Live Endoscopic Route Planning for Unplanned ROI Navigation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing endoscopic surgical procedures lack a method for effective and efficient live route planning to newly selected anatomical sites during a procedure, especially when unplanned sites arise due to complex anatomical structures and changing patient conditions, leading to complications such as blocked airways, incomplete route plans, and the need for radiation-intensive fluoroscopy.
Innovation Solution
The Airway Locator tool computes a real-time guidance route to unplanned sites using precomputed airway tree data, allowing physicians to select new regions of interest and automatically derive navigation paths through hollow organs like the lung, colon, or bladder, integrating with existing image-guided bronchoscopy systems.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If manual analysis methods (interactive CT-based virtual bronchoscopy and CT oblique section viewing) are used to derive airway routes, then physicians can navigate to deep peripheral sites, but the process becomes time-consuming and error-prone
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual mechanical analysis methods with an automated computer-based system that uses precomputed airway tree data and graphical user interface interactions to automatically derive navigation routes, eliminating time-consuming manual CT section viewing and virtual bronchoscopy manipulation
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary computation of the complete airway tree structure and stores it in a data structure before the actual navigation procedure. This precomputation enables rapid route derivation during live procedures by simply querying the preprocessed data, rather than performing complex analysis in real-time
2Ease of operation
If physicians use radiation-intensive fluoroscopy to complete bronchoscope navigation to final desired positions, then navigation can be achieved, but radiation exposure increases and accuracy decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a virtual copy of the airway tree from pre-acquired CT imaging data and uses this digital model for navigation planning and guidance. This virtual representation eliminates the need for repeated fluoroscopic imaging during the procedure, providing accurate spatial information without radiation exposure
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a computational intermediary system that processes preacquired imaging data into a structured airway tree model, serving as an intermediate representation that enables accurate navigation planning without requiring direct use of radiation-intensive fluoroscopy during the procedure
3Productivity
If preplanned procedure plans are created offline before live bronchoscopy, then systematic examination of diagnostic regions can be performed, but the system cannot accommodate unplanned ancillary sites discovered during the procedure
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a dynamic route planning system where the airway tree data structure and route computation can be updated in real-time during the procedure. Physicians can interactively select new target sites and the system will compute updated navigation routes on-the-fly, allowing flexible adaptation to unplanned findings while maintaining procedural efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a universal navigation system based on the airway tree data structure that can handle both preplanned diagnostic regions and unplanned ancillary sites using the same computational framework. The system serves multiple functions: offline planning, live navigation, and adaptive route recalculation, eliminating the need for separate procedures
4Productivity
If automatic route planning is used for assisted-bronchoscopy systems, then off-line planning can be performed efficiently, but no route planning method exists for managing new diagnostic sites selected during the procedure
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary computation and storage of the complete airway tree topology and geometry before the procedure. This precomputation creates a ready-to-query data structure that enables both efficient offline planning and rapid adaptive route derivation during live procedures, as the foundational spatial information is already processed and stored
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements an interactive system where physician selections during the procedure provide feedback to the route computation algorithm. The system continuously updates navigation routes based on real-time user input and procedural progress, enabling adaptive planning that responds to emerging clinical needs while maintaining computational efficiency
Data Source
AI summary
A methodology is for deriving a guidance route to any selected site including an unplanned ROI site observed in a radiologic imaging view or endoscopic video view on an assisted-endoscopy system during a live surgical endoscopic procedure based on a preloaded initial procedure plan. The initial procedure plan can be updated by identifying a new site s at the unplanned ROI on one of graphical visualization tools of an image-guided endoscope system as a new examination destination and automatically computing the new navigation airway route that leads to the new examination destination.