Endoscope structures and techniques for navigating to a target in branched structure
First Claim
1. A method for navigating a medical tool through a branched structure comprising the steps of:
- determining a geometric shape of an interior space of a section of said branched structure by;
moving a locatable probe through said interior space;
recording said real-time location data received from a sensor near a distal end of the locatable probe; and
,processing said recorded real-time location data to create said geometric shape;
conducting a best fit correlation between said geometric shape and corresponding features within a data set representative of said branched structure;
providing an indication of a real-time location of said sensor within said branched structure positioned within said three-dimensional frame of reference based on said correlating; and
advancing said sensor through said branched structure based on said indications of said real-time location of said sensor.
6 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Systems and methods employing a small gauge steerable catheter (30) including a locatable guide (32) with a sheath (40), particularly as an enhancement to a bronchoscope (14). A typical procedure is as follows. The location of a target in a reference coordinate system is detected or imported. The catheter (30) is navigated to the target which tracking the distal tip (34) of the guide (32) in the reference coordinate system. Insertion of the catheter is typically via a working channel of a convention bronchoscope. Once the tip of the catheter is positioned at the target, the guide (32) is withdrawn, leaving the sheath (40) secured in place. The sheath (40) is then used as a guide channel to direct a medical tool to target.
-
Citations
18 Claims
-
1. A method for navigating a medical tool through a branched structure comprising the steps of:
-
determining a geometric shape of an interior space of a section of said branched structure by; moving a locatable probe through said interior space; recording said real-time location data received from a sensor near a distal end of the locatable probe; and
,processing said recorded real-time location data to create said geometric shape; conducting a best fit correlation between said geometric shape and corresponding features within a data set representative of said branched structure; providing an indication of a real-time location of said sensor within said branched structure positioned within said three-dimensional frame of reference based on said correlating; and advancing said sensor through said branched structure based on said indications of said real-time location of said sensor. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
-
-
8. A method for navigating a medical tool through a branched structure comprising the steps of:
-
(a) acquiring a plurality of images of anatomical features in a branched structure; (b) compiling a data set from said plurality of images of said anatomical features in said branched structure; (c) defining a three-dimensional frame of reference including at least a portion of said branched structure; (d) advancing a locatable probe into a branch of said branched structure; (e) recording location data relative to said three-dimensional frame of reference received from said locatable probe within said branch to develop a geometric model of a section of said branched structure containing said locatable probe; (f) processing said recorded real-time location to create a geometric shape; (g) correlating said geometric shape to corresponding data in said data set from said plurality of images by comparing said geometric model to said data set; (h) aligning said three-dimensional frame of reference with said data set from said plurality of images based on said correlating; and (i) repeating steps (d) through (h). - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
-
-
17. A method for navigating a medical tool through a branched structure comprising the steps of:
-
(a) providing a probe with a position sensor element which operates as part of a position measuring system to allow measurement of a position and a pointing direction of a tip of a probe relative to a three-dimensional frame of reference; (b) moving the tip of the probe along a first branch portion of a branched structure and deriving and recording position data of the position sensor in said three dimensional frame of reference, and processing said position data to develop a geometric model of a section of said branched portion; (c) repeating step (b) for a second branch portion of the branched structure; (d) correlating said position data of said first and second branch portions with three-dimensional anatomical imaging data, by calculating a best fit match between said geometric model and said imaging data, to derive a registration between the three-dimensional imaging data and the three dimensional frame of reference; and (e) advancing said sensor through said branched structure to a target based on said registration between the three-dimensional anatomical imaging data and the three dimensional frame of reference. - View Dependent Claims (18)
-
Specification