Input device for controlling a catheter

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10123843-B2
Application number	US-201615393898-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 29, 2016
Priority date	Mar 15, 2013
Publication date	Nov 13, 2018
Grant date	Nov 13, 2018

Abstract

An input device includes a plurality of orientation blocks each representing a portion of a catheter assembly and a controller configured to determine an orientation of the plurality of orientation blocks relative to one another. The controller is further configured to output a control signal that causes a tip of a catheter assembly to adopt the orientation determined by the controller. A system includes an actuator configured to manipulate a position and orientation of the catheter assembly. The controller of the input device is configured to output a control signal to the actuator to make a tip of a catheter assembly adopt the orientation determined by the controller. The input device can be virtually represented on a computing device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A robotics system, comprising:
a surgical instrument having a physical distal tip;
an actuator coupled to the surgical instrument;
a user interface comprising a display configured to present a plurality of virtual distal tips of the surgical instrument, each of the virtual distal tips having a different distal tip shape; and
a controller comprising a computing device communicatively coupled to the actuator and the user interface,
wherein the user interface is configured to receive a user input designating a selected virtual tip having a selected distal tip shape from the plurality of virtual distal tips; and
wherein the controller is configured to determine a desired shape of the physical distal tip based on the user input and output a control signal to the actuator to cause the physical distal tip to adopt the selected distal tip shape.

2. The robotic system of claim 1 , wherein the surgical instrument is configured to deliver a guidewire to a surgical site of a patient.

3. The robotics system of claim 1 , wherein the display comprises a touchscreen display configured to present a graphical user interface as well as receive the user input.

4. The robotics system of claim 1 , wherein the user interface is further configured to receive a user input confirming the selected virtual distal tip.

5. The robotics system of claim 4 , wherein the controller is further configured to receive a confirmation signal prior to generating the control signal to the actuator.

6. The robotics system of claim 1 , wherein the actuator comprises of an instrument driver configured to at least one of advance, retract, manipulate, and rotate the surgical instrument.

7. The robotics system of claim 6 , wherein the instrument driver comprises of a motor configured to tension a pull wire in the surgical instrument that causes a portion of the surgical instrument to articulate in a selected direction.

8. The robotics system of claim 1 , wherein the user interface is further configured to present a preview of the virtual distal tip within a surgical site of a patient.

9. The robotics system of claim 8 , wherein the preview comprises an animation showing how the physical tip will move from a current position to a destination position.

10. The robotics system of claim 9 , wherein the animation is overlaid on an image of the surgical site.

11. A method comprising:
presenting a plurality of virtual distal tips on a display of a user interface, each of the virtual distal tips having a unique distal tip shape;
receiving from a user via the user interface a user input designating a selected virtual tip having a selected distal tip shape from the plurality of virtual distal tips;
determining a desired shape of the physical distal tip based on the user input; and
outputting from a controller a control signal to cause an actuator to actuate a surgical instrument so that the physical distal tip adopts the selected distal tip shape.

12. The robotic system of claim 11 , wherein the surgical instrument is configured to deliver a guidewire to a surgical site of a patient.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the display is a touchscreen display configured to present a graphical user interface as well as receive the user input.

14. The method of claim 11 , further comprising receiving from the user via the user interface a user input confirming the selected virtual distal tip.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising receiving by the controller a confirmation signal prior to outputting the control signal from the controller.

16. The method of claim 11 , wherein the actuator comprises of an instrument driver configured to at least one of advance, retract, manipulate, and rotate the surgical instrument.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the instrument driver comprises of a motor configured to tension a pull wire in the surgical instrument that causes a portion of the surgical instrument to articulate in a selected direction.

18. The method of claim 11 , further comprising presenting a preview via the user interface of the virtual distal tip within a surgical site of a patient.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the preview comprises of an animation showing how the physical tip will move from a current position to a destination position.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the animation is overlaid on an image of the surgical site.

Assignees

• Auris Health Inc

Inventors

• Wong Serena
• Henderson Richard
• Park June
• Walker Sean
• Hsu Jason
• Balaji Kamini
• Kadakia Leena
• Murthy Kiran

Classifications

• A61B34/25 Primary

  User interfaces for surgical systems · CPC title

• A61M25/09

  Guide wires · CPC title

• A61B2034/301

  for introducing or steering flexible instruments inserted into the body, e.g. catheters or endoscopes · CPC title

• A61B34/71

  Manipulators operated by drive cable mechanisms · CPC title

• A61M25/0147

  with movable mechanical means, e.g. pull wires · CPC title