Endoscopic system with instrument position and orientation display

• US 6,832,985 B2
• Filed: 07/26/2002
• Issued: 12/21/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Karl Storz Se & Co. Kg
• Original Assignee: Karl Storz Se & Co. Kg
• Inventors: Wenzler, Hartmut, Schwarz, Peter, Irion, Klaus
• Primary Examiner(s): Leubecker, John P.
• Application Number:
  US10/205,807
• Publication Number:
  US 20020188172A1
• Time in Patent Office: 879 Days
• Field of Search: 600/102, 600/103, 600/114, 600/117, 600/118, 600/109, 600/160, 600/165, 600/170, 600/171, 348/45, 348/74, 606/130
• US Class Current: 600/118
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00045 Display arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/04 combined with photographic or television appliances

Abstract

An endoscopic system includes at least one endoscope having an objective which generates an image of an area to be observed, at least one video recorder which records the image generated by the objective, at least one instrument, a position-sensing device which detects a position of the at least one instruments, and an assessment and control unit to which an output signal of the video recorder and the position-sensing device are applied and which displays on a monitor the image and symbols representing the position of the instrument. The position-sensing device includes a sensor which also detects orientation of the instrument, and the assessment and control unit displays symbols which indicate, in addition to the position the orientation of the instrument.

Claims

1. Endoscopic system comprising:

at least one endoscope having an objective which generates an image of an area to be observed,

at least one video recorder which records the image generated by said objective,

at least one instrument,

a position-sensing device which detects a position of the at least one instrument, and

an assessment and control unit to which an output signal of the video recorder and the position-sensing device are applied and which displays on a monitor the image and symbols representing the position of the instrument,

characterized in that said position-sensing device comprises a sensor which also detects orientation of the instrument, and that said assessment and control unit displays symbols which indicate, in addition to the position, the orientation of the instrument relative to an image plane of the objective.

2. System according to claim 1, characterized in that said symbols displayed by said assessment and control unit indicate a direction of entry and a site of entry of the instrument into the recorded image.

3. System according to claim 2, characterized in that said assessment and control unit displays at least the symbols for a direction of entry and a site of entry into a coverage field cone only when the instrument is not visible in the endoscope image.

4. System according to claim 1, characterized in that said assessment and control unit displays at least one symbol indicating a specific site where an extension of a longitudinal axis of an instrument not inside a coverage field penetrates a coverage field cone of the endoscope.

5. System according to claim 4, characterized in that said symbol displayed by said assessment and control unit indicates a respective azimuth angle and direction at which an extension of a longitudinal axis of said instrument penetrates the coverage field cone.

6. System according claim 1, characterized in that said assessment and control unit constructs a plane which is located at a definable distance ahead of a distal end of said endoscope, and that said assessment and control unit displays at least one further symbol indicating a site where an extension of a longitudinal axis of the instrument penetrates this plane.

7. System according to claim 6, characterized in that the plane is that plane onto which the objective is focused.

8. System according to claim 6, characterized in that said assessment and control unit displays the symbol indicating a point of penetration through a plane only when a distal end of the instrument, along a viewing direction, is located ahead of the plane so that the instrument will not penetrate the plane.

9. System according to claim 1, characterized in that the symbol displayed by said assessment and control unit indicates a distance between a distal end of the instrument and the image generated by said objective.

10. System according to claim 9, characterized in that respective information is provided by a different graphic coding of the symbol.

11. System according to claim 1, characterized in that one of the symbols indicates whether an axis of the associated instrument intersects or does not intersect a coverage field cone of the objective.

12. System according to claim 1, characterized in that said sensor detects also a rotational position of the instrument.

13. System according to claim 1, characterized in that said assessment and control unit determines an orientation of an optical axis of the objective of the endoscope by deriving it from the output signal of a sensor associated with the endoscope.

14. System according to claim 12, characterized in that information about a viewing direction and a coverage field angle of the endoscope is applied to said assessment and control unit.

15. System according to claim 14, characterized in that said assessment and control unit displays at least one part of said symbols on the monitor outside the endoscope image.

16. System according to claim 1, characterized in that said sensor is mounted on a proximal end on the instrument.

17. System according to claim 16, characterized in that said endoscope is a rigid endoscope.

18. System according to claim 16, characterized in that in said endoscope is a flexible endoscope and in that an additional sensor is provided which detects a bend of said endoscope.

19. System according to claim 1, characterized in that said sensor is mounted on the distal end of said instrument.

20. System according to claim 1, characterized in that said assessment and control unit controls a guiding system.

21. System according to claim 20, characterized in that said guiding system merely allows for a movement of a distal end of said instrument into the endoscope image when the distal end of said instrument is located outside the endoscope image.

22. System according to claim 20, characterized in that said guiding system allows for an operation of a respective instrument only when its distal end is located in said endoscope image.

23. System according to claim 20, characterized in that the instrument presents a marker which is optically detected by said assessment and control unit and which serves as point of reference for said guiding system.

24. System according to claim 1, characterized in that said endoscope is a stereo endoscope.

25. System according to claim 24, characterized in that said assessment and control unit determines a position of a particular point in the endoscope image by means of triangulation, and selects this point as point of reference for said guiding system.

26. System according to claim 24, characterized in that the monitor is a stereo display on which said symbols are displayed in a three-dimensional representation.

27. System according to claim 26, characterized in that said three-dimensional symbols indicate a point of penetration and a direction of penetration of the respective instrument.

28. System according to claim 1, characterized in that a projection means is provided which projects a two-dimensional pattern onto the area to be observed, and that said assessment and control unit reconstructs a topography of this area from the image of said two-dimensional pattern.

29. System according to claim 28, characterized in that said pattern is a network or a dot matrix.

30. System according to claim 1, characterized in that said endoscope comprises an imaging inclined view endoscopes and in that information is displayed about an angle between a longitudinal axis of said endoscope and the viewing direction.

31. System according to claim 1, characterized in that an acoustic guiding signal is used.

32. The system according to claim 1 for use in the performance of endoscopic operations on the human or animal body.

33. The system according to claim 1 for use in an endoscopic simulation or training system.

34. The system according to claim 33, characterized in that said endoscopic simulation or training system comprises a housing representing the human or animal body, as well as parts simulating proximal control elements, and that an image processor unit is provided which displays the distal functional elements on a monitor.