motion of a joint connected to said tether; and

wherein the reference fixture is affixed to a location for minimally invasive surgery, and is used in establishing a fixed world reference frame.

processing, by the processor, information from a shape sensor extending through the joint and the tether to generate second pose information; and

generating, by the processor using the first pose information and the second pose information, an absolute three-dimensional pose of a proximal part of the surgical instrument in the fixed world reference frame.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the shape sensor extends to a distal portion of the surgical instrument, and the method further comprises:

processing, by the processor, information from the shape sensor extending through the surgical instrument to generate third pose information.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the method further comprises:

generating, by the processor using the third pose information, an absolute three-dimensional pose of the distal portion of the surgical instrument in the fixed world reference frame.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the generating, by the processor using the third pose information further comprises:

generating a shape of the surgical instrument in the fixed world reference frame.

19. The method of claim 15 wherein the surgical instrument comprises a cannula.

20. The method of claim 15 wherein the surgical instrument comprises a flexible surgical instrument.

21. A method comprising:

coupling a surgical instrument to a distal end of a tether;

coupling a proximal end of the tether to a joint of a reference structure, wherein the reference structure includes a joint tracker to measure motion of the joint; and

,

extending a shape sensor through the joint and the tether into the surgical instrument,

wherein the shape sensor provides information used in determining an absolute three-dimensional pose of a part of the surgical instrument in a world fixed reference frame.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein the surgical instrument comprises a cannula and the method further comprises:

connecting the reference structure to an arm supporting a manipulator of a minimally invasive teleoperated surgical system.