Surgical robotic system and method for using secondary image source to generate a composite instrument image in low contrast imaging mode

Abstract

A surgical robotic system (10) includes a primary imaging source (51) and a secondary imaging source (511) disposed inside a patient. The primary imaging source (51) is used to image a surgical site and one or more instruments (50, 50') in a monochromatic near infrared (NIR) mode. The secondary imaging source (51') is used to image the instruments in a white color mode. A white color overlay is extracted from the video feed of the secondary imaging source and is used to generate composite image with the NIR video feed (694), thereby making the instruments (50, 50') visible in the monochromatic video feed (694). The overlay is aligned with the NIR video feed (694) via one or more image processing techniques.

Description

SURGICAL ROBOTIC SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR USING SECONDARY IMAGE SOURCE TO GENERATE A COMPOSITE INSTRUMENT IMAGE IN LOW CONTRAST IMAGING MODECROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 63 / 599,035, filed November 15, 2023, the entire content of which is incorporated herein by reference.BACKGROUND

[0002] Surgical robotic systems are currently being used in a variety of surgical procedures, including minimally invasive surgical procedures. Some surgical robotic systems include a surgeon console controlling a surgical robotic arm and a surgical instrument having an end effector (e.g., forceps or grasping instrument) coupled to and actuated by the robotic arm. In operation, the robotic arm is moved to a position over a patient and then guides the surgical instrument into a small incision via a surgical port or a natural orifice of a patient to position the end effector at a work site within the patient’s body. A laparoscopic camera, which is also held by one of the robotic arms, is inserted into the patient to image the surgical site.

[0003] The laparoscopic camera may operate in a variety of imaging modes including conventional color, or white light, mode and fluorescence mode. In conventional white light mode, light in the visible spectral range is used to illuminate the tissue surface under observation. Light reflected by the tissue passes through a suitable lens system and is incident on an image sensor built into or attached to the endoscope. The electrical signals from the image sensor are processed into a full color video image which can be displayed on a video monitor or stored in a memory.

[0004] In fluorescence mode, fluorescence excitation light excites fluorophores in the tissue, which emit fluorescence light at an emission wavelength, which is typically greater than the excitation wavelength. Fluorescence light from the tissue passes through a suitable lens system and is incident on the image sensor. The electrical signals from the image sensor are processed into a fluorescence video image which can be displayed on a video monitor, either separately or combined with the color video image.

[0005] The fluorescence excitation and emission wavelengths depend upon the type of fluorophores being excited. In the case of exogenously applied fluorophores, such as a fluorescent dye (e.g., indocyanine green (ICG)) the band of excitation wavelengths may belocated anywhere in the range from the ultraviolet (UV) to the near infra-red (NIR) and the emission wavelength band anywhere from the visible to the NIR. For fluorophores endogenous to tissue, the band of excitation and emission wavelengths are more limited (excitation from the UV to the green part of the visible spectrum, emission from the blue / green light to the NIR). Fluorescence imaging may be used to identify blood vessels, cancer cells, and other tissue types. White light and fluorescence imaging modes may be combined in a variety of ways. Camera manufacturers offer various imaging modes to provide surgeons additional insight into the structures and tools used during laparoscopic or surgical procedures. Certain modes, which enhance NIR light, result in low visibility of objects, e.g., instruments, that do not fluoresce. Since the instruments are not sufficiently visible in monochromatic imaging mode, the users are forced to switch imaging modes to properly locate instruments in relation to fluorescing tissue, especially if instruments need to be repositioned.

[0006] In monochromatic mode the surgical instruments are not visible within the endoscopic field of view (FOV) due to low fluorescence of instrument material. However, due to the high contrast of monochromatic mode favoring clear visualization of structures perfusing ICG, surgeons prefer this view to visualize anatomy. Therefore, instrument movement is disallowed as a safety precaution while displaying in monochromatic mode as instruments cannot be seen within the endoscopic FOV as they do not fluoresce under NIR light. Therefore, surgeons do not have a clear understanding of where the instruments are in relation to the fluorescent structures shown in monochrome mode and will not be able to move them until returning to a mode with white light enabled.SUMMARY

[0007] The present disclosure provides a surgical robotic system that includes an imaging system that is operable in a plurality of imaging modes. The robotic system may include one or more robotic arms each holding an instrument or a laparoscopic camera of the imaging system. The imaging system is configured to obtain white color and NIR images of the tissue using fluorophores from a fluorescent dye, e.g., ICG. The imaging system combines white and NIR images in an overlay mode, during which the regular white light image is combined with the NIR / ICG data to generate a composite image. In overlay mode, the imaging system may be configured to display the NIR image using visible light depending on user preferences and application, e.g., the NIR / ICG data can be displayed as a green or blue overlay. In intensity map mode, the imaging system displays the intensity of the NIR / ICG signal using a color scalein an overlay image. In a monochromatic mode, the NIR / ICG signal alone is displayed in white on a black background to achieve the greatest possible differentiation.

[0008] NIR imaging operates with a light source emitting a narrow excitation frequency band of light, collocated with the imaging sensor, which is tuned via filtering to only sense light in the fluorescent emission frequency band. The fluorescent emission signal emitted by tissue in NIR is generally very weak, therefore requiring amplification of the emitted signal. Any material (e.g., tissue or otherwise) not emitting or reflecting light in the frequency band of the emission signal therefore does not appear visible in the resulting generated image. This is generally by design such that the contrast of fluorescent tissue is enhanced. One downside is that the surgical instruments in the field of view (FOV) are rendered effectively invisible. This in turn poses a challenge for the operator to locate the instruments, most likely prohibiting manipulation while in NIR imaging mode.

[0009] The present disclosure provides for a second image source for imaging the instruments. This image source may include a light source in the visible frequency band and a camera capable of detecting retroreflected visible light, with the instruments in the FOV of the camera. The second image source may be a stadium view camera located at a point distant from the anatomy region of interest (ROI), possibly at the instrument and endoscope point of origin (e.g., attached to one of the surgical port(s)). The FOV may encompass the original NIR camera FOV and include a wider FOV. The resulting image may be displayed on another monitor available to the operator, or as a picture-in-picture (PIP) view on the same monitor view as the NIR image.

[0010] The disclosed system utilizes both image sources and the kinematic data of the robotic arms holding the cameras and the instruments. The system includes an image processing device that co-registers the masked stadium view image of the instrument(s) with poor contrast, i.e., low visibility, instrument image in the NIR frame using either chroma key or alpha key compositing.

[0011] The system executes an algorithm, which may be embodied as software instructions, whereby the image of instruments in white light as taken by a stadium camera, is co-registered and overlaid on a monochromatic NIR image for operator localization of instruments. The algorithm applies several deterministic transformations to the instrument image depending on the stadium camera position relative to the endoscope including edge detection and masking, rotation, and scaling. The point of reference for these transforms may either be a shared image marker visible in both images or derived from end effector kinematic data.

[0012] Additionally, if obstruction of the instruments in stadium view is present, additional processing on the edge detected instrument profde may be used to render a complete instrument image by leveraging algorithms aimed at pixel supplementation such as nearest neighbor or simple pixel averaging.

[0013] The transformed masked instrument image may be composited from the monochromatic image, possibly with some buffer delay to the instrument image to allow for image transformation processing time and avoid delay of endoscopic image delivery. Image compositing of the instrument image from buffer and monochromatic image may utilize hardware implemented chroma keying or alpha blending compositing. The disclosed solution provides a unique implementation of image overlay in NIR monochromatic imaging mode without increasing delay in endoscopic image delivery or introducing unwanted image artifacts, while maximizing usability of NIR monochromatic imaging.

[0014] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, an imaging system is disclosed. The imaging system includes a first laparoscopic camera disposed at a first location inside a patient for capturing a first video feed of a surgical instrument from a first perspective. The system also includes a second laparoscopic camera disposed at a second location inside the patient for capturing a second video feed of the surgical instrument from a second perspective, different from the first perspective. The system further includes an image processing device coupled to the first and second laparoscopic cameras. The image processing device processes the first video feed of the surgical instrument in a low visibility imaging mode and the second video feed of the surgical instrument in a white color imaging mode. The system additionally includes a controller for extracting a white color image from a frame of the second video feed and generating an overlay of the surgical instrument from the white color image. The controller also generates a composite frame including the overlay and a frame of the first video feed, while in the low visibility imaging mode. The overlay is disposed on a portion of the video feed including the surgical instrument. The system also includes a screen for displaying a composite video feed including the composite frame.

[0015] Implementations of the above embodiment may include one or more of the following features. According to one aspect of the above embodiment, the controller may rotate one or both of the overlay or the frame of the first video feed relative to each other to align their respective coordinate systems. The controller may further translate one or both of the overlay or the frame of the first video feed relative to each other to align their respective coordinate systems. The low visibility imaging mode may be a monochromatic near infrared (NIR) mode. The first laparoscopic camera may have a first field of vision and the second laparoscopiccamera may have a second field of vision that at least partially overlaps with the first field of vision, where the surgical instrument is within the first and second fields of vision. The second field of vision may be larger than the first field of vision. The controller may generate the composite frame using alpha blending and / or chroma keying.

[0016] According to another embodiment of the present disclosure, a surgical robotic system is disclosed. The surgical robotic system includes a first robotic arm including a first laparoscopic camera disposed at a first location inside a patient for capturing a first video feed of a surgical instrument from a first perspective. The system also includes a second robotic arm including a second laparoscopic camera disposed at a second location inside the patient for capturing a second video feed of the surgical instrument from a second perspective, different from the first perspective. The system further includes an image processing device coupled to the first and second laparoscopic cameras. The image processing device processes the first video feed of the surgical instrument in a low visibility imaging mode and the second video feed of the surgical instrument in a white color imaging mode. The system additionally includes a controller for extracting a white color image from a frame of the second video feed and generating an overlay of the surgical instrument from the white color image. The controller also generates a composite frame including the overlay and a frame of the first video feed, while in the low visibility imaging mode. The overlay is disposed on a portion of the video feed including the surgical instrument. The system also includes a screen for displaying a composite video feed including the composite frame.

[0017] Implementations of the above embodiment may include one or more of the following features. According to one aspect of the above embodiment, the controller may receive kinematics data from the first and second robotic arms. The kinematic data may include position information for the first and second robotic arms and the first and second laparoscopic cameras. The controller may further rotate at least one of the overlay or the frame of the first video feed relative to each other to align their respective coordinate systems based on the kinematic data. The controller may further translate one or both of the overlay or the frame of the first video feed relative to each other to align their respective coordinate systems based on the kinematic data. The low visibility imaging mode may be a monochromatic near infrared (NIR) mode. The first laparoscopic camera may have a first field of vision and the second laparoscopic camera may have a second field of vision that at least partially overlaps with the first field of vision, where the surgical instrument is within the first and second fields of vision. The second field of vision may be larger than the first field of vision. The controller may generate the composite frame using alpha blending and / or chroma keying.

[0018] According to a further embodiment of the present disclosure, a method of generating a composite instrument image is disclosed. The method includes capturing a first video feed of a surgical instrument from a first perspective through a first laparoscopic camera disposed at a first location inside a patient. The method also includes capturing a second video feed of the surgical instrument from a second perspective, different from the first perspective, through a second robotic arm including a second laparoscopic camera disposed at a second location inside the patient. The method further includes processing the first video feed of the surgical instrument in a low visibility imaging mode and the second video feed of the surgical instrument in a white color imaging mode at an image processing device coupled to the first and second laparoscopic camera. The method additionally includes extracting a white color image from a frame of the second video feed. The method also includes generating an overlay of the surgical instrument from the white color image. The method also includes generating a composite frame including the overlay and a frame of the first video feed, while in the low visibility imaging mode. The overlay is disposed on a portion of the video feed including the surgical instrument. The method further includes displaying on a screen a composite video feed including the composite frame.

[0019] Implementations of the above embodiment may include one or more of the following features. According to one aspect of the above embodiment, the method may further include rotating at least one of the overlay or the frame of the first video feed relative to each other to align their respective coordinate systems. The method may further include translating at least one of the overlay or the frame of the first video feed relative to each other to align their respective coordinate systems. Generating the composite frame may be performed using alpha blending and / or chroma keying.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] Various embodiments of the present disclosure are described herein with reference to the drawings wherein:

[0021] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a surgical robotic system including a control tower, a console, and one or more surgical robotic arms each disposed on a mobile cart according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0022] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a surgical robotic arm of the surgical robotic system of FIG. 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0023] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a mobile cart having a setup arm with the surgical robotic arm of the surgical robotic system of FIG. 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0024] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of a computer architecture of the surgical robotic system of FIG. 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0025] FIG. 5 is a plan schematic view of the surgical robotic system of FIG. 1 positioned about a surgical table according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0026] FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of a system for determining phases of a surgical procedure according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0027] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of an imaging system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0028] FIG. 8 is a screenshot of a graphical user interface (GUI) for selecting an imaging mode according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0029] FIG. 9 shows a schematic diagram of a dual laparoscopic camera imaging system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0030] FIG. 10 shows a flow chart of a method for generating a composite instrument image in low contrast imaging mode according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0031] FIG. 11 shows a flow chart of a method for extracting an instrument image from a second camera to generate an overlay for the composite image according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0032] FIG. 12 shows a schematic diagram of rotating a frame captured by the second camera to align with a frame captured by the first camera according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0033] FIG. 13 shows a schematic diagram of translating the frame captured by the second camera to align with the frame captured by the first camera according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0034] FIG. 14 shows an extracted instrument image being overlaid over a low visibility imaging mode frame to generate a composite instrument image according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; and

[0035] FIG. 15 shows a flow chart of a method for generating a composite instrument image in low contrast imaging mode according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0036] Embodiments of the presently disclosed surgical robotic system are described in detail with reference to the drawings, in which like reference numerals designate identical or corresponding elements in each of the several views.

[0037] With reference to FIG. 1, a surgical robotic system 10 includes a control tower 20, which is connected to all the components of the surgical robotic system 10 including a surgeon console 30 and one or more mobile carts 60. Each of the mobile carts 60 includes a robotic arm 40 having a surgical instrument 50 removably coupled thereto. The robotic arms 40 also couple to the mobile carts 60. The robotic system 10 may include any number of mobile carts 60 and / or robotic arms 40.

[0038] The surgical instrument 50 is configured for use during minimally invasive surgical procedures. In embodiments, the surgical instrument 50 may be configured for open surgical procedures. In further embodiments, the surgical instrument 50 may be an electrosurgical or ultrasonic instrument, such as a forceps configured to seal tissue by compressing tissue between jaw members and applying electrosurgical current or ultrasonic vibrations via an ultrasonic transducer to the tissue. In yet further embodiments, the surgical instrument 50 may be a surgical stapler including a pair of jaws configured to grasp and clamp tissue while deploying a plurality of tissue fasteners, e.g., staples, and cutting stapled tissue. In yet further embodiments, the surgical instrument 50 may be a surgical clip applier including a pair of jaws configured apply a surgical clip onto tissue. The system also includes an electrosurgical generator configured to output electrosurgical (e.g., monopolar or bipolar) or ultrasonic energy in a variety of operating modes, such as coagulation, cutting, sealing, etc. Suitable generators include a Valleylab™ FT10 Energy Platform available from Medtronic of Minneapolis, MN.

[0039] One of the robotic arms 40 may include a laparoscopic camera 51 configured to capture video of the surgical site. The laparoscopic camera 51 may be a stereoscopic camera configured to capture two side-by-side (i.e., left and right) images of the surgical site to produce a video stream of the surgical scene. The laparoscopic camera 51 is coupled to an image processing device 56, which may be disposed within the control tower 20. The image processing device 56 may be any computing device configured to receive the video feed from the laparoscopic camera 51 and output the processed video stream.

[0040] The surgeon console 30 includes a first, i.e., surgeon, screen 32, which displays a video feed of the surgical site provided by camera 51 of the surgical instrument 50 disposed on the robotic arm 40, and a second screen 34, which displays a user interface for controlling thesurgical robotic system 10. The first screen 32 and second screen 34 may be touchscreens allowing for displaying various graphical user inputs.

[0041] The surgeon console 30 also includes a plurality of user interface devices, such as foot pedals 36 and a pair of hand controllers 38a and 38b which are used by a user to remotely control robotic arms 40. The surgeon console further includes an armrest 33 used to support clinician’s arms while operating the hand controllers 38a and 38b.

[0042] The control tower 20 includes a screen 23, which may be a touchscreen, and outputs on the graphical user interfaces (GUIs). The control tower 20 also acts as an interface between the surgeon console 30 and one or more robotic arms 40. In particular, the control tower 20 is configured to control the robotic arms 40, such as to move the robotic arms 40 and the corresponding surgical instrument 50, based on a set of programmable instructions and / or input commands from the surgeon console 30, in such a way that robotic arms 40 and the surgical instrument 50 execute a desired movement sequence in response to input from the foot pedals 36 and the hand controllers 38a and 38b. The foot pedals 36 may be used to enable and lock the hand controllers 38a and 38b, repositioning camera movement and electrosurgical activation / deactivation. In particular, the foot pedals 36 may be used to perform a clutching action on the hand controllers 38a and 38b. Clutching is initiated by pressing one of the foot pedals 36, which disconnects (i.e., prevents movement inputs) the hand controllers 38a and / or 38b from the robotic arm 40 and corresponding instrument 50 or camera 51 attached thereto. This allows the user to reposition the hand controllers 38a and 38b without moving the robotic arm(s) 40 and the instrument 50 and / or camera 51. This is useful when reaching control boundaries of the surgical space.

[0043] Each of the control tower 20, the surgeon console 30, and the robotic arm 40 includes a respective computer 21, 31, 41. The computers 21, 31, 41 are interconnected to each other using any suitable communication network based on wired or wireless communication protocols. The term “network,” whether plural or singular, as used herein, denotes a data network, including, but not limited to, the Internet, Intranet, a wide area network, or a local area network, and without limitation as to the full scope of the definition of communication networks as encompassed by the present disclosure. Suitable protocols include, but are not limited to, transmission control protocol / intemet protocol (TCP / IP), datagram protocol / intemet protocol (UDP / IP), and / or datagram congestion control protocol (DC). Wireless communication may be achieved via one or more wireless configurations, e.g., radio frequency, optical, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth (an open wireless protocol for exchanging data over short distances, using short length radio waves, from fixed and mobile devices, creating personal area networks(PANs), ZigBee® (a specification for a suite of high level communication protocols using small, low-power digital radios based on the IEEE 122.15.4-1203 standard for wireless personal area networks (WPANs)).

[0044] The computers 21, 31, 41 may include any suitable processor (not shown) operably connected to a memory (not shown), which may include one or more of volatile, non-volatile, magnetic, optical, or electrical media, such as read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), electrically-erasable programmable ROM (EEPROM), non-volatile RAM (NVRAM), or flash memory. The processor may be any suitable processor (e.g., control circuit) adapted to perform the operations, calculations, and / or set of instructions described in the present disclosure including, but not limited to, a hardware processor, a field programmable gate array (FPGA), a digital signal processor (DSP), a central processing unit (CPU), a microprocessor, and combinations thereof. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the processor may be substituted for by using any logic processor (e.g., control circuit) adapted to execute algorithms, calculations, and / or set of instructions described herein.

[0045] With reference to FIG. 2, each of the robotic arms 40 may include a plurality of links 42a, 42b, 42c, which are interconnected at joints 44a, 44b, 44c, respectively. Other configurations of links and joints may be utilized as known by those skilled in the art. The joint 44a is configured to secure the robotic arm 40 to the mobile cart 60 and defines a first longitudinal axis. With reference to FIG. 3, the mobile cart 60 includes a lift 67 and a setup arm 61, which provides a base for mounting the robotic arm 40. The lift 67 allows for vertical movement of the setup arm 61. The mobile cart 60 also includes a screen 69 for displaying information pertaining to the robotic arm 40. In embodiments, the robotic arm 40 may include any type and / or number of joints.

[0046] The setup arm 61 includes a first link 62a, a second link 62b, and a third link 62c, which provide for lateral maneuverability of the robotic arm 40. The links 62a, 62b, 62c are interconnected at joints 63a and 63b, each of which may include an actuator (not shown) for rotating the links 62b and 62b relative to each other and the link 62c. In particular, the links 62a, 62b, 62c are movable in their corresponding lateral planes that are parallel to each other, thereby allowing for extension of the robotic arm 40 relative to the patient (e.g., surgical table). In embodiments, the robotic arm 40 may be coupled to the surgical table (not shown). The setup arm 61 includes controls 65 for adjusting movement of the links 62a, 62b, 62c as well as the lift 67. In embodiments, the setup arm 61 may include any type and / or number of joints.

[0047] The third link 62c may include a rotatable base 64 having two degrees of freedom. In particular, the rotatable base 64 includes a first actuator 64a and a second actuator 64b. Thefirst actuator 64a is rotatable about a first stationary arm axis which is perpendicular to a plane defined by the third link 62c and the second actuator 64b is rotatable about a second stationary arm axis which is transverse to the first stationary arm axis. The first and second actuators 64a and 64b allow for full three-dimensional orientation of the robotic arm 40.

[0048] The actuator 48b of the joint 44b is coupled to the joint 44c via the belt 45a, and the joint 44c is in turn coupled to the joint 46b via the belt 45b. Joint 44c may include a transfer case coupling the belts 45a and 45b, such that the actuator 48b is configured to rotate each of the links 42b, 42c and a holder 46 relative to each other. More specifically, links 42b, 42c, and the holder 46 are passively coupled to the actuator 48b which enforces rotation about a pivot point “P” which lies at an intersection of the first axis defined by the link 42a and the second axis defined by the holder 46. In other words, the pivot point “P” is a remote center of motion (RCM) for the robotic arm 40. Thus, the actuator 48b controls the angle 0 between the first and second axes allowing for orientation of the surgical instrument 50. Due to the interlinking of the links 42a, 42b, 42c, and the holder 46 via the belts 45a and 45b, the angles between the links 42a, 42b, 42c, and the holder 46 are also adjusted to achieve the desired angle 0. In embodiments, some or all of the joints 44a, 44b, 44c may include an actuator to obviate the need for mechanical linkages.

[0049] The joints 44a and 44b include an actuator 48a and 48b configured to drive the joints 44a, 44b, 44c relative to each other through a series of belts 45a and 45b or other mechanical linkages such as a drive rod, a cable, or a lever and the like. In particular, the actuator 48a is configured to rotate the robotic arm 40 about a longitudinal axis defined by the link 42a.

[0050] With reference to FIG. 2, the holder 46 defines a second longitudinal axis and configured to receive an instrument drive unit (IDU) 52 (FIG. 1). The IDU 52 is configured to couple to an actuation mechanism of the surgical instrument 50 and the camera 51 and is configured to move (e.g., rotate) and actuate the instrument 50 and / or the camera 51. IDU 52 transfers actuation forces from its actuators to the surgical instrument 50 to actuate components an end effector 49 of the surgical instrument 50. The holder 46 includes a sliding mechanism 46a, which is configured to move the IDU 52 along the second longitudinal axis defined by the holder 46. The holder 46 also includes a joint 46b, which rotates the holder 46 relative to the link 42c. During laparoscopic procedures, the instrument 50 may be inserted through a laparoscopic access port 55 (FIG. 3) held by the holder 46. The holder 46 also includes a port latch 46c for securing the access port 55 to the holder 46 (FIG. 2).

[0051] The robotic arm 40 also includes a plurality of manual override buttons 53 (FIG. 1) disposed on the IDU 52 and the setup arm 61, which may be used in a manual mode. The user may press one or more of the buttons 53 to move the component associated with the button 53.

[0052] With reference to FIG. 4, each of the computers 21, 31, 41 of the surgical robotic system 10 may include a plurality of controllers, which may be embodied in hardware and / or software. The computer 21 of the control tower 20 includes a controller 21a and safety observer 21b. The controller 21a receives data from the computer 31 of the surgeon console 30 about the current position and / or orientation of the hand controllers 38a and 38b and the state of the foot pedals 36 and other buttons. The controller 21a processes these input positions to determine desired drive commands for each joint of the robotic arm 40 and / or the IDU 52 and communicates these to the computer 41 of the robotic arm 40. The controller 21a also receives the actual joint angles measured by encoders of the actuators 48a and 48b and uses this information to determine force feedback commands that are transmitted back to the computer 31 of the surgeon console 30 to provide haptic feedback through the hand controllers 38a and 38b. The safety observer 21b performs validity checks on the data going into and out of the controller 21a and notifies a system fault handler if errors in the data transmission are detected to place the computer 21 and / or the surgical robotic system 10 into a safe state.

[0053] The controller 21a is coupled to a storage 22a, which may be non-transitory computer- readable medium configured to store any suitable computer data, such as software instructions executable by the controller 21a. The controller 21a also includes transitory memory 22b for loading instructions and other computer readable data during execution of the instructions. In embodiments, other controllers of the system 10 include similar configurations.

[0054] The computer 41 includes a plurality of controllers, namely, a main cart controller 41a, a setup arm controller 41b, a robotic arm controller 41c, and an instrument drive unit (IDU) controller 41d. The main cart controller 41a receives and processes joint commands from the controller 21a of the computer 21 and communicates them to the setup arm controller 41b, the robotic arm controller 41c, and the IDU controller 4 Id. The main cart controller 41a also manages instrument exchanges and the overall state of the mobile cart 60, the robotic arm 40, and the IDU 52. The main cart controller 41a also communicates actual joint angles back to the controller 21a.

[0055] Each of joints 63a and 63b and the rotatable base 64 of the setup arm 61 are passive joints (i.e., no actuators are present therein) allowing for manual adjustment thereof by a user. The joints 63a and 63b and the rotatable base 64 include brakes that are disengaged by the user to configure the setup arm 61. The setup arm controller 41b monitors slippage of each of joints63a and 63b and the rotatable base 64 of the setup arm 61, when brakes are engaged or can be freely moved by the operator when brakes are disengaged, but do not impact controls of other joints. The robotic arm controller 41c controls each joint 44a and 44b of the robotic arm 40 and calculates desired motor torques required for gravity compensation, friction compensation, and closed loop position control of the robotic arm 40. The robotic arm controller 41c calculates a movement command based on the calculated torque. The calculated motor commands are then communicated to one or more of the actuators 48a and 48b in the robotic arm 40. The actual joint positions are then transmitted by the actuators 48a and 48b back to the robotic arm controller 41c.

[0056] The IDU controller 4 Id receives desired joint angles for the surgical instrument 50, such as wrist and jaw angles, and computes desired currents for the motors in the IDU 52. The IDU controller 4 Id calculates actual angles based on the motor positions and transmits the actual angles back to the main cart controller 41a.

[0057] With reference to FIG. 5, the surgical robotic system 10 is set up around a surgical table 90. The system 10 includes mobile carts 60a-d, which may be numbered “1” through “4.” During setup, each of the carts 60a-d are positioned around the surgical table 90. Position and orientation of the carts 60a-d depends on a plurality of factors, such as placement of a plurality of access ports 55a-d, which in turn, depends on the surgery being performed. Once the port placement is determined, the access ports 55a-d are inserted into the patient, and carts 60a-d are positioned to insert instruments 50 and the laparoscopic camera 51 into corresponding ports 55a-d.

[0058] During use, each of the robotic arms 40a-d is attached to one of the access ports 55a-d that is inserted into the patient by attaching the latch 46c (FIG. 2) to the access port 55 (FIG. 3). The IDU 52 is attached to the holder 46, followed by the SIM 43 being attached to a distal portion of the IDU 52. Thereafter, the instrument 50 is attached to the SIM 43. The instrument 50 is then inserted through the access port 55 by moving the IDU 52 along the holder 46. The SIM 43 includes a plurality of drive shafts configured to transmit rotation of individual motors of the IDU 52 to the instrument 50 thereby actuating the instrument 50. In addition, the SIM 43 provides a sterile barrier between the instrument 50 and the other components of robotic arm 40, including the IDU 52. The SIM 43 is also configured to secure a sterile drape (not shown) to the IDU 52.

[0059] A surgical procedure may include multiple phases, and each phase may include one or more surgical actions. As used herein, the term “phase” represents a surgical event that is composed of a series of steps (e.g., closure). A “surgical action” may include an incision, acompression, a stapling, a clipping, a suturing, a cauterization, a sealing, or any other such actions performed to complete a phase in the surgical procedure. A “step” refers to the completion of a named surgical objective (e.g., hemostasis). During each step, certain surgical instruments 50 (e.g., forceps) are used to achieve a specific objective by performing one or more surgical actions.

[0060] With reference to FIG. 6, the surgical robotic system 10 may include a machine learning (ML) processing system 310 that processes the surgical data using one or more ML models to identify one or more features, such as surgical phase, instrument, anatomical structure, etc., in the surgical data. The ML processing system 310 includes a ML training system 325, which may be a separate device (e.g., server) that stores its output as one or more trained ML models 330. The ML models 330 are accessible by a ML execution system 340. The ML execution system 340 may be separate from the ML training system 325, namely, devices that “train” the models are separate from devices that “infer,” i.e., perform real-time processing of surgical data using the trained ML models 330.

[0061] System 10 includes a data reception system 305 that collects surgical data, including the video data and surgical instrumentation data. The data reception system 305 can include one or more devices (e.g., one or more user devices and / or servers) located within and / or associated with a surgical operating room and / or control center. The data reception system 305 can receive surgical data in real-time, i.e., as the surgical procedure is being performed.

[0062] The ML processing system 310, in some examples, may further include a data generator 315 to generate simulated surgical data, such as a set of virtual or masked images, or record the video data from the image processing device 56, to train the ML models 330 as well as other sources of data, e.g., user input, arm movement, etc. Data generator 315 can access (read / write) a data store 320 to record data, including multiple images and / or multiple videos.

[0063] The ML processing system 310 also includes a phase detector 350 that uses the ML models to identify a phase within the surgical procedure. Phase detector 350 uses a particular procedural tracking data structure 355 from a list of procedural tracking data structures. Phase detector 350 selects the procedural tracking data structure 355 based on the type of surgical procedure that is being performed. In one or more examples, the type of surgical procedure is predetermined or input by user. The procedural tracking data structure 355 identifies a set of potential phases that may correspond to a part of the specific type of surgical procedure.

[0064] In some examples, the procedural tracking data structure 355 may be a graph that includes a set of nodes and a set of edges, with each node corresponding to a potential phase. The edges may provide directional connections between nodes that indicate (via the direction)an expected order during which the phases will be encountered throughout an iteration of the surgical procedure. The procedural tracking data structure 355 may include one or more branching nodes that feed to multiple next nodes and / or may include one or more points of divergence and / or convergence between the nodes. In some instances, a phase indicates a procedural action (e.g., surgical action) that is being performed or has been performed and / or indicates a combination of actions that have been performed. In some instances, a phase relates to a biological state of a patient undergoing a surgical procedure. For example, the biological state may indicate a complication (e.g., blood clots, clogged arteries / veins, etc.), pre-condition (e.g., lesions, polyps, etc.). In some examples, the ML models 330 are trained to detect an “abnormal condition,” such as hemorrhaging, arrhythmias, blood vessel abnormality, etc.

[0065] The phase detector 350 outputs the phase prediction associated with a portion of the video data that is analyzed by the ML processing system 310. The phase prediction is associated with the portion of the video data by identifying a start time and an end time of the portion of the video that is analyzed by the ML execution system 340. The phase prediction that is output may include an identity of a surgical phase as detected by the phase detector 350 based on the output of the ML execution system 340. Further, the phase prediction, in one or more examples, may include identities of the structures (e.g., instrument, anatomy, etc.) that are identified by the ML execution system 340 in the portion of the video that is analyzed. The phase prediction may also include a confidence score of the prediction. Other examples may include various other types of information in the phase prediction that is output. The predicted phase may be used by the controller 21a to determine when to switch between various imaging modes as described below.

[0066] With reference to FIG. 7, the surgical robotic system 10 also includes an imaging system 400, in which the laparoscopic camera 51 coupled to the image processing device 56. The laparoscopic camera 51 includes a laparoscope 402 having a longitudinal shaft 414 with a plurality of optical components (not shown), such as lenses, mirrors, prisms, and the like disposed in the longitudinal shaft 414. The laparoscope 402 is coupled to a combined light source 406 via an optical cable 408. The light source 406 may include a white light source (not shown) and an NIR light source (not shown), which may be light emitting diodes or any other suitable light sources. The NIR light source may be a laser or any other suitable light source. The optical cable 408 may include one or more optical fibers for transmitting the white and NIR light, which illuminates the tissue under observation by the laparoscope 402. The laparoscope 402 collects the reflected white and NIR light and transmits the same to a camera assembly 410, which is coupled to a proximal end portion of the laparoscope 402. Thelaparoscope 402 may be any conventional laparoscopic configured to transmit and collect white and NIR light.

[0067] The camera assembly 410 is configured to separate fluorescence wavelength from undesired components of the light spectrum to specific sensors. In particular, the camera assembly includes a white (e.g., visible) light (VIS) sensor and an IR sensor and is configured to separate and transmit white light to the VIS sensor and fluorescence IR light to the IR sensor. The VIS sensor and the IR sensor may be a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) image sensors having any desired resolution, which in embodiments may be 4K, UHD, etc.

[0068] The camera assembly 410 is coupled to the image processing device 56 via a transmission cable 412. The image processing device 56 is configured to receive the image data signals, process the raw image data from the camera assembly 410, and generate blended white light and NIR images for recording and / or real-time display. The image processing device 56 also processes the image data signals and outputs the same to any of the display screens 23, 32, 34 of the surgical robotic system 10, through any suitable a video output port, such as a DISPLAYPORT™, HDMI®, etc., that is capable of transmitting processed images at any desired resolution, display rates, and / or bandwidth.

[0069] FIG. 8 shows a GUI 500 for controlling the imaging system 400, which may be displayed on the display screens 23, 32, 34 of the surgical robotic system 10. The GUI 500 includes options for controlling fluorescence settings, including turning fluorescence (e.g., NIR detection) on or off via toggle 502. Once fluorescence is selected, the user may also select from a plurality of imaging modes that visualize NIR light. An overlay mode is selectable via a button 504. In overlay mode, the imaging system 400 combines the white and NIR images, during which the regular white light image is combined with the NIR / ICG data to generate an overlay image. In this mode, the imaging system may be configured to display the NIR light in a visible light depending on user preferences and application, the NIR / ICG data can be displayed as a green or blue overlay, which is selectable via a menu 505. In intensity map mode, selectable via button 506, the imaging system displays the intensity of the NIR / ICG signal using a color scale in an overlay image. In monochromatic mode, selectable via button 508, the NIR / ICG signal alone is displayed in white on a black background to achieve the greatest possible differentiation as shown in FIG. 14. In embodiments, the modes may be also selectable via one or more foot pedals 36 associated with mode selection, e.g., one foot pedal cycles through each of the NIR modes.

[0070] With reference to FIG. 9, the system 10 includes the first camera 51 inserted through the first access port 55a and coupled to the first robotic arm 40a. The first camera 51 includes a first field of view (FOV) that is pointed toward a surgical site, including the first and second instruments 50 and 50’ . The camera 51 may be a stereoscopic or a monoscopic camera having any suitable lens, e.g., 30° angle lens. As described above, the first camera 51 is operable in a plurality of imaging modes, including the low visibility monochromatic mode.

[0071] The system 10 also includes a second camera 51’ that is inserted through the second access port 55b such that the second FOV of the second camera 51 ’ encompasses the surgical site. The second camera 51’ is coupled to a second robotic arm 40b. Further, the second camera 51’ may be coupled to the light source 46 and the image processing device 56 in the same manner as the first camera 51 as described above with respect to FIG. 7. The second camera 51 ’ may be a stadium view camera having a wide-angle lens providing for a wide FOV that covers the surgical site. The camera 51 may be a stereoscopic or a monoscopic camera having any suitable lens, e.g., 0° angle lens. The second camera 51’ may be operable in a plurality of imaging modes, at least one of which is a white light (i.e., visible color) mode. The white light frames obtained by the second camera 51’ are used to generate overlays on the frames of the instruments 50 and 50’ obtained using the first camera 51 while imaging in the low visibility mode.

[0072] FIG. 10 shows a method of using a masked image of the instruments 50 and 50’ from the second camera 51’ as an overlay on the low visibility mode frames of the instruments 50 and 50’ obtained from the first camera 51. The method may be embodied as software instructions stored in a non-transitory medium (e.g., storage 22a) that are executable by a processor (e.g., controller 21a).

[0073] At step 600, the first camera 51 is used to obtain one or more low visibility frames of the instruments 50 and 50’ while the second camera 51 ’ is used to obtain white light frames of the same at step 602, which is executed in parallel with step 600. The image processing device 56 may be operated in two corresponding modes, i.e., low visibility imaging mode for the camera 51 and the white light mode for the camera 51’.

[0074] At step 604, the image processing device 56 processes the monochrome frame to adjust image properties, such as brightness, sharpness, contrast. At step 606, the image processing device 56 performs the same for the white light frame.

[0075] At step 608, the image processing device 56 outputs the processed monochrome frame from the first camera 51 on the main screen 32 of the surgeon console 30. Similarly, at step 610, the image processing device 56 outputs the processed white light frame from the secondcamera 51’ on the second screen 34 of the surgeon console 30 or on in a PIP mode on the main screen 32. Steps 604 and 608 may be repeated continuously while the low visibility mode is active to continuously capture and process monochrome frames.

[0076] At step 612, the image processing device 56 extracts an image of the instruments 50 and 50’ from the white light frame to generate an overlay of the instruments 50 and 50’. With reference to FIG. 11, the step 612 includes a plurality of sub steps 613a-613e. Image extraction may be performed on every frame of the video feed or a selected number of frames (e.g., periodically) of the color video feed of the second camera 51’. With reference to FIGS. 9 and 12, image rotation on the selected frame is performed in step 613ato correspond the white light frame to the low visibility frame. This is done because the second camera 51’ is at a different location than the first camera 51, thus the perspective of the frames is also different. With reference to FIG. 9, each of the first and second camera 51 and 51 ’ has its own 3D coordinate frame, namely, the coordinates of the first camera 51 are xe, ye, zeand the coordinates of the second camera 51’ are xs, ys, zs. The white light frame is rotated such that the coordinates of the frame captured through the second camera 51 ’ match the coordinates of the low visibility frame captured through the first camera 51.

[0077] At step 613b, white color frame is also scaled, either enlarged or shrunk, to match the size of the low visibility frame, which is also due to the different perspective of the first and second cameras 51 and 51’. At step 613c, the rotated and scaled frame is masked to isolate specific areas of the frame, namely, the portions of the frame including images of the instrument 50 and / or 51’. A computer vision AI / ML algorithm may be used to identify the instruments 50 and 50’ in the white light frames using edge detection or another image processing algorithm. The detected edges may then be used to generate the masked image.

[0078] With reference to FIG. 13, the masked image is then translated at step 613d by shifting the image along horizontal and / or vertical direction to align the masked image with the monochrome frame. At step 613e, a transparency factor (e.g., percentage) is applied to the masked image, which may be based on a user selected transparency factor or a default system setting. The image processing device 56 then generates an extracted image 690 as shown in FIG. 14 of the instruments 50 and / or 50’.

[0079] With reference to FIG. 10, at step 614, the image processing device 56 loads the extracted image 690 into the buffer. The extracted image 690 is co-registered with the low visibility image frame 694 at step 616 as shown in FIG. 14. Registration may be performed using the process described below in step 716. Following registration, the extracted image 690 is overlaid on the images of the instruments 50 and 50’ in the low visibility frame. Thecomposite image may be generated by performing alpha blending and / or chroma key composting on the extracted image 690 and the low visibility frame 694. The resulting composite image is displayed at step 618 on the main screen 32 of the surgeon console 30. The composite image may be displayed with every frame, with every other image, or in any other percentage of the low visibility frame depending on processing bandwidth of the image processing device 56.

[0080] FIG. 15 shows a method of using a masked image of the instruments 50 and 50’ from the second camera 51’ as an overlay on the low visibility mode frames of the instruments 50 and 50’ obtained from the first camera 51. The method may be embodied as software instructions stored in a non-transitory medium (e.g., storage 22a) that are executable by a processor (e.g., controller 21a). The method of FIG. 15 is substantially similar to the method of FIG. 10 with the addition of kinematic feedback provided by the robotic arms 40 controlling the first and second camera 51 and 51 ’ and steps having like reference numerals (e.g., 600 and 700) describe the same actions.

[0081] At step 700, the first camera 51 is used to obtain one or more low visibility frames of the instruments 50 and 50’ while the second camera 51 ’ is used to obtain white light frames of the same at step 702, which is executed in parallel with step 700. The image processing device 56 may be operated in two corresponding modes, i.e., low visibility imaging mode for the camera 51 and the white light mode for the camera 51’.

[0082] At step 704, the image processing device 56 processes the monochrome frame to adjust image properties, such as brightness, sharpness, contrast. At step 706, the image processing device 56 performs the same for the white light frame.

[0083] At step 708, the image processing device 56 outputs the processed monochrome frame from the first camera 51 on the main screen 32 of the surgeon console 30. Similarly, at step 710, the image processing device 56 outputs the processed white light frame from the second camera 51 ’ on the second screen 34 of the surgeon console 30 at step 71 la or on in a PIP mode on the main screen 32 at step 711b (if enabled). Steps 704 and 708 may be repeated continuously while the low visibility mode is active to continuously capture and process monochrome frames. At step 709, the previously processed monochrome image may be stored at the image processing device 56.

[0084] At step 712, the image processing device 56 isolates and extracts an image of the instruments 50 and 50’ from the white light frame to generate an overlay of the instruments 50 and 50’. At step 713, the image processing device 56 uses artificial intelligence / computer vision (AI / CV) algorithm for instrument detection. Once identified, the instrument image ismasked (e.g., using edge detection) and then filtered. At step 714, the image processing device 56 loads the extracted image into the buffer, which is then used to display the extracted image as an overlay over the portion of the monochrome image showing the instruments 50 and 50’.

[0085] At step 716, the image processing device 56 co-registers the extracted image 690 with the low visibility image frame 694 as shown in FIG. 14. A plurality of landmarks 692 found in the extracted image 690 are used to register the extracted image 690 with the low visibility frame 694 such that the extracted image 690 is overlaid on the images of the instruments 50 and 50’ in the low visibility frame.

[0086] The registration of the two images is performed using kinematics data for each of the first and second robotic arms 40a and 40b, which are controlling the first and second cameras 51 and 51’, respectively. Kinematic data includes joint angles for each of the robotic arms 40a and 40b and any other positional information. The kinematic data is used to orient the robotic arms 40a and 40b in the same coordinate system. At step 717, kinematic data is continuously recorded by the controller 21a and is time stamped to match with each of the frames captured by the image processing device 56. In addition to kinematic data, additional data on the first and second cameras may also be collected, such as camera angles, camera rotation relative to the 0° defined by the sliding mechanism 46a, camera distances, lens type, etc.

[0087] At step 719 the extracted image 690 is transformed to align with the low visibility frame 694 using affine and nonlinear transformations. In particular, the extracted image 690 may be rotated, scaled, sheared, dilated, reflected, etc. As described above with respect to FIGS. 9 and 12, rotation may be used as each of the first and second camera 51 and 51’ has its own 3D coordinate frame, namely, the coordinates of the first camera 51 are xe, ye, zeand the coordinates of the second camera 51’ are xs, ys, zs. The extracted image 690 is rotated such that the coordinates match the coordinates of the low visibility frame captured through the first camera 51. The corresponding coordinates are derived from the kinematic data. The absolute reference coordinate frame is the so-called “world” frame representing the space where the system 10 is set up. The kinematic data is mapped to the absolute reference frame allowing for alignment of the images taken in different frames using the absolute reference frame as a common reference frame.

[0088] With reference to FIG. 13, the extracted image 690 may also be translated by shifting the image along horizontal and / or vertical direction to align the masked image with the monochrome frame. The composite image may be generated by performing alpha blending and / or chroma key composting on the extracted image 690 and the low visibility frame 694. The resulting composite image is displayed on main screen 32 of the surgeon console 30. Thecomposite image may be displayed with every frame, with every other image, or in any other percentage of the low visibility frame depending on processing bandwidth of the image processing device 56.

[0089] It will be understood that various modifications may be made to the embodiments disclosed herein. Therefore, the above description should not be construed as limiting, but merely as exemplifications of various embodiments. Those skilled in the art will envision other modifications within the scope and spirit of the claims appended thereto.

[0090] The following examples are illustrative of the techniques described herein.

[0091] Example 1. An imaging system comprising: a first laparoscopic camera disposed at a first location inside a patient for capturing a first video feed of a surgical instrument from a first perspective; a second laparoscopic camera disposed at a second location inside the patient for capturing a second video feed of the surgical instrument from a second perspective, different from the first perspective; an image processing device coupled to the first and second laparoscopic cameras, the image processing device processing the first video feed of the surgical instrument in a low visibility imaging mode and the second video feed of the surgical instrument in a white color imaging mode; a controller for: extracting a white color image from a frame of the second video feed; generating an overlay of the surgical instrument from the white color image; and generating a composite frame including the overlay and a frame of the first video feed, while in the low visibility imaging mode, the overlay disposed on a portion of the first video feed including the surgical instrument; and a screen for displaying a composite video feed including the composite frame.

[0092] Example 2. The imaging system according to Example 1, wherein the controller rotates at least one of the overlay or the frame of the first video feed relative to each other to align their respective coordinate systems.

[0093] Example 3. The imaging system according to Example 1, wherein the controller translates at least one of the overlay or the frame of the first video feed relative to each other to align their respective coordinate systems.

[0094] Example 4. The imaging system according to Example 1, wherein the low visibility imaging mode is a monochromatic near infrared (NIR) mode.

[0095] Example 5. The imaging system according to Example 1, wherein the first laparoscopic camera has a first field of vision, the second laparoscopic camera has a second field of vision at least partially overlapping with the first field of vision, and the surgical instrument is within the first and second fields of vision.

[0096] Example 6. The imaging system according to Example 5, wherein the second field of vision is larger than the first field of vision.

[0097] Example 7. The imaging system according to Example 1, wherein the controller generates the composite frame using at least one of alpha blending or chroma keying.

[0098] Example 8. A surgical robotic system comprising: a first robotic arm including a first laparoscopic camera disposed at a first location inside a patient for capturing a first video feed of a surgical instrument from a first perspective; a second robotic arm including a second laparoscopic camera disposed at a second location inside the patient for capturing a second video feed of the surgical instrument from a second perspective, different from the first perspective; an image processing device coupled to the first and second laparoscopic cameras, the image processing device processing the first video feed of the surgical instrument in a low visibility imaging mode and the second video feed of the surgical instrument in a white color imaging mode; a controller for: extracting a white color image from a frame of the second video feed; generating an overlay of the surgical instrument from the white color image; and generating a composite frame including the overlay and a frame of the first video feed, while in the low visibility imaging mode, the overlay disposed on a portion of the first video feed including the surgical instrument; and a screen for displaying a composite video feed including the composite frame.

[0099] Example 9. The surgical robotic system according to Example 8, wherein the controller receives kinematics data from the first and second robotic arms.

[0100] Example 10. The surgical robotic system according to Example 9, wherein the kinematic data includes position information for the first and second robotic arms and the first and second laparoscopic cameras.

[0101] Example 11. The surgical robotic system according to Example 9, wherein the controller rotates at least one of the overlay or the frame of the first video feed relative to each other to align their respective coordinate systems based on the kinematic data.

[0102] Example 12. The surgical robotic system according to Example 9, wherein the controller translates at least one of the overlay or the frame of the first video feed relative to each other to align their respective coordinate systems based on the kinematic data.

[0103] Example 13. The surgical robotic system according to Example 8, wherein the low visibility imaging mode is a monochromatic near infrared (NIR) mode.

[0104] Example 14. The surgical robotic system according to Example 8, wherein the first laparoscopic camera has a first field of vision, the second laparoscopic camera has a secondfield of vision at least partially overlapping with the first field of vision, and the surgical instrument is within the first and second fields of vision.

[0105] Example 15. The surgical robotic system according to Example 14, wherein the second field of vision is larger than the first field of vision.

[0106] Example 16. The surgical robotic system according to Example 8, wherein the controller generates the composite frame using at least one of alpha blending or chroma keying.

[0107] Example 17. A method of generating a composite instrument image, the method comprising: capturing a first video feed of a surgical instrument from a first perspective through a first laparoscopic camera disposed at a first location inside a patient; capturing a second video feed of the surgical instrument from a second perspective, different from the first perspective, through a second robotic arm including a second laparoscopic camera disposed at a second location inside the patient; processing the first video feed of the surgical instrument in a low visibility imaging mode and the second video feed of the surgical instrument in a white color imaging mode at an image processing device coupled to the first and second laparoscopic cameras; extracting a white color image from a frame of the second video feed; generating an overlay of the surgical instrument from the white color image; generating a composite frame including the overlay and a frame of the first video feed, while in the low visibility imaging mode, the overlay disposed on a portion of the first video feed including the surgical instrument; and displaying on a screen a composite video feed including the composite frame.

[0108] Example 18. The method according to Example 17, further comprising: rotating at least one of the overlay or the frame of the first video feed relative to each other to align their respective coordinate systems.

[0109] Example 19. The method according to Example 17, further comprising: translating at least one of the overlay or the frame of the first video feed relative to each other to align their respective coordinate systems.

[0110] Example 20. The method according to Example 17, wherein generating the composite frame is performed using at least one of alpha blending or chroma keying.

Claims

WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:

1. An imaging system (400) comprising: a first laparoscopic camera (51) disposed at a first location inside a patient for capturing a first video feed of a surgical instrument from a first perspective; a second laparoscopic camera (51 ’) disposed at a second location inside the patient for capturing a second video feed of the surgical instrument from a second perspective, different from the first perspective; an image processing device (56) coupled to the first and second laparoscopic cameras, the image processing device processing the first video feed of the surgical instrument in a low visibility imaging mode and the second video feed of the surgical instrument in a white color imaging mode; a controller (21a) for: extracting a white color image (690) from a frame of the second video feed; generating an overlay of the surgical instrument from the white color image; and generating a composite frame including the overlay and a frame of the first video feed (694), while in the low visibility imaging mode, the overlay disposed on a portion of the first video feed including the surgical instrument; and a screen (32) for displaying a composite video feed including the composite frame.

2. The imaging system according to claim 1, wherein the controller rotates at least one of the overlay or the frame of the first video feed relative to each other to align their respective coordinate systems.

3. The imaging system according to any preceding claim, wherein the controller translates at least one of the overlay or the frame of the first video feed relative to each other to align their respective coordinate systems.

4. The imaging system according to any preceding claim, wherein the low visibility imaging mode is a monochromatic near infrared (NIR) mode.

5. The imaging system according to any preceding claim, wherein the first laparoscopic camera has a first field of vision, the second laparoscopic camera has a second field of visionat least partially overlapping with the first field of vision, and the surgical instrument is within the first and second fields of vision.

6. The imaging system according to claim 5, wherein the second field of vision is larger than the first field of vision.

7. The imaging system according to any preceding claim, wherein the controller generates the composite frame using at least one of alpha blending or chroma keying.

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