Steerable Medical Device Path Following
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional medical device path-planning methods require advance planning and cannot dynamically constrain articulatable medical devices to follow a safe path within a patient's body, limiting their flexibility and safety during insertion and retraction.
Innovation Solution
A steerable medical device with a processor that retrieves and analyzes an ordered sequence of locations to generate configuration commands for its articulatable segments, ensuring they remain within a defined boundary region, using a kinematic model to optimize joint angles and maintain the device's shape during movement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If conventional medical device path-planning methods are used, then path planning can be performed using medical imaging data, but the device cannot dynamically constrain articulatable segments to follow a safe path during insertion and retraction
Solution Approach 1:
The system pre-calculates a safe path through the patient's body using medical imaging data before the procedure begins. This predetermined path serves as a guide for the articulatable segments to follow during insertion and retraction, enabling dynamic constraint without requiring complex real-time planning algorithms during the procedure.
Solution Approach 2:
The control system dynamically adjusts the configuration of articulatable segments during insertion and retraction to maintain following of the safe path. The system continuously monitors device position and recalculates segment configurations in real-time, transforming a static pre-planned path into a dynamic guidance system that adapts to actual device placement.
2Reliability
If the articulatable portion is constrained to follow a safe path, then safety is improved, but the device loses flexibility in deviating from the planned path when needed
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies constraint to the articulatable segments only partially - specifically during insertion and retraction phases - while allowing greater freedom during other operational phases. The boundary region definition provides safety margins that permit limited deviations when clinically necessary, balancing constraint with operational flexibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the control parameters dynamically based on the operational phase. During insertion and retraction, the control system enforces path following with tighter parameter constraints. During other phases such as imaging or intervention, the system relaxes constraints to allow operator discretion and adaptability.
3Ease of operation
If real-time configuration generation is performed during device movement, then flexibility and safety are improved, but computational time and processing requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary calculations to pre-determine the safe path and pre-compute configuration sequences for the articulatable segments based on the predetermined path. This offline preparation reduces the computational burden during real-time operation, allowing rapid configuration adjustments without excessive processing time during the procedure.
Solution Approach 2:
The control system uses dynamic recalibration techniques that compute only the necessary configuration adjustments needed to maintain path following, rather than recalculating entire configuration sequences in real-time. This dynamic approach minimizes computational time while maintaining real-time adaptability during device movement.
Data Source
AI summary
Waypoints for a steerable medical device are stored as the steerable medical device is moved within a patient. The stored waypoints are an ordered sequence of locations. The ordered sequence of locations defines a safe path within the patient for moving an articulatable portion of the steerable medical device. The articulatable portion of the steerable medical device is constrained to follow the safe path as the articulatable portion moves within the patient. For example, the articulatable portion of the steerable medical device is constrained to remain within a boundary region enclosing the safe path as the articulatable portion of the steerable medical device follows the safe path.