Method and system for steerable medical device path definition and following during insertion and retraction

• US 9,517,000 B2
• Filed: 10/01/2013
• Issued: 12/13/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/11/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intuitive Surgical Operations, Inc. (Intuitive Surgical Holdings, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Intuitive Surgical Operations, Inc. (Intuitive Surgical Holdings, LLC)
• Inventors: Donhowe, Caitlin Q., Belson, Amir, Donhowe, Kristoffer J., Krieg, Kenneth R., Storne, Eric M., Yorkey, Thomas J., Zhang, Jun
• Primary Examiner(s): Sweet, Thomas J
• Assistant Examiner(s): NEWTON, ALEXANDRA L
• Application Number:
  US14/042,876
• Publication Number:
  US 20140031625A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,169 Days
• Field of Search: 600/103, 600/106, 600/114, 600/117, 600/118, 600/139, 600/141, 600/142, 600/145, 606/130, 606/139, 128/920
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00006 of control signals
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00009 of image signals during a use of endoscope
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00147 Holding or positioning arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0051 with controlled bending of insertion part
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/008 Articulations
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/003 Steerable
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/107 Visualisation of planned trajectories or target regions
• 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 34/20 Surgical navigation systems; Devices for tracking or guiding surgical instruments, e.g. for frameless stereotaxis
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/03 Automatic limiting or abutting means, e.g. for safety

Abstract

Waypoints for a steerable medical device are stored as the steerable medical device is moved within a patient. The stored waypoints are an ordered sequence of locations. The ordered sequence of locations defines a safe path within the patient for moving an articulatable portion of the steerable medical device. The articulatable portion of the steerable medical device is constrained to follow the safe path as the articulatable portion moves within the patient. For example, the articulatable portion of the steerable medical device is constrained to remain within a boundary region enclosing the safe path as the articulatable portion of the steerable medical device follows the safe path.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

storing, by a controller, waypoints of a steerable medical device, the waypoints being locations of the steerable medical device within a patient as the medical device is moved within the patient, the waypoints being determined as the steerable medical device is moved towards a desired location within the patient, wherein said stored waypoints comprise an ordered sequence of locations, and further wherein said ordered sequence of locations defines a safe path for moving an articulatable portion of said steerable medical device within the patient, the articulatable portion of the steerable medical device comprising one or more segments, each of the one or more segments comprising a plurality of links, adjacent links of the plurality of links being connected by a joint; and

constraining, by the controller as the articulatable portion of the steerable medical devices is moved within the patient, the articulatable portion of the steerable medical device to remain within a boundary region enclosing the safe path as the articulatable portion of the steerable medical device follows the safe path, the boundary region being based on the waypoints,

wherein a link in the articulatable segment deviating from the safe path remains within the boundary region,

wherein the constraining comprises;

generating position and orientation data for each of the one or more segments of the articulatable portion using the ordered sequence of locations and a kinematic model of the articulatable portion of the steerable medical device; and

wherein said generating further comprises;

minimizing a cost function associated with the kinematic model to generate said position and orientation data for each of said one or more segments; and

wherein said minimizing a cost function further comprises;

minimizing the sum of the absolute values of relative joint angles, with an additional constraint that link positions not deviate by more than a distance Δ

at each of the waypoints in said ordered sequence of locations.

2. The method of claim 1, the constraining further comprising:

sending, by the controller, at least one command to a controller of the steerable medical device to constrain the links of said articulatable portion of said steerable medical device within the boundary region.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said boundary region comprises a tube having a cross-section.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said cross-section comprises one of a circular cross-section, an oblate cross-section, and a rectangular-cross-section.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein storing the waypoint further comprises:

determining a location of a tip of the steerable medical device; and

saving the location of the tip of the steerable medical device as a waypoint if a link of the steerable medical device is inserted into the patient following the determining.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether a tip of a steerable medical device is being withdrawn from the patient; and

deleting a saved waypoint if the determining finds that a link of the steerable medical device is withdrawn from patient.