Endoscope Navigation System for Unobserved Branch Conduit Targeting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current navigation systems for endoscopes face challenges in efficiently guiding the insertion section to unobserved branch conduits within luminal organs, particularly in organs like the kidney, where thorough observation is required to ensure complete removal of stone fragments after treatment, due to limited visibility and complexity of branched structures.
Innovation Solution
A navigation system that includes a position information acquisition unit, alignment unit, determination unit, target setting unit, and navigation information generation unit, which aligns the endoscope's viewpoint with a three-dimensional image of the luminal organ, determines unobserved branch conduits, sets them as target regions based on proximity, and generates navigation information to guide the endoscope for thorough examination.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the endoscope insertion section is manually navigated through branched lumina, then the operator can observe the luminal organ, but it is difficult to efficiently identify and reach unobserved branch conduits due to the complexity of branched structures
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a virtual three-dimensional model that copies the anatomical structure of the luminal organ from pre-acquired medical images. This virtual model includes visual indicators showing which branch conduits have been observed and which remain unobserved, providing a simplified representation that helps operators navigate the complex physical anatomy efficiently
Solution Approach 2:
The navigation system acts as an intermediary between the operator and the complex branched structures. It processes the operator's current position information, compares it with the virtual model, and provides guidance information indicating which branch conduits need to be observed next, thereby mediating the interaction and improving observation efficiency
2Reliability
If the endoscope is inserted to reach distant branch conduits, then complete observation can be achieved, but excessive movement increases procedure time and complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The system continuously provides feedback to the operator by displaying the current observation status of all branch conduits in the virtual model. This feedback mechanism allows the operator to understand which areas have been observed and which remain, enabling more efficient navigation decisions and reducing unnecessary movements to already observed areas
Solution Approach 2:
The virtual three-dimensional model is constructed in advance from pre-acquired medical images, and the observation status of each branch conduit is tracked and displayed before the operator needs to navigate there. This preliminary preparation allows the operator to plan the observation path more efficiently and avoid redundant movements
Data Source
AI summary
A navigation system includes an alignment unit configured to generate corrected position information in which position information of a viewpoint of an endoscope that is inserted in a subject is aligned with a three-dimensional image of a luminal organ, a determination unit configured to determine performance/non-performance of observation of a branch conduit based on the corrected position information, a target setting unit configured to set one unobserved conduit as a first target region based on a distance between the position information of the current viewpoint and the unobserved conduit, and a navigation information generation unit configured to generate navigation information for the first target region.