STEERABLE FLEXIBLE NEEDLE WITH EMBEDDED SHAPE SENSING

• US 20130204124A1
• Filed: 01/28/2013
• Published: 08/08/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/03/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intuitive Surgical Operations, Inc. (Intuitive Surgical Holdings, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Intuitive Surgical Operations, Inc. (Intuitive Surgical Holdings, LLC)
• Inventors: Duindam, Vincent, Prisco, Giuseppe Maria, Larkin, David Q., Panescu, Dorin, DiMaio, Simon P.
• Granted Patent: US 9,636,040 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/424
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 10/0233 Pointed or sharp biopsy instruments
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/3209 Incision instruments
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/3403 Needle locating or guiding means guides for suture needles A61B17/0482; guiding or tracking by nuclear magnetic resonance G01R33/285
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/3468 for implanting or removing devices, e.g. prostheses, implants, seeds, wires devices for implanting seeds A61M37/0069
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2010/045 Needles pointed biopsy devices with vacuum aspiration A61B10/0283
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/003 Steerable
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00323 Cables or rods
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00331 with preformed bends
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00991 Telescopic means
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/107 Visualisation of planned trajectories or target regions
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/2051 Electromagnetic tracking systems
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/2059 Mechanical position encoders
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/2061 using shape-sensors, e.g. fiber shape sensors with Bragg gratings
• 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 5/062 using magnetic field
• 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

Abstract

A surgical system includes a flexible steerable needle and a shape sensor for measuring the shape of the needle. The surgical system can be manual (e.g., laparoscopic), robotic, or any combination of the two. By directly measuring the shape of the needle, complex and potentially inaccurate modeling of the needle to determine trajectory and insertion depth can be avoided in favor of much more robust direct measurement and modeling of needle shape and/or pose.

Claims

1. A flexible needle comprising:

a shape sensor and

a connector adapted for connecting the shape sensor to a processor for determining the shape of the flexible needle based on data from the shape sensor.

2. The flexible needle of claim 1 wherein the shape sensor comprises at least one of an optical fiber, a fiber Bragg grating, a nitinol wire, and a piezoresistive element.

3. The flexible needle of claim 1 further comprising a wall defining an interior lumen, wherein the shape sensor is removably insertable into the interior lumen.

4. The flexible needle of claim 1 further comprising a wall defining an interior lumen, wherein the shape sensor is attached to the wall.

5. The flexible needle of claim 4, wherein the shape sensor is attached to an external surface of the wall.

6. The flexible needle of claim 4, wherein the shape sensor is attached to an internal surface of the wall.

7. The flexible needle of claim 4, wherein the wall comprises a groove, and wherein the shape sensor is at least partially positioned within the groove.

8. The flexible needle of claim 7, wherein the groove comprises one or more positioning features mated with the shape sensor and wherein the one or more positioning features prevents movement of the shape sensor along the groove.

9. The flexible needle of claim 8, wherein the one or more positioning features comprises at least one of a slot, a ridge, and a threaded section.

10. The flexible needle of claim 1 further comprising a wall having an interior surface and an exterior surface, the interior surface defining in interior lumen,

wherein a second lumen is defined between the interior surface and the exterior surface, and

wherein the shape sensor is positioned at least partially within the second lumen.

11. The flexible needle of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of concentric curved segments, wherein each of the plurality of concentric curved elements is independently rotatable and extendible.

12. The flexible needle of claim 1 further comprising at least one control cable, wherein flexion of the flexible needle is controlled by the control cable.

13. The flexible needle of claim 1 further comprising a distal tip portion wherein the distal tip portion comprises one of a bevel tip, a curved tip, and a solid tip.

14. The flexible needle of claim 1, further comprising a second shape sensor, at least a portion of the second shape sensor being substantially parallel to at least a portion of the shape sensor, wherein the connector is further adapted for connecting the second shape sensor to the processor for determining the shape of the flexible needle based on data from the shape sensor and the second shape sensor.

15. The flexible needle of claim 1, further comprising a position sensor, wherein the connector is further adapted for connecting the position sensor to the processor for determining a position of a section of the flexible needle based on data from the position sensor.

16. A surgical system comprising:

a flexible needle including a shape sensor and a connector adapted for connecting the shape sensor to a processor; and

an actuator for manipulating the flexible needle.

17. The surgical system of claim 16 further including the processor for determining a shape of the flexible needle based on data from the shape sensor.

18. The surgical system of claim 16, wherein the shape sensor comprises at least one of an optical fiber, a fiber Bragg grating, a nitinol wire, and a piezoresistive element.

19. The surgical system of claim 16, wherein the flexible needle comprises a wall defining an interior lumen and wherein the shape sensor is removably insertable into the interior lumen.

20. The surgical system of claim 19, wherein the shape sensor comprises a stylet sized to fit within the interior lumen.

21. The surgical system of claim 16, wherein the flexible needle comprises a wall defining an interior lumen, and

wherein the shape sensor is attached to the wall.

22. The surgical system of claim 21, wherein the shape sensor is attached to an external surface of the wall.

23. The surgical system of claim 21, wherein the shape sensor is attached to an internal surface of the wall.

24. The surgical system of claim 21, wherein the wall comprises a groove, and

wherein the shape sensor is at least partially positioned within the groove.

25. The surgical system of claim 24, wherein the groove comprises one or more positioning features mated with the shape sensor,

wherein the one or more positioning features prevents movement of the shape sensor along the groove.

26. The surgical system of claim 25, wherein the one or more positioning features comprises at least one of a slot, a ridge, and a threaded section.

27. The surgical system of claim 16, wherein the flexible needle comprises a wall having an interior surface and an exterior surface, the interior surface defining in interior lumen,

wherein a second lumen is defined between the interior surface and the exterior surface, and

wherein the shape sensor is positioned at least partially within the second lumen.

28. The surgical system of claim 16, wherein the flexible needle comprises a plurality of concentric curved segments, wherein each of the plurality of concentric curved elements is independently rotatable and extendible.

29. The surgical system of claim 16, wherein the flexible needle comprises at least one control cable, and

wherein flexion of the flexible needle is controlled by the control cable.

30. The surgical system of claim 16, wherein a distal tip of the flexible needle comprises one of a bevel tip, a curved tip, and a solid tip.

31. The surgical system of claim 16, wherein the flexible needle comprises a solid needle.

32. The surgical system of claim 16, further comprising a second shape sensor attached to the flexible needle, at least a portion of the second shape sensor being substantially parallel to at least a portion of the shape sensor, wherein the connector is further adapted for connecting the second shape sensor to the processor for determining the shape of the flexible needle based on data from the shape sensor and the second shape sensor.

33. The surgical system of claim 16 wherein the each of the shape sensor and the second shape sensor are attached to different concentric curved segments of the flexible needle.

34. The surgical system of claim 16, further comprising a position sensor attached to a section of the flexible needle, the processor determining a position of the section based on data from the position sensor.

35. The surgical system of claim 34, wherein the position sensor is attached to a distal tip of the flexible needle.

36. The surgical system of claim 35, further comprising a manual controller allowing direct user control over the actuator.

37. The surgical system of claim 16, further comprising a robotic surgical platform coupled to the actuator.

38. The surgical system of claim 16 wherein the flexible needle is a transcutaneous biopsy needle.

39. The surgical system of claim 16, wherein the flexible needle is an endoscopic biopsy needle.

40. The surgical system of claim 16, wherein the flexible needle is adapted to deliver a tissue ablation device.

41. The surgical system of claim 16, wherein the flexible needle is adapted to deliver radioactive seeds.

42. A method for performing surgery comprising:

measuring a current shape of a flexible needle;

creating a model of the current shape of the flexible needle; and

creating a model of a current in-situ pose of a section of the flexible needle using the model of the current shape of the flexible needle.

43. The method of claim 42 wherein the section of the flexible needle is a distal tip section of the flexible needle.

44. The method of claim 42, wherein measuring the current shape of the flexible needle comprises processing data from a shape sensor attached to a first section of the flexible needle to determine at least one bend radius for the first section of the flexible needle.

45. The method of claim 44, wherein creating the model of the current shape of the flexible needle comprises adjusting an initial shape model of the flexible needle based on the at least one bend radius.

46. The method of claim 42, further comprising determining a target travel path for the flexible needle based on the model of the current in-situ pose.

47. The method of claim 46, further comprising:

moving the flexible needle; and

comparing an actual travel path of the flexible needle with the target travel path.

48. The method of claim 47, wherein comparing the actual travel path of the flexible needle with the target travel path comprises providing user feedback when a threshold deviation between the actual travel path and the target travel path is detected.

49. The method of claim 42, further comprising

determining a deviation between the model of the current shape of the flexible needle and an expected shape of the flexible needle;

and

generating an error state when the deviation exceeds a first predetermined threshold level.

50. The method of claim 49, further comprising determining an adjustment to the current shape of the flexible needle to reduce the deviation when the deviation exceeds a second predetermined threshold level and does not exceed the first predetermined threshold level.

51. The method of claim 50, further comprising automatically applying the adjustment to the flexible needle.

52. The method of claim 50 further comprising providing feedback to a user for use in manually adjusting the flexible needle.

53. The method of claim 42, wherein creating the model of the current in-situ pose of the flexible needle comprises:

determining an expected shape of the flexible needle, the expected shape of the flexible needle being based on one or more modeling parameters for anatomy traversed by the flexible needle;

determining a deviation between the expected shape of the flexible needle and the model of the current shape of the flexible needle; and

updating at least one of the one or more modeling parameters based on the deviation.

54. The method of claim 42, wherein measuring the current shape of the flexible needle comprises reading data from a shape sensor aligned with the flexible needle.

55. The method of claim 54, wherein the shape sensor comprises a fiber Bragg grating.

56. The method of claim 54, wherein the flexible needle comprises a wall, and

wherein the shape sensor is attached to an external surface of the wall.

57. The method of claim 54, wherein the flexible needle comprises a wall defining an interior needle lumen, and

wherein the shape sensor is positioned at least partially within a second lumen within the wall.

58. The method of claim 54, wherein the flexible needle comprises a wall defining an interior needle,

wherein measuring reading the data from the shape sensor comprises gathering the data while the shape sensor is at least partially positioned within the interior needle lumen, and

wherein the method further comprises removing the shape sensor from the interior needle lumen.

59. The method of claim 42, further comprising:

measuring a current position of at least one portion of the flexible needle, and creating a model of the current position of the at least one portion of the flexible needle.

60. A method for guiding a flexible needle during a medical procedure, the method comprising:

measuring a shape of a flexible needle using a shape sensor;

modeling the shape of the flexible needle; and

driving an actuator for adjusting the shape of the flexible needle.

61. The method of claim 60, wherein measuring the shape of the flexible needle comprises reading shape data from the shape sensor at least partially aligned with the flexible needle.

62. The method of claim 60, wherein the shape sensor comprises at least one of an optical fiber, a piezoresistive sensor array, and a fiber Bragg grating.

63. The method of claim 60, wherein modeling the shape of the flexible needle comprises determining a pose of a section of the flexible needle.

64. The method of claim 63, wherein determining the pose of the flexible needle comprises reading position data from at least one position sensor on the flexible needle.

65. The method of claim 63, wherein determining the pose of the flexible needle comprises combining the shape of the flexible needle with reference frame data from the actuator.

66. The method of claim 60, further comprising determining a total insertion depth of the flexible needle based on the shape of the flexible needle.

67. The method of claim 60, wherein measuring the shape of the flexible needle comprises measuring the shape of the flexible needle in a target anatomy, and wherein the method further comprises updating a model of the target anatomy based on the shape of the flexible needle.

68. The method of claim 60, wherein driving the actuator comprises changing the shape of the flexible needle to achieve a desired trajectory for the flexible needle.

69. The method of claim 60, wherein modeling the shape of the flexible needle comprises generating an error condition when the shape of the flexible needle deviates from an expected needle shape by more than a threshold deviation.

70. The method of claim 60, wherein modeling the shape of the flexible needle comprises generating one or more possible trajectories for the flexible needle.

71. The method of claim 70, wherein driving the actuator comprises automatically changing the shape of the flexible needle to enable progress of the flexible needle along at least one of the one or more possible trajectories for the flexible needle.

72. The method of claim 70, wherein driving the actuator comprises:

applying articulation inputs to the flexible needle in response to control inputs from a user; and

providing feedback to the user when the articulation inputs result in a deviation from the one or more possible trajectories for the flexible needle.

73. The method of claim 70, wherein the feedback comprises at least one of auditory feedback, tactile feedback, and visual feedback.

74. The method of claim 60, wherein driving the actuator comprises providing a control input to the actuator, and

wherein the method further comprising:

measuring a new shape of the flexible needle using the shape sensor;

modeling the new shape of the flexible needle; and

identifying a kinematic mapping between the control input and a motion of the flexible needle based on a change from the shape to the new shape.

75. The method of claim 60, further comprising calculating one or more forces applied to the flexible needle based on the shape of the flexible needle.

76. The method of claim 60, further comprising comparing a graphical representation of the shape of the flexible needle with a graphical representation of an expected shape of the flexible needle.