METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR INSTRUMENT TRACKING AND NAVIGATION WITHIN LUMINAL NETWORKS

• US 20190183587A1
• Filed: 12/14/2018
• Published: 06/20/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Auris Health, Inc. (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: Auris Health, Inc. (Johnson & Johnson)
• Inventors: Rafii-Tari, Hedyeh, Jeevan, Prasanth
• Granted Patent: US 11,160,615 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00477 Coupling A61B2017/0046 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00809 Lung operations
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/105 Modelling of the patient, e.g. for ligaments or bones
• 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 2034/2061 using shape-sensors, e.g. fiber shape sensors with Bragg gratings
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/2063 Acoustic tracking systems, e.g. using ultrasound
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/2072 Reference field transducer attached to an instrument or patient
• 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 2034/303 specifically adapted for manipulations within body lumens, e.g. within lumen of gut, spine, or blood vessels
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/306 using optical fibres
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/309 using white LEDs
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/3614 using optical fibre
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/10 Computer-aided planning, simulation or modelling of surgical operations
• 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

Abstract

Methods and systems for instrument tracking and navigation are described. In one embodiment, the system may be configured to receive position sensor data from at least one position sensor tracking an instrument positioned within a luminal network and determine a position sensor-based estimated state derived from the sensor data. The system may be configured to determine a combined estimated state for the instrument based on the position sensor data and at least one other type of position data. The system may be configured to determine a location transform based on the combined estimated state and the position sensor-based estimated state and output an estimated state of the instrument based on the position sensor-based estimated state adjusted by the location transform.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having stored thereon instructions that, when executed, cause a processor of a device to at least:

receive position sensor data from at least one position sensor tracking an instrument positioned within a luminal network;

determine a position sensor-based estimated state derived from the sensor data;

determine a combined estimated state for the instrument based on the position sensor data and at least one other type of position data;

determine a location transform based on the combined estimated state and the position sensor-based estimated state; and

output an estimated state of the instrument based on the position sensor-based estimated state adjusted by the location transform.

2. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the processor to:

determine the location transform at a transition point between a first portion of the luminal network and a second portion of the luminal network; and

output the estimated state of the instrument based on the position sensor-based estimated state adjusted by the location transform when the instrument is positioned within the second portion of the luminal network.

3. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the processor to:

determine the location transform over a range of positions preceding a transition point between a first portion of the luminal network and a second portion of the luminal network; and

output the estimated state of the instrument based on the position sensor-based estimated state adjusted by the location transform when the instrument is positioned within the second portion of the luminal network.

4. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 2, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the processor to output the combined estimated state when the instrument is positioned within the first portion of the luminal network.

5. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 2, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the processor to:

obtain preoperative model data corresponding to a mapped portion of the luminal network; and

determine the transition point based on the preoperative model data.

6. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 5, wherein the transition point is determined to be at a threshold length of a last segment of the preoperative model or a distal end of a last segment of the preoperative model.

7. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the

8. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the location transform comprises a function.

9. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the processor to display a visual indicia of the adjusted position sensor-based estimated state on a display.

10. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the processor to:

determine a pointing direction of the instrument based on the adjusted position sensor-based estimated state; and

display the pointing direction on a display.

11. A robotic system, comprising:

an instrument having an elongate body and at least one position sensor disposed on the elongate body;

an instrument positioning device attached to the instrument and configured to move the instrument;

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

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;

receive position sensor data from the at least one position sensor;

determine a position sensor-based estimated state derived from the position sensor data;

determine a combined estimated state for the instrument based on the position sensor data and at least one other type of position data;

determine a location transform based on the combined estimated state and the position sensor-based estimated state; and

output an estimated state of the instrument based on the position sensor-based estimated state adjusted by the location transform.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein:

the instrument comprises an endoscope, and

the instrument positioning device comprises a robotic arm.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the at least one position sensor comprises at least one of an EM sensor, a shape sensing fiber, an accelerometer, a gyroscope, and an ultrasonic sensor.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the one or more processors to:

determine the location transform at a transition point between a first portion of the luminal network and a second portion of the luminal network; and

output the estimated state of the instrument based on the position sensor-based estimated state adjusted by the location transform when the instrument is positioned within the second portion of the luminal network.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the one or more processors to:

determine the location transform over a range of positions preceding a transition point between a first portion of the luminal network and a second portion of the luminal network; and

output the estimated state of the instrument based on the position sensor-based estimated state adjusted by the location transform when the instrument is positioned within the second portion of the luminal network.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the one or more processors to:

obtain preoperative model data corresponding to a mapped portion of the luminal network;

determine the transition point based on the preoperative model data.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein the location transform comprises a vector or a function.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein the combined estimated state comprises one or more of:

an identifier of a segment, a depth within the segment, and roll information for the instrument;

a three degree of freedom position; and

a six degree of freedom position.

19. The system of claim 11, wherein the position sensor-based estimated state comprises one or more of:

a three degree of freedom position; and

a six degree of freedom position.

20. The system of claim 11, further comprising a display, and wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the one or more processors to display a visual indicia of the adjusted position sensor-based estimated state on a display.

21. The system of claim 11, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the one or more processors to:

determine a pointing direction of the instrument based on the adjusted position sensor-based estimated state; and

display the pointing direction on a display.

22. A method for navigating an instrument within a luminal network of a body, the method comprising:

receiving position sensor data from at least one position sensor tracking the instrument positioned within the luminal network;

determining a position sensor-based estimated state derived from the position sensor data;

determining an additional estimated state for the instrument based on at least one other type of additional position data;

determining a location transform based on the additional estimated state and the position sensor-based estimated state; and

outputting an estimated state of the instrument based on the position sensor-based estimated state adjusted by the location transform.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

determining the location transform at a transition point between a first portion of the luminal network and a second portion of the luminal network; and

outputting the estimated state of the instrument based on the position sensor-based estimated state adjusted by the location transform when the instrument is positioned within the second portion of the luminal network.

24. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

determining the location transform over a range of positions preceding a transition point between a first portion of the luminal network and a second portion of the luminal network; and

outputting the estimated state of the instrument based on the position sensor-based estimated state adjusted by the location transform when the instrument is positioned within the second portion of the luminal network.

25. The method of claim 23, further comprising outputting the additional estimated state when the instrument is positioned within the first portion of the luminal network.

26. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

obtaining preoperative model data representative of a preoperative model corresponding to a mapped portion of the luminal network; and

determining the transition point based on the preoperative model data.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the transition point is determined to be at a threshold length of a last segment of the preoperative model or a distal end of a last segment of the preoperative model.

28. The method of claim 23, wherein the location transform comprises a vector.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the vector is indicative of a distance between the additional estimated state and the sensor-based estimated state at the transition point.

30. The method of claim 23, wherein the location transform comprises a function.