Flexible Catheter Retraction With Distal Pose Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Minimally invasive medical procedures face challenges in maintaining the positioning of energy delivery instruments relative to a target site during retraction, leading to potential interference or damage to the elongate flexible device and difficulty in repositioning the instrument accurately.
Innovation Solution
A system and method for determining and adjusting the pose of the distal portion of an elongate flexible device using sensors and control systems to ensure the distal portion remains oriented toward the target site during retraction, with real-time guidance provided through graphical user interfaces.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the elongate flexible device is retracted away from the target site, then the device is protected from damage and interference, but the medical instrument positioned through the device may become misaligned with the target site
Solution Approach 1:
The system continuously monitors the pose of the distal portion of the elongate flexible device using sensors and provides real-time feedback to the control system. This feedback loop enables the control system to make automated adjustments to maintain proper alignment of the medical instrument with the target site during retraction, resolving the contradiction between device protection and positioning precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs self-adjustment through automated control that monitors device pose and independently makes corrections to maintain alignment. The control system acts autonomously to preserve instrument positioning without requiring manual intervention, allowing the device to protect itself while maintaining precision.
2Manufacturing precision
If the distal portion of the elongate flexible device is adjusted to remain oriented toward the target site during retraction, then the medical instrument remains accurately positioned, but the complexity of the control system increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system replaces manual mechanical adjustment with an automated control system that uses sensors to detect device pose and actuators to make adjustments. This substitution of mechanical manual control with an automated sensing and actuation system maintains positioning precision while reducing the operational complexity for the user.
Solution Approach 2:
The control system acts as an intermediary between the sensor data and the physical adjustment of the device. It processes sensor information and translates it into appropriate actuation commands, simplifying the overall control architecture while achieving precise positioning through coordinated sensor-control-actuator integration.
3Manufacturing precision
If real-time sensor monitoring and automated control are implemented to maintain device orientation during retraction, then positioning accuracy is improved, but the device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The control system is designed to perform multiple functions: it processes sensor data, determines device pose, calculates required adjustments, and actuates the device to maintain alignment. This multi-functional approach consolidates what could be separate complex subsystems into a unified control architecture, achieving high positioning accuracy while managing overall system complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems for performing a medical procedure and associated methods and devices are disclosed herein. In some embodiments, a system for performing a medical procedure includes an elongate flexible device including a proximal portion, a distal portion, and a lumen extending therebetween. The lumen is configured to receive a medical instrument positioned within a target when the elongate flexible device is positioned toward the target. The system is configured to perform operations comprising determining the pose of the distal portion of the elongate flexible device based on sensor data from a sensor system; retracting, via a control system, the elongate flexible device relative to the medical instrument and away from the target; and adjusting, via the control system, the pose of the distal portion of the elongate flexible device so the distal portion remains oriented toward the target.