METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR PROVIDING VISUAL GUIDANCE TO AN OPERATOR FOR STEERING A TIP OF AN ENDOSCOPIC DEVICE TOWARD ONE OR MORE LANDMARKS IN A PATIENT

• US 20130144124A1
• Filed: 11/16/2012
• Published: 06/06/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/2009
• 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
• Granted Patent: US 8,801,601 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/117
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/000094 extracting biological structures
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0002 provided with data storages
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00045 Display arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0005 combining images e.g. side-by-side, superimposed or tiled
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00055 for alerting the user
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00147 Holding or positioning arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0016 using motor drive units
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00165 with light-conductive means, e.g. fibre optics A61B1/07 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00193 adapted for stereoscopic vision
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00194 adapted for three-dimensional imaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0051 with controlled bending of insertion part
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/009 with bending or curvature detection of the insertion part
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/01 Guiding arrangements therefore
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/05 characterised by the image sensor, e.g. camera, being in the distal end portion
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/273 for the upper alimentary canal, e.g. oesophagoscopes, gastroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/2061 using shape-sensors, e.g. fiber shape sensors with Bragg gratings
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/066 Superposing sensor position on an image of the patient, e.g. obtained by ultrasound or x-ray imaging

Abstract

Landmark directional guidance is provided to an operator of an endoscopic device by displaying graphical representations of vectors adjacent a current image captured by an image capturing device disposed at a tip of the endoscopic device and being displayed at the time on a display screen, wherein the graphical representations of the vectors point in directions that the endoscope tip is to be steered in order to move towards associated landmarks such as anatomic structures in a patient.

Claims

1-32. -32. (canceled)

33. A method for navigating a steerable instrument in a patient anatomy, the method comprising:

receiving a first landmark establishment request;

responsive to receiving the request, recording information about a reference portion of the steerable instrument located at a first anatomic landmark in the patient anatomy ;

referencing the recorded information as first landmark information; and

registering the first landmark information to a model of the patient anatomy.

34. The method of claim 33 wherein the first landmark information includes position information.

35. The method of claim 33 wherein the first landmark information includes an image from the reference portion of the steerable instrument captured by an image capture device.

36. The method of claim 33 wherein the first landmark information includes shape information.

37. The method of claim 33 wherein the first landmark information includes a timestamp .

38. The method of claim 33 wherein the first landmark information includes a graphical representation.

39. The method of claim 38 further comprising displaying the model of the patient anatomy registered with the graphical representation.

40. The method of claim 33 providing guidance for navigating a path through a plurality of anatomic landmarks, including the first anatomic landmark, to a target location within the patient anatomy.

41. The method of claim 40 wherein the guidance includes a model of the path between the plurality of anatomic landmarks.

42. The method of claim 41 further comprising displaying the model of the path registered with the model of the patient anatomy.