U.S. patent application number 13/832866 was filed with the patent office on 2014-09-18 for input device for controlling a catheter.
This patent application is currently assigned to Hansen Medical, Inc.. The applicant listed for this patent is Kamini Balaji, Richard Henderson, Jason Hsu, Leena Kadakia, Kiran Murthy, June Park, Sean Walker, Serena Wong. Invention is credited to Kamini Balaji, Richard Henderson, Jason Hsu, Leena Kadakia, Kiran Murthy, June Park, Sean Walker, Serena Wong.
Application Number | 20140276394 13/832866 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 51530690 |
Filed Date | 2014-09-18 |
United States Patent
Application |
20140276394 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Wong; Serena ; et
al. |
September 18, 2014 |
INPUT DEVICE FOR CONTROLLING A CATHETER
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.
Inventors: |
Wong; Serena; (Mountain
View, CA) ; Henderson; Richard; (Fremont, CA)
; Park; June; (Palo Alto, CA) ; Walker; Sean;
(Mountain View, CA) ; Hsu; Jason; (Mountain View,
CA) ; Balaji; Kamini; (San Francisco, CA) ;
Kadakia; Leena; (Foster City, CA) ; Murthy;
Kiran; (Sunnyvale, CA) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Wong; Serena
Henderson; Richard
Park; June
Walker; Sean
Hsu; Jason
Balaji; Kamini
Kadakia; Leena
Murthy; Kiran |
Mountain View
Fremont
Palo Alto
Mountain View
Mountain View
San Francisco
Foster City
Sunnyvale |
CA
CA
CA
CA
CA
CA
CA
CA |
US
US
US
US
US
US
US
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
Hansen Medical, Inc.
Mountain View
CA
|
Family ID: |
51530690 |
Appl. No.: |
13/832866 |
Filed: |
March 15, 2013 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
604/95.04 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A61B 34/10 20160201;
A61B 2034/102 20160201; A61M 25/0147 20130101; A61B 34/00 20160201;
A61B 2034/741 20160201; A61M 2205/505 20130101; A61B 34/30
20160201; A61B 2017/00207 20130101; A61B 34/25 20160201; A61M 25/09
20130101; A61B 34/71 20160201; A61B 2034/301 20160201; A61B 34/20
20160201 |
Class at
Publication: |
604/95.04 |
International
Class: |
A61M 25/01 20060101
A61M025/01; A61B 19/00 20060101 A61B019/00 |
Claims
1. A device comprising: a plurality of orientation blocks each
representing a portion of a catheter assembly; a controller
configured to determine an orientation of the plurality of
orientation blocks relative to one another, wherein the controller
is configured to output a control signal that causes a tip of a
catheter assembly to adopt the orientation determined by the
controller.
2. The device of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to
determine a position of each orientation block relative to the
other orientation blocks.
3. The device of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of
orientation sensors configured to output an orientation signal
representing the orientation of the orientation block, wherein at
least one orientation sensor is incorporated into each orientation
block or incorporated into a joint disposed between two orientation
blocks.
4. The device of claim 3, wherein the controller is configured to
receive the orientation signal of each orientation sensor and
determine the orientation of the plurality of orientation blocks
from the orientation signal received from each of the orientation
blocks.
5. The device of claim 4, wherein the control signal represents the
orientation of the plurality of orientation blocks and wherein the
controller is configured to output the control signal to an
actuator configured to control the orientation of the tip of the
catheter assembly.
6. The device of claim 1, further comprising a position block
configured to slide relative to one of the orientation blocks and
generate a position signal representing a position of the position
block.
7. The device of claim 6, wherein the controller is configured to
generate the control signal in accordance with the position
signal.
8. The device of claim 7, wherein the control signal includes an
advance command and a retract command based at least in part on the
position of the position block, wherein the advance command causes
at least a portion of the catheter assembly to advance and the
retract command causes at least a portion of the catheter assembly
to retract.
9. The device of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of joints,
each disposed between at least two orientation blocks and
configured to permit articulation of one orientation block relative
to another orientation block.
10. The device of claim 9, wherein each joint includes an
orientation sensor configured to output an orientation signal
representing an orientation of two orientation blocks relative to
one another.
11. The device of claim 1, wherein the orientation blocks are
incorporated into a glove.
12. A system comprising: an actuator configured to manipulate a
position and orientation of a catheter assembly having a catheter
and a guide wire; and an input device configured to control the
position and orientation of at least one of the catheter and the
guide wire, wherein the input device includes a plurality of
orientation blocks each representing a portion of the catheter
assembly and a controller configured to determine an orientation of
the plurality of orientation blocks relative to one another,
wherein the controller is configured to output a control signal to
the actuator that causes a tip of a catheter assembly to adopt the
orientation determined by the controller.
13. The system of claim 12, wherein the controller is configured to
determine a position of each orientation block relative to the
other orientation blocks.
14. The system of claim 12, wherein each orientation block includes
an orientation sensor configured to output an orientation signal
representing the orientation of the orientation block, and wherein
the controller is configured to receive the orientation signal
output by each orientation block, determine the orientation of the
plurality of orientation blocks from the orientation signals
received, incorporate the orientation signals into the control
signals, and output the control signal to the actuator to control
the orientation of the tip of the catheter assembly.
15. The system of claim 12, wherein the input device includes a
position block configured to slide relative to one of the
orientation blocks and generate a position signal representing a
position of the position block, and wherein the controller is
configured to generate the control signal in accordance with the
position signal.
16. The system of claim 15, wherein the control signal includes an
advance command and a retract command based at least in part on the
position of the position block, wherein the advance command causes
at least a portion of the catheter assembly to advance and the
retract command causes at least a portion of the catheter assembly
to retract.
17. The system of claim 12, wherein the input device includes a
plurality of joints, each disposed between at least two orientation
blocks and configured to permit articulation of one orientation
block relative to another orientation block, wherein each joint
includes an orientation sensor configured to output an orientation
signal representing an orientation of two orientation blocks
relative to one another.
18. The system of claim 12, wherein the input device includes a
glove configured to house the orientation blocks and the
controller.
19. A system comprising: a user interface device configured to
present a representation of a virtual catheter tip and receive a
user input associated with manipulating a shape of the virtual
catheter tip; a controller configured to determine a desired shape
of the tip of a physical catheter based on a user input and output
control signal that causes a tip of the physical catheter to adopt
the shape of the virtual catheter tip.
20. The system of claim 19, wherein the user interface device is
configured to detect at least one gesture, and wherein the received
user input includes the gesture performed on a touchscreen or in a
field of view of the user interface device.
21. The system of claim 20, wherein the gesture includes at least
one of a pinch gesture and a drag gesture to manipulate the shape
of the virtual catheter tip.
22. The system of claim 19, wherein the user interface device is
configured to simultaneously display multiple views of the virtual
catheter tip and receive a user input manipulating a shape of the
virtual catheter tip through each view.
23. The system of claim 19, wherein the user interface device is
configured to display a plurality of predetermined shapes of
virtual catheter tips and wherein the user input includes a user
selection of at least one of the shapes.
24. The system of claim 19, wherein the controller is configured to
output the control signal after receiving a confirmation signal
from the user interface device, wherein the confirmation signal is
based at least in part on a user input confirming the shape of the
virtual catheter tip.
25. The system of claim 19, wherein the controller is configured to
determine a first position of the physical catheter tip and a
second position of the physical catheter tip, wherein the second
position is associated with the shape of the virtual catheter tip,
and wherein the user interface device is configured to display a
path between the first position and the second position.
26. The system of claim 25, wherein the controller is configured to
generate the control signal after receiving a confirmation signal
from the user interface device, wherein the confirmation signal is
based at least in a part on the user input confirming the path.
27. The system of claim 19, further comprising an actuator
configured to control the shape of the physical catheter tip,
wherein the actuator is configured to receive the control signal
and cause the physical catheter tip to adopt the shape of the
virtual catheter tip in accordance with the control signal.
28. The system of claim 12, wherein the input device includes a
touchscreen.
29. The system of claim 19, wherein the user interface device
includes a touchscreen.
Description
BACKGROUND
[0001] Robotically controlled catheter systems allow clinicians to
direct catheters to various locations within a patient's body. Once
in place, the catheter can be manipulated to treat various diseases
or help a clinician perform various surgical procedures. For
instance, balloon catheters may be used during an angioplasty
procedure to widen or clear obstructed arteries. Other types of
catheters may be used to administer drugs to a patient or to
facilitate the draining of bodily fluids (e.g., a Foley
catheter).
SUMMARY
[0002] An exemplary input device includes a plurality of
orientation blocks that each represent a portion of a catheter
assembly and a controller that determines an orientation of the
plurality of orientation blocks relative to one another and outputs
a control signal that causes a tip of a catheter assembly to adopt
the orientation determined by the controller.
[0003] An exemplary system includes the input device and an
actuator that can manipulate a position and orientation of the
catheter assembly. The controller of the input device outputs a
control signal to the actuator. The control signal causes a tip of
a catheter assembly to adopt the orientation determined by the
controller.
[0004] Another exemplary system includes a user interface device
that presents a representation of a virtual catheter tip and
receives a user input associated with manipulating a shape of the
virtual catheter tip. A controller is configured to determine a
desired shape of the tip of a physical catheter based on the user
input and output a control signal that causes a tip of the physical
catheter to adopt the shape of the virtual catheter tip.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0005] FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary robotically controlled
catheter system.
[0006] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of exemplary components of the
robotically controlled catheter system of claim 1.
[0007] FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary input device that may be
used with the robotically controlled catheter system of FIG. 1.
[0008] FIG. 4 illustrates another exemplary input device.
[0009] FIG. 5 illustrates yet another exemplary input device.
[0010] FIG. 6 illustrates an exemplary glove that may house the
input device.
[0011] FIG. 7 illustrates an exemplary user interface for
presenting shapes of virtual catheter tips.
[0012] FIG. 8 illustrates an exemplary user interface for
presenting a virtual catheter tip with a shape that may be
manipulated via a user input.
[0013] FIG. 9 illustrates an exemplary user interface for
presenting different views of a virtual catheter tip.
[0014] FIG. 10 illustrates an exemplary user interface for
presenting a virtual catheter tip path that may be manipulated via
a user input.
[0015] FIG. 11 illustrates an exemplary input device using
stackable blocks to define a shape of a physical catheter tip.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0016] An exemplary input device for a robotically controlled
catheter system includes a plurality of orientation blocks that
each represent a portion of a catheter assembly and a controller
that determines an orientation of the plurality of orientation
blocks relative to one another and outputs a control signal that
causes a tip of a catheter assembly to adopt the orientation
determined by the controller. An exemplary system includes the
input device and an actuator that can manipulate a position and
orientation of the catheter assembly. The controller of the input
device outputs a control signal to the actuator. The control signal
causes a tip of a catheter assembly to adopt the orientation
determined by the controller. Another exemplary system includes a
user interface device that presents a representation of a virtual
catheter tip and receives a user input associated with manipulating
a shape of the virtual catheter tip. A controller is configured to
determine a desired shape of the tip of a physical catheter based
on the user input and output a control signal that causes a tip of
the physical catheter to adopt the shape of the virtual catheter
tip. The input devices described herein, whether physical or
virtual, provide a clinician with options for manipulating a
position, orientation, or both, of a catheter assembly.
[0017] The Figures illustrate exemplary components of a system for
manipulating the position and orientation of a catheter assembly.
The system may take many different forms and include multiple
and/or alternate components and facilities. While an exemplary
system is shown, the exemplary components illustrated are not
intended to be limiting. Indeed, additional or alternative
components and/or implementations may be used. Moreover, some
components illustrated in the Figures have been simplified for
purposes of clarity. Therefore, the components are not necessarily
drawn to scale and certain aspects of some component may be
omitted.
[0018] As illustrated in FIG. 1, the system 100 includes an
operator workstation 105, an electronics rack 110, and an
instrument driver 115. During use, a patient may be positioned on
an operating table 120 or in a surgical bed to which the instrument
driver 115 may be coupled or mounted. A clinician may be seated at
the operator workstation 105 and can monitor the surgical
procedure, patient vitals, and control one or more catheter
assemblies. The instrument driver 115 may move the catheter
assembly 125 in accordance with the clinician's inputs to the
operator workstation 105. Components of the system 100 may
communicate with one another through a wired network, a wireless
network, or a combination of wired and wireless networks.
Communication between some components may be implemented over a
packet-switched network such as the Internet.
[0019] Referring now to FIG. 2, the system 100 includes a catheter
assembly 125, an actuator 130, and an input device 135.
[0020] The catheter assembly 125 may include a catheter 140 and a
guide wire 145. The catheter 140 may include a generally hollow
tube having sufficient flexibility to travel through a patient's
body during, e.g., surgical procedures or other medical treatments.
Different types of catheters 140 may be configured to travel
through different parts of the patient's body. For instance, a
catheter 140 for performing angioplasty procedures may have a
different size and flexibility than a catheter 140 used to
administer drugs or drain bodily fluids. The catheter 140 may also
carry any number of medical instruments (not shown) such as a
balloon, stent, or physiological sensors.
[0021] The guide wire 145 may be disposed within the catheter 140
and configured to facilitate movement of the catheter 140 through
the patient's body. The catheter 140 and guide wire 145 may move
through the patient together or the catheter 140 and guide wire 145
may move independently of one another. For instance, the catheter
140 and guide wire 145 may be inserted together into the patient's
body until the catheter assembly 125 reaches a surgical site. Once
positioned, the guide wire 145 may be removed and the catheter 140
may remain to deploy any medical instruments carried by the
catheter 140.
[0022] The components of the catheter assembly 125 may be
manipulated as the catheter assembly 125 moves throughout the
patient's body. As used in the following discussion, the term
"advance" may refer to pushing the catheter assembly 125, which may
cause any part of the catheter assembly 125 to move further into a
patient's body, and the term "retract" may refer to pulling the
catheter assembly 125, which may cause any part of the catheter
assembly 125 to be removed from the patient's body. Portions of the
catheter assembly 125 may be configured to bend relative to other
portions. For instance, the tip of the catheter 140, guide wire
145, or both, may be configured to bend relative to the body of the
catheter 140, guide wire 145, or both. The catheter assembly 125
may be further configured to rotate, as discussed below.
[0023] The actuator 130 may include any device configured to
facilitate the movement of the catheter assembly 125 through the
patient's body. In one possible implementation, the actuator 130
may be part of the instrument driver 115 shown in FIG. 1. The
actuator 130 may be configured cause the catheter assembly 125 to
advance or retract relative to the patient's body. Moreover, the
actuator 130 may cause the catheter assembly 125 to rotate or for
portions of the catheter assembly 125 to bend relative to other
portions. The actuator 130 may include any number of components
configured to manipulate the position and orientation of the
components of the catheter assembly 125. In one possible
implementation, the actuator 130 may be configured to receive
control signals from, e.g., the input device 135, and manipulate
the position and orientation of the components of the catheter
assembly 125 accordingly. For instance, the actuator 130 may be
configured to receive an advance signal and push the catheter 140,
the guide wire 145, or both, further into the patient's body in
accordance with the advance signal. The actuator 130 may be
configured to receive a retract signal and pull at least part of
the catheter 140, the guide wire 145, or both, from the patient's
body in accordance with the retract signal. The actuator 130 may be
configured to receive a rotate signal and rotate the catheter 140,
the guide wire 145, or both, in accordance with the rotate signal.
The actuator 130 may include any number of components (not shown)
to push, pull, and rotate the components of the catheter assembly
125. For instance, one or more motors (not shown) may be configured
to feed (i.e., push) the catheter assembly 125 and the same or
different motors may be configured to pull the catheter assembly
125 from the patient. Moreover, the actuator 130 may include wires
(not shown) connected to various portions of the catheter assembly
125 that when pulled, cause portions of the catheter assembly 125
to bend in various directions. The actuator 130 may include motors
that wind the wires to change the distance between the between the
motor and the portion of the catheter assembly 125 to which of the
wire is connected. Separate motors may control each wire, thus
allowing the actuator 130 to manipulate different parts of the
catheter assembly 125 differently.
[0024] The input device 135 may be configured to allow a clinician
or other medical personnel to control the position and orientation
of the catheter assembly 125 within the patient. The input device
135 may be located at the operator workstation 105 and may be
configured to receive an input from the clinician based on the way
the clinician physically manipulates the shape of the input device
135, position of components of the input device 135, or through a
user interface device 150. The user interface device 150 may
include, e.g., a touchscreen display configured to present a
graphical user interface to the clinician as well as receive user
inputs. Example interfaces that may be presented by the user
interface are discussed below with respect to FIGS. 7-11. The user
interface device 150 may be incorporated into the input device 135
or may be a separate component at the operator workstation 105
shown in FIG. 1. The input device 135 provides the clinician with
multiple degrees of freedom, each associated with a different
movement of the catheter assembly 125, so that the clinician can
control the catheter assembly 125 as if the clinician were
manipulating the position and orientation of the catheter assembly
125 directly.
[0025] The input device 135 may include a controller 155 configured
to interpret the input from the clinician and generate and output
corresponding signals to the actuator 130. The controller 155 may
be configured to generate an advance signal when the clinician
indicates a desire to push the catheter assembly 125 into the
patient's body. The controller 155 may be further configured to
generate a retract signal when the clinician indicates a desire to
pull at least a portion of the catheter assembly 125 from the
patient's body. Moreover, the controller 155 may be configured to
generate a rotate signal when the clinician indicates a desire to
rotate the catheter assembly 125. As discussed above, the
clinician's desire for controlling the catheter assembly 125 may be
expressed through the input device 135. The controller 155 may
interpret these movements based on the outputs of various sensors
of the input device 135. FIGS. 3-11 illustrate exemplary components
of the input device 135 that the controller 155 may use to
determine the clinician's desired manipulation of the catheter
assembly 125. The exemplary input devices 135 shown in FIGS. 3-11
are configured to control the position and orientation of the
catheter 140, the guide wire 145, or both.
[0026] FIGS. 3-5 illustrate exemplary input devices 135. Referring
to FIG. 3, the input device 135 includes two orientation blocks 160
connected by a joint 165. The joint 165 may be formed from a
flexible material and configured to permit articulation of one
orientation block 160 relative to another orientation block 160.
Each orientation block 160 may represent at least a portion of a
catheter assembly 125, such as a tip of the catheter assembly 125.
A first orientation block 160A may represent one end of the tip and
a second orientation block 160B may represent another end of the
tip. The first orientation block 160A may represent the end of the
tip that travels the furthest inside the patient during a surgical
procedure.
[0027] Each orientation block 160 may include an orientation sensor
170 configured to output an orientation signal representing an
orientation. The orientation sensor 170 may include, e.g., a
gyroscope, accelerometer, encoder, or potentiometer. The signal
output by the orientation sensor 170 may define an orientation
relative to a reference point. The orientation signal, therefore,
may indicate whether the orientation block 160 has been turned,
rotated, moved, or otherwise manipulated. The orientation sensor
170 may output the orientation signal to the controller 155, which
may be configured to determine the orientation of each block.
[0028] In one possible approach, the joint 165 may include the
orientation sensor 170. For instance, the joint 165 may incorporate
a potentiometer or a transducer configured to detect the change in
orientation of two orientation blocks 160 relative to one another
when the potentiometer or transducer is placed between the two
orientation blocks 160. In general, the potentiometer or transducer
may be configured to detect movement in a particular direction
based on angle measurements relative to a plane measured.
[0029] The controller 155 may be configured to associate each
orientation block 160 with a part of the tip of the catheter 140
by, e.g., determining a position of each orientation block 160 in
the input device 135. Moreover, the controller 155 may be
configured to associate each orientation signal with one of the
orientation blocks 160. Using the orientation signals, the
controller 155 may be configured to determine the orientations of
each orientation block 160, including the first orientation block
160A and the second orientation block 160B. The controller 155 may
be further configured to generate the control signal to represent
the orientation of the group of orientation blocks 160 in the input
device 135. The controller 155 may be configured to output the
control signal to the actuator 130, which as discussed above is
able to control the tip of the catheter assembly 125. Upon receipt
of the control signal, the actuator 130 may cause the tip of the
catheter assembly 125 to adopt the orientation determined by the
controller 155.
[0030] In another possible implementation shown in FIG. 4, the
input device 135 may include a position block 175 configured to
allow the clinician to control movement of the catheter assembly
125. For instance, the position block 175 may be configured to
slide, rotate, or both, relative to one of the orientation blocks
160. The position block 175 may include a position sensor 180
configured to generate a position signal that represents the
position of the position block 175. Example signals may include an
advance signal that causes the catheter assembly 125 to advance, a
retract signal that causes the catheter assembly 125 to retract,
and a rotate signal that causes the catheter assembly 125 to
rotate. The signals generated by the position block 175 may be
output to the controller 155. Upon receipt of the signals, the
controller 155 may be configured to generate and output an advance
signal, a retract signal, and a rotate signal to the actuator 130
to control the movement of the catheter assembly 125 accordingly.
Moreover, the input device 135 shown in FIG. 4 includes additional
orientation blocks 160 relative to the number of orientation blocks
160 shown in FIG. 3. Each orientation block 160 is connected to at
least one other orientation block 160 via a joint 165. With more
orientation blocks 160, the clinician has greater control over the
manipulation of the tip of the catheter assembly 125.
[0031] FIG. 5 illustrates another possible implementation of the
input device 135. Instead of orientation blocks 160, the input
device 135 may be formed from a flexible material that generally
retains its shape until further manipulations are performed. In
this implementation, orientation sensors 170 may be located
throughout the input device 135 and configured to detect
manipulations of various sections of the input device 135.
[0032] FIG. 6 illustrates an exemplary glove 185 that may house
components of the input device 135, including the orientation
blocks 160 and the controller 155. The orientation blocks 160 shown
in FIGS. 3-5 may be disposed within various portions of the glove
185. In the example shown in FIG. 6, the portions of the glove 185
for receiving the clinician's thumb and index finger each include
multiple orientation blocks 160. Each orientation block 160 may
include an orientation sensor 170, which has been omitted from FIG.
6 for clarity. While wearing the glove 185, the clinician may move
his or her fingers, and the movement may be represented by signals
output by the orientation blocks 160 and provided to the controller
155. The controller 155 may be configured to determine an intended
orientation of the tip of the catheter assembly 125 based at least
in part on the way the clinician moves his or her hand, including
his or her fingers, thumb, or both. The controller 155 may output
signals to the actuator 130 that cause the catheter assembly 125 to
adopt the orientation determined by the controller 155.
[0033] FIGS. 7-10 illustrate exemplary user interfaces that may be
used if, e.g., the input device 135 is incorporated into a
computing device. FIGS. 7-10, therefore, illustrate various
exemplary user interfaces that present virtual catheter tips 190.
The user interface device 150 is configured to receive a user input
associated with manipulating a shape of a physical catheter tip
(e.g., the tip of the catheter assembly 125 in the patient's body)
based on the user's selection (see FIG. 7) or the way the user
manipulates the shape of the virtual catheter tip 190 (see FIGS.
8-10). The controller 155 is configured to determine a desired
shape of the physical catheter tip based on the user input and
output a control signal that causes the tip of the physical
catheter 140 to adopt the shape of the virtual catheter tip
190.
[0034] In the exemplary approach of FIG. 7, the user interface
device 150 is configured to present multiple virtual catheter tips
190 to the clinician for selection. The user interface device 150
is configured to receive a user input representing a selection of
one of the virtual catheter tips 190. The user interface device 150
may present any number of predetermined shapes of virtual catheter
tips 190. The user input may include a selection of one of the
shapes. The user interface device 150 may be configured to
highlight the shape selected by the clinician. In FIG. 7, the
highlighting is represented by an extra border presented around the
selected shape. The clinician may press an activate button 195 to
confirm the selection and output a confirmation signal from the
user interface device 150 to the controller 155. The confirmation
signal may further include an indication of the selected shape. In
response to receiving the confirmation signal, the controller 155
may generate and output appropriate signals to the actuator 130
that cause the physical catheter tip to adopt the selected
shape.
[0035] The user interface device 150 may be further configured to
present a preview of the selection to the clinician. The preview
may show the clinician a path that the physical catheter tip must
travel to go from its current position to a destination position
based on the selected shape. The clinician may see the preview by
pressing a preview button 200 after selecting one of the shapes. To
generate the preview, the controller 155 may be configured to
determine the current position and the destination position. The
controller 155 may be cause the user interface device 150 to
display an animation showing how the catheter tip will move from
the current position to the destination position. In some possible
approaches, the user interface device 150 may overlay the animation
on an image from an image in system, such as a fluoroscopy image,
of the location of the catheter 140 in the patient. This way, the
clinician can see whether the movement of the catheter tip from the
current position to the destination position will collide with
arterial walls or other parts of the patient's body. The clinician
may view the previous prior to selecting the activate button 195 so
that the clinician's confirmation of the shape may include a
confirmation of the path between the current position and the
destination position.
[0036] FIG. 8 illustrates an exemplary user interface for
presenting a virtual catheter tip 190 with a shape that may be
manipulated via a user input including gestures. The user interface
may be implemented using a touch screen. The user interface may
also be implemented by using computer vision to detect hand
gestures, in which case a camera may be mounted to or incorporated
into the user interface device 150. The camera may provide the user
interface device 150 with a field of view that allows the user
interface device 150 to detect motion by, e.g, a clinician, and
interpret the motion as a gesture. Other types of gestures may
include the clinician virtually "pinching" or "dragging" various
portions of the virtual catheter tip 190 to manipulate the shape by
performing a pinch or drag gesture directly on the surface of the
user interface device 150. The arrows in FIG. 8 represent some
areas where the clinician may have caused the virtual catheter tip
190 to bend by performing various gestures. The clinician may view
a preview of the path taken between the current shape and the
destination shape by pressing the preview button 200. The reset
button 205 may undo the manipulations to the virtual catheter tip
190 so that the shape of the virtual catheter tip 190 represents
the shape of the physical catheter tip. The activate button 195 may
cause the controller 155 to identify the desired shape of the
virtual catheter tip 190 and output appropriate control signals to
the actuator 130 to cause the physical catheter tip to adopt the
desired shape.
[0037] FIG. 9 illustrates an exemplary user interface for
presenting different views of the virtual catheter tip 190. FIG. 9
illustrates a front view and a side view. The user interface device
150 may be configured to present different views of the virtual
catheter tip 190 so that the clinician can make changes in the
shape of the virtual catheter tip 190 in multiple dimensions. The
clinician may select one of the views, modify the shape of the
virtual catheter tip 190 according to, e.g., gestures as discussed
above, select another view, and make additional modifications until
the virtual catheter tip 190 has the desired shape in multiple
dimensions. Thus, each view may be modified independently of the
other views. Each view may be updated when a change to one view
affects the shape presented in the other views. The user may
confirm the shape by pressing the activate button 195. The reset
button 205 may return one or both views to the shape of the
physical catheter tip. The preview button 200 may show the
clinician a preview of how the physical catheter tip will move from
its current position to the destination position. As discussed
above, the preview may include an animation overlaid onto an
internal image of the patient.
[0038] FIG. 10 illustrates an exemplary user interface for
presenting a path of the virtual catheter tip 190 that may be
manipulated via a user input including a drag gesture. The user
interface device 150 may present an internal image, including a
fluoroscopy image, of the physical catheter tip inside the
patient's body. The user interface device 150 may be configured to
receive a user input that changes the location of the physical
catheter tip. The user input may include a gesture performed on the
virtual catheter tip 190 shown on the user interface device 150.
The arrows in FIG. 10 may represent the direction of the drag
gesture performed by the clinician and the lines shown in phantom
may represent the desired shape based on the drag gesture
performed. The clinician may press the activate button 195 to
confirm the desired shape. Once confirmed, the controller 155 may
output control signals to the actuator 130 to cause the physical
catheter tip to insert forward and adopt the desired shape. The
clinician can press the reset button 205 to clear any modifications
based on the drag gesture before the activate button 195 is
pressed.
[0039] FIG. 11 illustrates an exemplary input device 135 using
stackable blocks 210 to define a shape of the physical catheter
tip. Each stackable block 210 may be similar to the orientation
blocks 160 discussed above and shown in FIGS. 3-5. Each stackable
block 210 may represent a particular portion of the physical
catheter tip 215 and may be associated with a particular shape. In
the example of FIG. 11, four stackable blocks 210A, 210B, 210C, and
210D are shown, and each represents a portion of the physical
catheter tip 215. That is, stackable block 210A may designate the
shape of portion 215A, stackable block 210B may designate the shape
of portion 215B, stackable block 210C may designate the shape of
portion 215C, and stackable block 210D may designate the shape of
portion 215D.
[0040] To help the clinician, each stackable block 210 may include
visual instructions for developing the desired shape of the
physical catheter tip 215. For instance, as shown in FIG. 11, the
arrow pointing into the shape may represent how the shape connects
to a shape in a previous stackable block 210, and specifically, at
the location of the arrow pointing out of the shape of the previous
stackable block 210. Each stackable block 210 may include a sensor
220 configured to output a presence signal indicating that the
stackable block 210 is present in the stack. The presence signals
may be output to the controller 155, and the control signals
generated by the controller 155 may cause the actuator 130 to
modify the shape of the physical catheter tip according to the
presence signals received.
[0041] In general, computing systems and/or devices, such as the
controller and user interface device, may employ any of a number of
computer operating systems, including, but by no means limited to,
versions and/or varieties of the Microsoft Windows.RTM. operating
system, the Unix operating system (e.g., the Solaris.RTM. operating
system distributed by Oracle Corporation of Redwood Shores,
Calif.), the AIX UNIX operating system distributed by International
Business Machines of Armonk, N.Y., the Linux operating system, and
the Mac OS X operating system distributed by Apple Inc. of
Cupertino, Calif. Examples of computing devices include, without
limitation, a computer workstation, a server, a desktop, notebook,
laptop, or handheld computer, or some other computing system and/or
device.
[0042] Computing devices generally include computer-executable
instructions, where the instructions may be executable by one or
more computing devices such as those listed above.
Computer-executable instructions may be compiled or interpreted
from computer programs created using a variety of programming
languages and/or technologies, including, without limitation, and
either alone or in combination, Java.TM., C, C++, Visual Basic,
Java Script, Perl, etc. In general, a processor (e.g., a
microprocessor) receives instructions, e.g., from a memory, a
computer-readable medium, etc., and executes these instructions,
thereby performing one or more processes, including one or more of
the processes described herein. Such instructions and other data
may be stored and transmitted using a variety of computer-readable
media.
[0043] A computer-readable medium (also referred to as a
processor-readable medium) includes any non-transitory (e.g.,
tangible) medium that participates in providing data (e.g.,
instructions) that may be read by a computer (e.g., by a processor
of a computer). Such a medium may take many forms, including, but
not limited to, non-volatile media and volatile media. Non-volatile
media may include, for example, optical or magnetic disks and other
persistent memory. Volatile media may include, for example, dynamic
random access memory (DRAM), which typically constitutes a main
memory. Such instructions may be transmitted by one or more
transmission media, including coaxial cables, copper wire and fiber
optics, including the wires that comprise a system bus coupled to a
processor of a computer. Common forms of computer-readable media
include, for example, a floppy disk, a flexible disk, hard disk,
magnetic tape, any other magnetic medium, a CD-ROM, DVD, any other
optical medium, punch cards, paper tape, any other physical medium
with patterns of holes, a RAM, a PROM, an EPROM, a FLASH-EEPROM,
any other memory chip or cartridge, or any other medium from which
a computer can read.
[0044] Databases, data repositories or other data stores described
herein may include various kinds of mechanisms for storing,
accessing, and retrieving various kinds of data, including a
hierarchical database, a set of files in a file system, an
application database in a proprietary format, a relational database
management system (RDBMS), etc. Each such data store is generally
included within a computing device employing a computer operating
system such as one of those mentioned above, and are accessed via a
network in any one or more of a variety of manners. A file system
may be accessible from a computer operating system, and may include
files stored in various formats. An RDBMS generally employs the
Structured Query Language (SQL) in addition to a language for
creating, storing, editing, and executing stored procedures, such
as the PL/SQL language mentioned above.
[0045] In some examples, system elements may be implemented as
computer-readable instructions (e.g., software) on one or more
computing devices (e.g., servers, personal computers, etc.), stored
on computer readable media associated therewith (e.g., disks,
memories, etc.). A computer program product may comprise such
instructions stored on computer readable media for carrying out the
functions described herein.
[0046] With regard to the processes, systems, methods, heuristics,
etc. described herein, it should be understood that, although the
steps of such processes, etc. have been described as occurring
according to a certain ordered sequence, such processes could be
practiced with the described steps performed in an order other than
the order described herein. It further should be understood that
certain steps could be performed simultaneously, that other steps
could be added, or that certain steps described herein could be
omitted. In other words, the descriptions of processes herein are
provided for the purpose of illustrating certain embodiments, and
should in no way be construed so as to limit the claims.
[0047] Accordingly, it is to be understood that the above
description is intended to be illustrative and not restrictive.
Many embodiments and applications other than the examples provided
would be apparent upon reading the above description. The scope
should be determined, not with reference to the above description,
but should instead be determined with reference to the appended
claims, along with the full scope of equivalents to which such
claims are entitled. It is anticipated and intended that future
developments will occur in the technologies discussed herein, and
that the disclosed systems and methods will be incorporated into
such future embodiments. In sum, it should be understood that the
application is capable of modification and variation.
[0048] All terms used in the claims are intended to be given their
broadest reasonable constructions and their ordinary meanings as
understood by those knowledgeable in the technologies described
herein unless an explicit indication to the contrary in made
herein. In particular, use of the singular articles such as "a,"
"the," "said," etc. should be read to recite one or more of the
indicated elements unless a claim recites an explicit limitation to
the contrary.
[0049] The Abstract of the Disclosure is provided to allow the
reader to quickly ascertain the nature of the technical disclosure.
It is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to
interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims. In addition,
in the foregoing Detailed Description, it can be seen that various
features are grouped together in various embodiments for the
purpose of streamlining the disclosure. This method of disclosure
is not to be interpreted as reflecting an intention that the
claimed embodiments require more features than are expressly
recited in each claim. Rather, as the following claims reflect,
inventive subject matter lies in less than all features of a single
disclosed embodiment. Thus the following claims are hereby
incorporated into the Detailed Description, with each claim
standing on its own as a separately claimed subject matter.
* * * * *