Abstract: A method of searching video content for specific subject matter of interest augments traditional image data analysis methods with analysis of contemporaneously gathered non-image data. One application involves video recordings of medical procedures performed using a medical device. When a user desires to locate portions of video recordings showing a medical event of interest, one or more medical device system events likely to correspond to the occurrence of the medical event of interest are identified from one or more procedure event logs. Timestamps associated with these system events are used to identify candidate video clips from the procedure video recordings. Image data analysis is performed on the candidate video clips to determine whether each candidate video clip contains the medical event of interest.

Abstract: The distal end of a surgical instrument is movable in all six Cartesian degrees of freedom independently of other components of a telemanipulated surgical system. The surgical instrument extends through a guide tube. The distal end is moved by actuators that are telemanipulatively controlled.

Abstract: An operator telerobotically controls tools to perform a procedure on an object at a work site while viewing real-time images of the work site on a display. Tool information is provided in the operator's current gaze area on the display by rendering the tool information over the tool so as not to obscure objects being worked on at the time by the tool nor to require eyes of the user to refocus when looking at the tool information and the image of the tool on a stereo viewer.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a reference fixture. The reference fixture includes a joint, and a joint tracker to track motion of the joint. The apparatus also includes a surgical instrument. A tether is connected between the joint and the surgical instrument. A shape sensor extends from the reference fixture through the joint, through the tether, and into the surgical instrument. The shape sensor is substantially free of twist. The joint tracker measures the motion of the joint. Information from the shape sensor in combination with information from the joint tracker provides absolute three-dimensional information relative to the reference fixture, i.e., provides absolute three-dimensional information in a fixed world reference frame.

Abstract: An operator telerobotically controls tools to perform a procedure on an object at a work site while viewing real-time images of the work site on a display. Tool information is provided in the operator's current gaze area on the display by rendering the tool information over the tool so as not to obscure objects being worked on at the time by the tool nor to require eyes of the user to refocus when looking at the tool information and the image of the tool on a stereo viewer.

Abstract: The distal end of a surgical instrument is movable in all six Cartesian degrees of freedom independently of other components of a telemanipulated surgical system. The surgical instrument extends through a guide tube. The distal end is moved by actuators that are telemanipulatively controlled.

Abstract: A bleeding detection unit in a surgical system processes information in an acquired scene before that scene is presented on a display unit in the operating room. For example, the bleeding detection unit analyzes the pixel data in the acquired scene and determines whether there are one or more initial sites of blood in the scene. Upon detection of an initial site of blood, the region is identified by an initial site icon in the scene displayed on the display unit. In one aspect, the processing is done in real-time which means that there is no substantial delay in presenting the acquired scene to the surgeon.

Abstract: A synthetic representation of a robot tool for display on a user interface of a robotic system. The synthetic representation may be used to show the position of a view volume of an image capture device with respect to the robot. The synthetic representation may also be used to find a tool that is outside of the field of view, to display range of motion limits for a tool, to remotely communicate information about the robot, and to detect collisions.

Abstract: A bleeding detection unit in a surgical system processes information in an acquired scene before that scene is presented on a display unit in the operating room. For example, the bleeding detection unit analyzes the pixel data in the acquired scene and determines whether there are one or more initial sites of blood in the scene. Upon detection of an initial site of blood, the region is identified by an initial site icon in the scene displayed on the display unit. In one aspect, the processing is done in real-time which means that there is no substantial delay in presenting the acquired scene to the surgeon.

Abstract: A synthetic representation of a robot tool for display on a user interface of a robotic system. The synthetic representation may be used to show the position of a view volume of an image capture device with respect to the robot. The synthetic representation may also be used to find a tool that is outside of the field of view, to display range of motion limits for a tool, to remotely communicate information about the robot, and to detect collisions.

Abstract: A synthetic representation of a robot tool for display on a user interface of a robotic system. The synthetic representation may be used to show the position of a view volume of an image capture device with respect to the robot. The synthetic representation may also be used to find a tool that is outside of the field of view, to display range of motion limits for a tool, to remotely communicate information about the robot, and to detect collisions.

Abstract: Medical devices robotically manipulated by a medical robotic system for performing a medical procedure on a patient are bundled together as a bundled unit and inserted into the patient through a single entry port. Bracing of the bundled unit at the surgical site so as to be constrained in one or more degrees of freedom of movement may be performed using an anchor secured to an anatomic structure at the surgical site and physically coupled to the bundled unit, or using a tool extending out of a distal end of the bundled unit that extends out to an anatomic structure at the surgical site.

Abstract: A single port entry surgical instrument has an elongated structure with lumens through which surgical tools and an image capturing device may be inserted and controllably extended out of its distal end for performing a medical procedure, a tubular-shaped balloon disposed around the elongated structure, and an expandable retractor disposed around the balloon so that when the balloon is inflated, the retractor expands and locks in an expanded configuration to retract extraneous tissue. The port entry may be secured using the expandable retractor or sealed using another inflatable balloon disposed around the proximal end of the elongated structure and centered in the port entry.

Abstract: A medical device used in a medical robotic system has a conduit and an orientable tip. An optical fiber coupled to a laser source and/or a catheter coupled to one or more biomaterial sources extends through the conduit and tip so that the tip of the medical device may be robotically directed towards a target tissue for laser and/or biomaterial application as part of a medical procedure performed at a surgical site within a patient. A protective sheath covers the fiber as it extends through the conduit and tip. A first coupler adjustably secures at least the sheath to the medical device and a second coupler adjustably secures the fiber to at least the sheath. A similar dual coupler mechanism may be used to secure the sheathed catheter to the medical device.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a reference fixture. The reference fixture includes a joint, and a joint tracker to track motion of the joint. The apparatus also includes a surgical instrument. A tether is connected between the joint and the surgical instrument. A shape sensor extends from the reference fixture through the joint, through the tether, and into the surgical instrument. The shape sensor is substantially free of twist. The joint tracker measures the motion of the joint. Information from the shape sensor in combination with information from the joint tracker provides absolute three-dimensional information relative to the reference fixture, i.e., provides absolute three-dimensional information in a fixed world reference frame.

Abstract: A medical system includes a catheter and a vision probe that can be removed from the catheter and replaced with a medical probe. The vision probe can thus be used to steer and pose the catheter, and then be removed and replaced with the medical probe when a medical task such as a lung biopsy is performed. A sensor system in the catheter at least partly measures a pose of the catheter, and control logic controls actuation of the catheter to maintain the desired working configuration when the medical probe is used. A small diameter catheter can thus provide vision and biopsy functionality.

Abstract: Robotic and/or measurement devices, systems, and methods for telesurgical and other applications employ input devices operatively coupled to tools so as to allow a system user to manipulate tissues and other structures being measured. The system may make use of three dimensional position information from stereoscopic images. Two or more discrete points can be designated in three dimensions so as to provide a cumulative length along a straight or curving structure, an area measurement, a volume measurement, or the like. The discrete points may be identified by a single surgical tool or by distances separating two or more surgical tools, with the user optionally measuring a structure longer than a field of view of the stereoscopic image capture device by walking a pair of tools “hand-over-hand” along the structure.

Abstract: A medical system includes a catheter and a vision probe that can be removed from the catheter and replaced with a medical probe. The vision probe can thus be used to steer and pose the catheter, and then be removed and replaced with the medical probe when a medical task such as a lung biopsy is performed. A sensor system in the catheter at least partly measures a pose of the catheter, and control logic controls actuation of the catheter to maintain the desired working configuration when the medical probe is used. A small diameter catheter can thus provide vision and biopsy functionality.

Abstract: In a coupled control mode, the surgeon directly controls movement of an associated slave manipulator with an input device while indirectly controlling movement of one or more non-associated slave manipulators, in response to commanded motion of the directly controlled slave manipulator, to achieve a secondary objective. By automatically performing secondary tasks through coupled control modes, the system's usability is enhanced by reducing the surgeon's need to switch to another direct mode to manually achieve the desired secondary objective. Thus, coupled control modes allow the surgeon to better focus on performing medical procedures and to pay less attention to managing the system.

Abstract: An apparatus is configured to show telestration in 3-D to a surgeon in real time. A proctor is shown one side of a stereo image pair, such that the proctor can draw a telestration line on the one side with an input device. Points of interest are identified for matching to the other side of the stereo image pair. In response to the identified points of interest, regions and features are identified and used to match the points of interest to the other side. Regions can be used to match the points of interest. Features of the first image can be matched to the second image and used to match the points of interest to the second image, for example when the confidence scores for the regions are below a threshold value. Constraints can be used to evaluate the matched points of interest, for example by excluding bad points.