Real-time generation of three-dimensional ultrasound image using a two-dimensional ultrasound transducer in a robotic system

• US 9,232,984 B2
• Filed: 11/10/2010
• Issued: 01/12/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Intuitive Surgical Operations, Inc. (Intuitive Surgical Holdings, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Intuitive Surgical Operations, Inc. (Intuitive Surgical Holdings, LLC)
• Inventors: Guthart, Gary S., Niemeyer, Gunter D., Younge, Robert G., Salisbury, J. Kenneth, Cooper, Thomas G.
• Primary Examiner(s): ROANE, AARON F
• Application Number:
  US12/943,754
• Publication Number:
  US 20110105898A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,889 Days
• Field of Search: 606/1
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 1/04 combined with photographic or television appliances
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/3132 for laparoscopy
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/00234 for minimally invasive surgery A61B17/0218, A61B17/0469, A61B17/12013, A61B17/1285, A61B17/29, A61B17/320016 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/20 using laser
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/107 Visualisation of planned trajectories or target regions
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/305 Details of wrist mechanisms at distal ends of robotic arms
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/031 torque limiting
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/064 for measuring force, pressure or mechanical tension
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/065 for measuring contact or contact pressure
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/066 for measuring torque
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/0807 Indication means
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/506 using a parallelogram linkage, e.g. panthograph
• 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 34/30 Surgical robots
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/35 for telesurgery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/37 Master-slave robots A61B34/35 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/70 Manipulators specially adapted for use in surgery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/12 in body cavities or body tracts, e.g. by using catheters catheters per se A61M25/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4218 : characterised by articulated arms
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4245 : involving determining the position of the probe, e.g. with respect to an external reference frame or to the patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/36 : Image-producing devices or illumination devices not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/361 : Image-producing devices, e.g. surgical cameras
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/40 : relating to mechanical, radiation or invasive therapies, e.g. surgery, laser therapy, dialysis or acupuncture
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 : for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 80/00 : ICT specially adapted for facilitating communication between medical practitioners or patients, e.g. for collaborative diagnosis, therapy or health monitoring

Abstract

Systems and methods for performing robotically-assisted surgical procedures on a patient enable an image display device to provide an operator with auxiliary information related to the surgical procedure, in addition to providing an image of the surgical site itself. The systems and methods allow an operator to selectively access and reference auxiliary information on the image display device during the performance of a surgical procedure.

Claims

1. A robotic system comprising:

a display;

an ultrasound transducer;

a robotic arm mechanically coupled to the ultrasound transducer; and

a processor executing a pre-programmed sequence of computer instructions that causes the robotic arm to move the ultrasound transducer so as to sweep the work site during performance of a medical procedure on the patient to obtain a plurality of spaced two-dimensional ultrasound images to provide sufficient information for construction of a three-dimensional model of at least a portion of the work site.

2. The robotic system of claim 1, further comprising:

an endoscope for capturing video images of a work site in a patient;

wherein the processor is programmed to;

computationally construct the three-dimensional model by using information of the plurality of spaced two-dimensional ultrasound images; and

cause images derived from the video images captured by the endoscope of the work site and a graphical representation of the three-dimensional model constructed from the plurality of spaced two-dimensional ultrasound images captured by the ultrasound transducer to be concurrently displayed on the display.

3. The robotic system of claim 2,

wherein the processor is programmed to display the images derived from the video images captured by the endoscope in a picture section of the display and the graphical representation of the three-dimensional model within a picture-in-picture section of the display.

4. The robotic system of claim 2,

wherein the processor is programmed to spatially register ultrasound images captured by the ultrasound transducer with the images derived from the video images captured by the endoscope.

5. The robotic system of claim 1, further comprising:

a shaft coupled to the robotic arm; and

a wrist member coupling the ultrasound transducer to the shaft so as to facilitate movement of the ultrasound transducer relative to an end of the shaft.