Endoscopic Visual Navigation System for 3D Coregistration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Endoscopic surgery faces challenges in navigating flexible endoscopes to target anatomy due to limited field of view and complex body structures, especially in endoluminal surgery where distances from entry points to targets are significant, making it difficult for surgeons to localize lesions and operate on non-visible or hard-to-see areas.
Innovation Solution
A visual navigation system (VNS) that integrates data acquisition, endoscope tracking, registration, and user interface subsystems to provide real-time 3D visualization and navigation assistance by coregistering intra-operative scan data with live video, correcting for barrel lens distortion, and enabling six degrees of freedom in video navigation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a flexible endoscope is used to navigate through natural body lumens to reach distant target anatomy, then the ability to access hard-to-reach areas is improved, but the difficulty of localizing target lesions and navigating to the target increases due to limited field of view and complex body structures
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary navigation system that includes a video camera mounted on the endoscope, a display device showing real-time video feed, and optional guidance overlays. This intermediary system bridges the gap between the surgeon and the distant target anatomy by providing continuous visual feedback and navigation assistance, making it easier to localize target lesions and navigate through complex body lumens while maintaining the ability to reach hard-to-access areas
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements feedback through real-time video display of the endoscopic field of view, allowing the surgeon to see the current position and orientation relative to the target. The system may also provide feedback through visual cues, annotations, or guidance overlays that indicate proximity to the target or highlight anatomical landmarks, enabling continuous adjustment of the endoscope position to achieve precise localization of target lesions
2Length of moving object
If the distance from entry point to target anatomy increases, then the reach capability is improved, but the precision of navigation and localization deteriorates due to limited field of view and increased complexity of body structures
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enhances navigation precision over long distances by adding dimensional context through the display of anatomical landmarks, spatial relationships, and potentially three-dimensional visualization of the navigation path. The system provides multi-dimensional information including depth, orientation, and positional context that helps the surgeon maintain precise navigation control despite the increased distance from the entry point to the target anatomy
3Object-affected harmful factors
If endoscopic video is used to visualize internal features, then the non-invasiveness is improved, but the visibility of extremely small and/or complex structures deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent addresses the visibility of small and complex structures by changing visual parameters through image processing, enhancement, and display techniques. The system may adjust contrast, brightness, color coding, or apply digital zoom and image processing algorithms to enhance the visibility of small anatomical structures and complex features while maintaining the non-invasive nature of endoscopic visualization
Data Source
AI summary
An endoscopic surgical navigation system comprises a data acquisition subsystem, a tracking subsystem, a registration subsystem, a data processing subsystem and a user interface subsystem. The data acquisition subsystem inputs intra-operative scan data from a medical scanning device during an endoscopic procedure. The tracking subsystem captures data representing positions and orientations of a flexible endoscope during the endoscopic procedure. The registration subsystem determines transformation parameters for coregistering the intra-operative scan data and the data indicative of positions and orientations of the endoscope. The data processing subsystem coregisters the intra-operative scan data and the data indicative of positions and orientations of the endoscope based on the transformation parameters and generates real-time image data representing 3D internal views of a body that are coregistered with live video from an endoscopic video camera. The user interface subsystem receives input from a user for controlling the system and provides output to the user.