Parameter-based navigation by a lumen traveling device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9408530-B2
Application number	US-201113136680-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 5, 2011
Priority date	Apr 12, 2006
Publication date	Aug 9, 2016
Grant date	Aug 9, 2016

Abstract

Methods of controlling the operation of a device traveling in a body tube tree, including sensing parameters from possible directions of travel and selecting the direction of travel based on the sensed parameters, implemented with a control system located partially or fully on the lumen traveling device. Various actions can be performed by the device for, e.g., medical or therapeutic purposes. Machine-readable media including instructions for performing the methods are also described.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of operating a lumen traveling device with a lumen traveling device control system, comprising:
identifying at least two possible directions of travel of an untethered lumen traveling device through a body tube tree with control circuitry in the lumen traveling device control system located at least in part on the lumen traveling device, the body tube tree including a plurality of branched, interconnected channels, and the at least two possible directions of travel corresponding to at least two of the branched, interconnected channels;
receiving data with the control circuitry, the data representing at least one parameter value sensed with a sensor within the body tube tree on the lumen traveling device from at least one of the at least two possible directions of travel of the lumen traveling device through the body tube tree;
selecting a direction of travel with the control circuitry, the direction of travel selected from the at least two directions of travel based at least in part on the data representing at least one parameter value sensed with the sensor from at least one of the at least two possible directions of travel of the lumen traveling device through the body tube tree; and

directing at least one of a steering mechanism and a propelling mechanism within the body tube tree on the lumen traveling device with the control circuitry to cause the lumen traveling device to move through the body tube tree in the selected direction of travel;
wherein selecting the direction of travel with the control circuitry from the at least two directions of travel based at least in part on the data representing at least one parameter value sensed with the sensor from at least one of the at least two possible directions of travel of the lumen traveling device through the body tube tree includes selecting a direction of travel from the at least two directions of travel based at least in part on the data representing parameter values sensed at two or more times by comparing a rate of change of at least one parameter from the at least two possible directions of travel and selecting the direction of travel from the group consisting of the direction of travel having a lowest rate of change of the at least one parameter and the direction of travel having a highest rate of change of the at least one parameter.

2. The method of claim 1 , including
identifying a stop condition based at least in part on the data representing at least one parameter value sensed from the at least two possible directions of travel of the lumen traveling device through the body tube tree; and
directing at least one of the steering mechanism and the propelling mechanism to cause the lumen traveling device to stop moving through the body tube tree.

3. The method of claim 1 , including
storing the data representing at least one parameter value sensed with the sensor from the at least two possible directions of travel of the lumen traveling device through the body tube tree in a memory location within the body tube tree on the lumen traveling device.

4. The method of claim 1 , including
storing instructions related to directing at least one of the steering mechanism and the propelling mechanism to cause movement of the lumen traveling device in a memory location within the body tube tree on the lumen traveling device.

5. The method of claim 4 , including receiving the instructions from a remote device.

6. The method of claim 1 , including
transmitting the data representing at least one parameter value sensed with the sensor from at least one of the at least two possible directions of travel of the lumen traveling device through the body tube tree from the lumen traveling device to a remote device.

7. The method of claim 1 , including
transmitting instructions related to directing at least one of the steering mechanism and the propelling mechanism to cause movement of the lumen traveling device from the lumen traveling device to a remote device.

8. The method of claim 1 , including
receiving information related to whether or not at least one of the at least two possible directions of travel of the lumen traveling device through the body tube tree has previously been traveled by the lumen traveling device; and
selecting the direction of travel with the control circuitry from the at least two possible directions of travel based at least in part on the information related to whether or not the at least one of the at least two possible directions of travel of the lumen traveling device through the body tube tree has previously been traveled by the lumen traveling device.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein directing the at least one of the steering mechanism and the propelling mechanism within the body tube tree on the lumen traveling device with the control circuitry to cause the lumen traveling device to move through the body tube tree in the selected direction of travel includes directing the at least one of the steering mechanism and the propelling mechanism within the body tube tree on the lumen traveling device to cause the lumen traveling device to move through the body tube tree in the selected direction of travel for a pre-determined distance, for a pre-determined duration, or until a stop instruction is received from a remote device by the lumen traveling device.

10. The method of claim 1 , including receiving at least one user input instruction from a medical care provider, the user input instruction related to selecting at least one of a parameter type or a parameter value range for the at least one parameter value sensed with the sensor from the at least two possible directions of travel of the lumen traveling device through the body tube tree.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving the data representing at least one parameter value sensed with the sensor from the at least two possible directions of travel of the lumen traveling device through the body tube tree includes receiving data representing at least one of an analyte, a temperature, a pressure, a fluid flow, a structural parameter of at least one of the plurality of branched interconnected channels, an electrical field, a magnetic field, an electromagnetic signal, an acoustic signal, or an optical signal.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving the data with the control circuitry further includes receiving data from a remote device.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein directing the at least one of the steering mechanism and the propelling mechanism within the body tube tree on the lumen traveling device to cause the lumen traveling device to move through the body tube tree in the selected direction of travel includes directing at least one of the steering mechanism and the propelling mechanism within the body tube tree on the lumen traveling device to cause the lumen traveling device to turn, cause the lumen traveling device to continue moving in a current direction of travel, cause the lumen traveling device to reverse its direction of travel, cause movement of the lumen traveling device based on a previous movement direction, cause the lumen traveling device to move in a different direction than the direction it was previously instructed to move, or cause the lumen traveling device to move in the same direction it was previously directed to move.

14. The method of claim 1 , further comprising detecting an arrival of the lumen traveling device at a branch point in the body tube tree based on a signal from at least one arrival sensor on the lumen traveling device, the branch point including the at least two of the branched, interconnected channels correspond

Assignees

• Ferren Bran
• Hillis W Daniel
• Hyde Roderick A
• Ishikawa Muriel Y
• Jung Edward K Y
• Leuthardt Eric C
• Myhrvold Nathan P
• Nugent Jr Thomas J
• Sweeney Elizabeth A
• Tegreene Clarence T
• Wood Jr Lowell L
• Wood Victoria Y H
• Gearbox Llc

Inventors

• Ferren Bran
• Hillis W Daniel
• Hyde Roderick A
• Ishikawa Muriel Y
• Jung Edward K Y
• Leuthardt Eric C
• Myhrvold Nathan P
• Nugent Jr Thomas J
• Sweeney Elizabeth A
• Tegreene Clarence T
• Wood Jr Lowell L
• Wood Victoria Y H

Classifications

• A61N7/00

  Ultrasound therapy (lithotripsy A61B17/22, A61B17/225; massage using supersonic vibration A61H23/00 {; using ultrasound for introducing media into the body A61M37/0092}) · CPC title

• A61B5/062

  using magnetic field · CPC title

• A61B17/22

  Implements for squeezing-off ulcers or the like on inner organs of the body; Implements for scraping-out cavities of body organs, e.g. bones; for invasive removal or destruction of calculus using mechanical vibrations; for removing obstructions in blood vessels, not otherwise provided for · CPC title

• A61B5/026

  Measuring blood flow {(A61B3/1233, A61B3/1241 take precedence)} · CPC title

• A61B17/22012

  in direct contact with, or very close to, the obstruction or concrement (for removing obstructions in blood vessels by laser A61B18/245) · CPC title