Endoscope Controller for Laparoscopic Surgery Region-of-Interest Tracking

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Solution Overview

Problem

In laparoscopic surgery, the existing systems require inefficient communication between surgeons and scopists to ensure the endoscope captures the region-of-interest, leading to interruptions in treatment as the scopist adjusts the endoscope's field of view, and the endoscope often captures images that do not include the desired region due to following the treatment device's distal end.

Innovation Solution

A medical system with an electrically driven endoscope, a controller, and a display that determines a reference position designated by the surgeon, detects an excluded region, selects a reference image from a non-excluded area, calculates the relative position, and automatically adjusts the endoscope to center the reference position within the display image, ensuring the region-of-interest is included.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If the endoscope is operated to always follow the distal end of the treatment device, then the treatment device position is tracked, but the region-of-interest of the surgeon may not be included in the captured image

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetracking accuracyVSAvoidregion-of-interest capture reliability

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system uses image recognition to detect the treatment device in the captured image and automatically adjusts the endoscope position based on feedback about whether the region-of-interest is properly framed. The controller continuously monitors the relationship between the treatment device position and the captured image content, making real-time adjustments to maintain optimal visualization.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The endoscope operation is automated through the control system that independently adjusts the endoscope based on image analysis. The system serves itself by automatically determining when the region-of-interest is properly captured and making positional adjustments without requiring manual intervention from the scopist.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

2Reliability

If the scopist manually adjusts the endoscope to provide the desired field of view, then the region-of-interest can be included in the image, but treatment interruptions occur due to communication and adjustment time

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefield of view accuracyVSAvoidsurgical efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The manual mechanical operation of the endoscope by the scopist is replaced with an automated control system that uses image recognition and electronic control. The system substitutes human judgment and manual adjustment with automated algorithms that analyze the captured images and control the endoscope positioning electronically.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The control system acts as an intermediary between the surgeon's region-of-interest requirements and the endoscope positioning. Instead of direct communication between surgeon and scopist, the system mediates by automatically interpreting the captured images and adjusting the endoscope to satisfy the visualization requirements.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Adaptability or versatility

If the endoscope is independently operated from the treatment device, then flexible positioning is achieved, but efficient coordination between the two devices becomes difficult

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepositioning flexibilityVSAvoiddevice coordination ease

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The control of the endoscope and treatment device is merged through the integrated control system. The system combines the independent operation capabilities with coordinated control by using image recognition to link the treatment device position with the endoscope positioning, creating a unified control approach that maintains flexibility while improving coordination.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentUS11241144B2Medical system and operation method of medical system

Publication Date: 2022.02.08 OLYMPUS CORPORATION(JP)

AI summary

A medical system has a treatment device having a reference-position designation portion, an endoscope acquiring a plurality of captured images, a storage device, a controller generating a plurality of display images corresponding to the captured images, and a display. The controller determines an arbitrary position in the display image as a reference position, detects a region in the display image where the treatment device is displayed as an excluded region and selects a reference image from a region in the display image excluding the excluded region, records the reference image in the storage device, calculates a relative position from the reference position to the reference image, detects the reference image from the plurality of display images after the reference image is generated, recognizes the reference position in the display image, and controls an operation of the endoscope to make the reference position to be coincided with a target position.