Instrument Tip Navigation With Ordered Sensor Record Filtering
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current systems for tracking minimally invasive medical instruments relative to anatomical passageways are prone to errors, particularly in dense and narrow anatomical structures like the lungs, due to inaccuracies in locating the instrument tip and registering it with pre-operative models, which can lead to incorrect guidance and potential tissue damage.
Innovation Solution
The use of temporally and spatially ordered sensor data, combined with probabilistic reasoning, to register and track the instrument tip with respect to anatomic passageway models, improving accuracy by utilizing historical data and airway topology to minimize registration errors.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If current tracking systems are used to locate instrument tip in dense anatomical passageways, then the system is simple to operate, but measurement precision deteriorates due to errors in locating and registering the instrument tip
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary registration of the instrument with the anatomical model before navigation begins. This includes establishing initial coordinate transformations and registering fiducial markers on the instrument with corresponding features in the pre-operative model, creating a foundation for accurate tracking throughout the procedure
Solution Approach 2:
The system introduces an intermediary registration process that uses fiducial markers and coordinate transformation matrices as mediators between the physical instrument and the virtual anatomical model. This intermediary layer enables precise mapping without requiring direct complex tracking of the instrument tip itself
2Reliability
If traditional registration methods are used, then the procedure moves quickly, but reliability deteriorates due to registration errors in narrow passageways
Solution Approach 1:
Registration is performed as a preliminary step before the main navigation procedure. The system establishes the instrument-model coordinate relationship in advance using fiducial markers and pre-operative imaging data, so that during the actual procedure, tracking can proceed rapidly without repeated registration operations
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously monitors instrument position relative to the anatomical model and provides feedback to maintain registration accuracy. This includes detecting deviations from the planned path and adjusting the registration transformation to compensate for tissue deformation or instrument bending
3Measurement precision
If precise instrument tip location is attempted in dense passageways, then navigation accuracy improves, but the difficulty of detecting and measuring the instrument position increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system extracts the tracking problem from direct instrument tip detection and relocates it to fiducial marker detection. By placing markers on the instrument that are externally accessible and easily detectable, the system avoids the difficulty of directly locating the obscured instrument tip within dense anatomical structures
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates a virtual copy of the instrument within the anatomical model that mirrors the physical instrument's position and orientation. This virtual representation is easily tracked and displayed, providing accurate position information without requiring direct detection of the physical instrument tip in the difficult-to-access passageways
Data Source
AI summary
A method performed by a computing system comprises receiving a first set of spatial information from an instrument positioned within an anatomic passageway. The first set of spatial information includes a plurality of spatial data records including position information for a distal end of the instrument at a plurality of time periods. The method further comprises ordering the plurality of spatial data records in a time-gathered order. The method further comprises evaluating a spatial relationship between first and second consecutive spatial data records of the plurality of spatial data records. The method further comprises filtering the first set of spatial information based upon the evaluated spatial relationship.