Abstract:
A system comprises an arm including a bendable section and a force transmission mechanism. The system also comprises an actuation mechanism coupled to the force transmission mechanism to bend the bendable section. The system also comprises an electronic data processor configured to receive sensor data about the bendable section and determine external force information about at least one of a magnitude or a direction of an external force applied to the arm from the sensor data. the processor is also configured to determine a pose of the bendable section from the sensor data and generate control information for the actuation mechanism to maintain the pose of the bendable section in a stationary configuration as the external force is applied to or withdrawn from the arm.
Abstract:
A medical system comprises a surgical device including a tracking system. The medical system also includes a memory storing anatomical data describing a patient anatomy. The medical system also includes a processor configured for generating a first model, that includes a set of anatomical passageways including a first proximal branch connected to a first distal branch, from the stored anatomical data describing the patient anatomy. The processor is also configured for determining, by the tracking system, a shape of an elongate flexible body of the surgical device positioned within the first proximal branch and the first distal branch of the set of anatomical passageways. The processor is also configured for computing, based on the determined shape of the elongate flexible body, a total set of forces acting on the set of anatomical passageways in response to the surgical device positioned within the first proximal branch and the first distal branch. The processor is also configured for deforming the first model into a second model of the anatomical passageways by adjusting at least one joint between branches in the set of anatomical passageways in the first model based on the total set of forces computed, to thereby change a pose of at least one branch through which the surgical device extends and at least one additional branch through which the surgical device does not extend.
Abstract:
A medical tracking system comprises a fiducial apparatus that includes a sensor docking feature configured to mate with a mating portion of a sensor device. The sensor docking feature retains the mating portion in a known configuration. The fiducial apparatus also includes at least one imageable fiducial marker and a surface configured for attachment to an anatomy of a patient.
Abstract:
A catheter system comprises an elongate flexible catheter and a support structure mounted on the catheter. The support structure comprises a first alignment feature and a second alignment feature. The system further comprises a first sensor component mated with the first alignment feature and a second sensor component mated with the second alignment feature. The first sensor component is fixed relative to the second sensor component in at least one degree of freedom at the support structure by the first alignment feature.
Abstract:
A method comprises navigating a patient's anatomy with a medical instrument, the instrument comprising a sensing tool. The method further includes correlating a position of the instrument with a model of the patient's anatomy. The method further includes, while navigating the patient's anatomy, updating the model based on data obtained by the sensing tool.
Abstract:
A sensing system includes an off-axis coil in which wire is wound in loops about a roll axis and at an angle to the roll axis. In particular, the loops define respective areas that have a normal direction at a non-zero angle relative to the roll axis. A field generator can generate a variable magnetic field through the coil, and sensor logic can be coupled to the coil and configured to determine a measurement of a roll angle of the coil about the first axis using an electrical signal induced in the coil.
Abstract:
A medical system provides navigation assistance to a surgeon so that the surgeon may navigate a flexible medical device through linked passages of an anatomical structure to a target in or adjacent to the anatomical structure. As the medical device moves through the linked passages, images are captured by an image capturing element at its distal end and pose and shape information for the medical device are received from sensors disposed in the medical device. A 4-D computer model of the anatomical structure is registered to the medical device using one or both of 4-D shape registration and virtual camera registration so that the captured image and a virtual image generated from the perspective of a virtual camera are registered to each other and displayed while providing an indication of a navigational path to the target.
Abstract:
An apparatus for guiding a flexible instrument comprises an elongated support assembly having a longitudinal axis. The elongated support assembly is adapted to laterally receive into engagement and longitudinally support an elongated flexible instrument.
Abstract:
A vision system that may be used in a catheter or similar guiding instrument includes receptors distributed in an annular area. Each of the receptors has a field of view covering only a portion of an object environment, and the field of view of each of the receptors overlaps with at least one of the fields of view of the other receptors. A processing system can receive image data from the receptors and combine image data from the receptors to construct a visual representation of the entirety of the object environment.
Abstract:
A shape-sensing segment traverses through at least a portion of a kinematic chain of a tele-operated slave surgical instrument in a tele-operated minimally-invasive surgical system. The shape-sensing segment includes a pre-set perturbation. Shape information from the pre-set perturbation allows determination of relative partial-pose information for at least one link in the kinematic chain.