Master-Tool Registration Using Image-Space Tool Disambiguation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Robotic systems face ambiguity in establishing correspondences between multiple tools and their image-space representations, affecting the accuracy and intuitiveness of graphical information display and teleoperational systems, particularly in surgical environments where multiple image-guided tools are used.
Innovation Solution
A robotic system with a control system that receives image data from an imaging device to determine image-space tools and establishes correspondences between these tools and their physical counterparts using disambiguation settings, such as motion-based, pose-based, appearance-based, or operator-specified settings, to improve master-tool alignment and registration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If multiple tools are used in robotic surgical systems, then the system can perform more complex surgical tasks, but ambiguity arises in establishing correspondence between tools and image-space tools
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses motion feedback from the robotic manipulator to disambiguate tool correspondences. By monitoring the actual motion of tools and comparing it with expected motion patterns, the control system can correctly identify which physical tool corresponds to which image-space tool, even when multiple similar tools are present.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary disambiguation process that acts as a mediator between the physical tools and their image-space representations. This intermediary layer uses motion information and disambiguation settings to establish correct correspondences, resolving the ambiguity without requiring direct observation of tool features.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple tools with similar appearances are used, then more surgical functions are available, but it becomes difficult to distinguish and correctly identify each tool in images
Solution Approach 1:
Motion feedback serves as a distinguishing characteristic for tools with similar appearances. Even when tools look identical in images, their motion patterns during surgical operations provide unique identifiers that allow the system to correctly match physical tools with their image-space representations.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes from relying on visual appearance parameters to using motion parameters for tool identification. By monitoring dynamic motion characteristics rather than static visual features, the system can distinguish between similar-looking tools and establish correct correspondences.
3Ease of operation
If manual positioning of manipulators is used, then flexibility in positioning is improved, but accurate establishment of master-tool correspondence becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses feedback from motion tracking to compensate for the imprecision introduced by manual positioning. Even when manipulators are manually positioned without precise alignment, the motion feedback mechanism can identify and correct correspondence errors by analyzing actual motion patterns during operation.
Data Source
AI summary
A method is performed by a computing system. The method includes receiving image data from an imaging device, and determining, using the image data, a plurality of image-space tools, each image-space tool associated with a tool of a plurality of tools, each tool controlled by a manipulator of a plurality of manipulators. The method further includes determining a first correspondence between a first image-space tool of the plurality of image-space tools and a first tool of the plurality of tools based on a first disambiguation setting associated with the first tool.