System for Controlling an Instrument Using Shape Sensors

• US 20170319049A1
• Filed: 07/26/2017
• Published: 11/09/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intuitive Surgical Operations, Inc. (Intuitive Surgical Holdings, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Intuitive Surgical Operations, Inc. (Intuitive Surgical Holdings, LLC)
• Inventors: Laby, Keith P., Ohline, Robert M., Pistor, Christoph M., Swinehart, Charles E., Woodley, Bruce R., Belson, Amir
• Granted Patent: US 10,660,509 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00045 Display arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0052 Constructional details of control elements, e.g. handles
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0055 Constructional details of insertion parts, e.g. vertebral elements
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/05 characterised by the image sensor, e.g. camera, being in the distal end portion
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/313 for introducing through surgical openings, e.g. laparoscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/2061 using shape-sensors, e.g. fiber shape sensors with Bragg gratings

Abstract

The present invention relates, generally, to controlling a steerable instrument having an elongate body. More particularly, the present invention relates to a system and method for sensing the shape of a steerable instrument and controlling the steerable instrument in response to a control signal from a user input device and a shape signal corresponding to the sensed shape of at least a portion of the steerable instrument. The present invention also relates to a system for sensing the shape of a flexible instrument with an optical shape sensor.

Claims

1. A system for controlling an instrument having an elongate body, the system comprising:

a plurality of articulating segments joined together along at least a portion of the elongate body;

a user input device configured to provide a control signal to change a shape of at least one of the plurality of articulating segments;

a sensor in contact with the elongate body configured to provide a shape signal corresponding to the shape of at least one of the plurality of articulating segments; and

a controller in communication with the user input device and the sensor, wherein the controller directs the movement of at least one of the plurality of articulating segments in response to the control signal and the shape signal.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising an actuator in communication with the controller and configured to move at least one of the plurality of articulating segments.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the actuator is positioned inside of the instrument.

4. The system of claim 2 wherein the actuator is positioned outside of the instrument.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the sensor is sufficiently long indicate the shape of an entire length of the elongate body.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the sensor is sufficiently long to indicate the shape of a portion of the elongate body inserted into a patient.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the sensor comprises an optical shape sensor.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the sensor comprises a plurality of magnetic sensors.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the sensor comprises a plurality of flex sensors.

10. The system of claim 1 in the sensor comprises a plurality of stretch sensors.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein the sensor comprises a plurality of potentiometers.

12. The system of claim 1 further comprising a video display configured to display an output representing the shape of a portion of the elongate body.

13. A method of controlling an instrument having an elongate body, the method comprising the steps of:

inputting a control signal to a controller to change a shape of the elongate body;

sensing the shape of at least a portion of the elongate body with a shape sensor;

outputting a shape signal corresponding to the shape of the portion of the elongate body from the shape sensor to the controller; and

directing the movement of the elongate body in response to the control signal and the shape signal.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the step of directing further comprises directing the operation of an actuator to move the elongate body.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein the step of sensing comprises sensing the shape of the entire length of the elongate body.

16. The method of claim 13 wherein the step of sensing comprises sensing the shape of the portion of the elongate body inserted into a patient.

17. The method of claim 13 wherein the step of outputting further comprises outputting the shape signal to a video display to display an output representing the shape of the portion of the elongate body.

18. The method further comprising the step of creating a surgical opening in a patient.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the surgical opening includes a natural body orifice.

20. The method of claim 18 further comprising the step of inserting at least a portion of the elongate body through the natural body orifice before the step of creating a surgical opening.