Abstract: A method comprises receiving a position of a tip portion of an instrument at a first location within a patient anatomy and determining a three-dimensional distance between the first location and a target location within the patient anatomy. The method further comprises displaying on a display system an image that includes a target location symbol and an instrument tip portion symbol. The method further comprises displaying on the display system a symbol indicating a direction between the position of the tip portion and the target location. As the tip portion of the instrument changes position, the image is displayed so that the instrument tip portion symbol is a frame of reference for the image and the target location symbol moves with respect to the instrument tip portion symbol to represent a new location of the tip portion relative to the target location.

Abstract: A method includes collecting a set of measured points with a flexible catheter as the flexible catheter is inserted into one or more anatomic passageways of a patient in which the measured points are based on a position of the flexible catheter in a patient space, assigning each measured point of the set of measured points to a respective subset of a plurality of subsets of measured points based upon a depth of each measured point within the one or more anatomic passageways, comparing the plurality of subsets to identify an optimal subset of the plurality of subsets, and registering a model of the one or more anatomic passageways to the patient space based on a set of model points of the model and the optimal subset.

Abstract: A method performed by a computing system comprises receiving a fluoroscopic image of a patient anatomy while a portion of a medical instrument is positioned within the patient anatomy. The fluoroscopic image has a fluoroscopic frame of reference. The portion has a sensed position in an anatomic model frame of reference. The method further comprises identifying the portion in the fluoroscopic image and identifying an extracted position of the portion in the fluoroscopic frame of reference using the identified portion in the fluoroscopic image. The method further comprises registering the fluoroscopic frame of reference to the anatomic model frame of reference based on the sensed position of the portion and the extracted position of the portion.

Abstract: A method comprises identifying connected anatomical structures in stored images of a patient anatomy and generating a plurality of cylindrical linkage elements representing the connected anatomical structures.

Abstract: A method performed by a computing system comprises receiving a fluoroscopic image of a patient anatomy while a portion of a medical instrument is positioned within the patient anatomy. The fluoroscopic image has a fluoroscopic frame of reference. The portion has a sensed position in an anatomic model frame of reference. The method further comprises identifying the portion in the fluoroscopic image and identifying an extracted position of the portion in the fluoroscopic frame of reference using the identified portion in the fluoroscopic image. The method further comprises registering the fluoroscopic frame of reference to the anatomic model frame of reference based on the sensed position of the portion and the extracted position of the portion.

Abstract: A method of modeling anatomic deformation comprises receiving a reference three dimensional model of a branched anatomical formation in a reference state. The method further comprises applying a three dimensional deformation field to the reference three dimensional model to create a deformed three dimensional model of a deformed state of the branched anatomical formation and dynamically displaying an image of the deformed three dimensional model of the deformed state of the branched anatomical formation.

Abstract: A method of operating a shape sensing apparatus is provided. The method comprises receiving shape data from an elongated shape sensor having a first portion coupled to a reference fixture, a second portion coupled to an anatomic target, and a third portion coupled to the reference fixture. The first and third portions are maintained in a known kinematic relationship. The method further comprises determining a first shape of the elongated shape sensor between the first and second portions. The method further comprises determining a second shape of the elongated shape sensor between the third and second portions. The method further comprises determining a position of the second portion at the anatomic target from the first and second shapes.

Abstract: A method performed by a computing system comprises receiving shape information for an elongate flexible portion of a medical instrument. The medical instrument includes a reference portion movably coupled to a fixture having a known pose in a surgical reference frame. The fixture includes a constraint structure having a known constraint structure location in the surgical reference frame. The elongate flexible portion is coupled to the reference portion and is sized to pass through the constraint structure. The method further includes receiving reference portion position information in the surgical reference frame; determining an estimated constraint structure location in the surgical reference frame from the reference portion position information and the shape information; determining a correction factor by comparing the estimated constraint structure location to the known constraint structure location; and modifying the shape information based upon the correction factor.

Abstract: A method performed by a computing system comprises receiving a collected set of spatial information for a distal portion of an instrument at a plurality of locations within a set of anatomic passageways and receiving a set of position information for a reference portion of the instrument when the distal portion of the instrument is at each of the plurality of locations. The method also comprises determining a reference set of spatial information for the distal portion of the instrument based on the collected set of spatial information and the set of position information for the reference portion of the instrument and registering the reference set of spatial information with a set of anatomical model information.

Abstract: A system and method of monitoring a procedure includes a medical device. The medical device includes an elongate device including a flexible body, a tracking system disposed along at least a portion of the flexible body, and one or more processors communicatively coupled to the tracking system. The one or more processors are configured to receive a route to a target location in an anatomy, determine one or more features of the route based on a first anatomical representation, generate a reduced anatomical representation based on the one or more features of the route, receive real-time position information from the tracking system, associate the real-time position information to the reduced anatomical representation, and dynamically display the reduced anatomical representation with the associated real-time position information.

Abstract: A medical system includes an elongate instrument, a tracking system, and one or more processors. The tracking system is disposed along at least a portion of the elongate instrument. The one or more processors are coupled to the tracking system and are configured to: generate a plurality of linked bounded-surface elements corresponding to a set of connected passageways of a patient anatomy; receive shape information from the tracking system, the shape information indicating a shape of at least a portion of the elongate instrument when the portion is disposed in the set of connected passageways; register the shape information to the plurality of linked bounded-surface elements; and based on the registering, display a composite image including an instrument image of the elongate instrument displayed within a model of the set of connected passageways.

Abstract: A non-transitory machine-readable media stores instructions that, when run by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to store a deformable model of a patient anatomy and deform the deformable model based on a measured deformation of a branched anatomical structure of the patient anatomy. The deformable model includes a skeleton tree of nodes and linkages representing the branched anatomical structure of the patient anatomy. Each of the nodes is located at a respective bifurcation of the branched anatomical structure, and at each respective bifurcation the corresponding linkages include an orientation. The deformable model is deformed by modifying the orientations of the linkages of the branched anatomical structure.

Abstract: A non-transitory machine-readable media storing instructions that, when run by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to store a deformable model of anatomic passageways of a patient anatomy. The deformable model comprises a plurality of model passageway links connected at connection points, and each of the model passageway links includes a centerline. At each respective connection point, the corresponding passageway links include an orientation. The instructions further cause the one or more processors to modify the deformable model by modifying relative orientations of one or more model passageway links of the plurality of model passageway links. The modifying is based on one or more modeling parameters that affect a shape of the plurality of model passageway links.

Abstract: A system includes a fixture having a known location in a surgical reference frame, a medical instrument, a position measuring device, and a computing system. The fixture includes a constraint structure having a known constraint structure pose in the surgical reference frame. The medical instrument includes a reference portion movably coupled to the fixture, an elongate flexible portion coupled to the reference portion, wherein the elongate flexible portion is sized to pass through the constraint structure, and a shape sensor. The position measuring device measures motion of the reference portion with respect to the fixture.

Abstract: A medical system may comprise a catheter that includes an elongate body and a main lumen extending longitudinally through the elongate body. The medical system may also comprise a vision probe that includes a tube extendable through the main lumen of the catheter and comprising a flexible body having an outermost wall and an innermost wall, the innermost wall defining a central lumen. The flexible body contains a plurality of channels formed within the flexible body of the tube and separated from the central lumen by the innermost wall. The plurality of channels includes oblong channels for irrigation and suction and auxiliary channels. The oblong channels have concentric arc shaped surfaces forming an arcuate channel cross-section. The auxiliary channels have a different shape than the one or more oblong channels. The vision probe also includes an imaging system and illumination fibers running through respective auxiliary channels in the tube.

Abstract: A system comprises a manually operated instrument, a reference fixture positioned in a fixed world reference frame, and a shape sensor coupled to the manually operated instrument. The shape sensor extends from the manually operated instrument to the reference fixture. The system further comprises a controller configured to receive, from the shape sensor, shape information for the manually operated instrument. The controller is further configured to determine a pose of the manually operated instrument in the fixed world reference frame based on the shape information for the manually operated instrument.

Abstract: A method performed by a computing system comprises receiving a collected set of spatial information for a distal portion of an instrument at a plurality of locations within a set of anatomic passageways and receiving a set of position information for a reference portion of the instrument when the distal portion of the instrument is at each of the plurality of locations. The method also comprises determining a reference set of spatial information for the distal portion of the instrument based on the collected set of spatial information and the set of position information for the reference portion of the instrument and registering the reference set of spatial information with a set of anatomical model information.

Abstract: A method of operating a shape sensing apparatus comprises receiving shape data from a first shape sensor. The first shape sensor includes a first plurality of optical cores extending between a first section and a second section of an elongated optical fiber. The method further comprises receiving shape data from a second shape sensor. The second shape sensor includes a second plurality of optical cores extending between the first and second sections of the elongated optical fiber. The method further comprises determining a shape of the elongated optical fiber between the first and second sections by combining the shape data from the first and second shape sensors.

Abstract: A method and medical system for estimating the deformation of an anatomic structure that comprises generating a first model of at least one anatomical passageway from anatomical data describing a patient anatomy and determining a shape of a device positioned within the branched anatomical passageways. The method and medical system also comprise generating a second model of the plurality of branched anatomical passageways by adjusting the first model relative to the determined shape of the device.

Abstract: A method comprises receiving a set of model points of a model of one or more passageways of a patient. The method further comprises receiving a set of measured points collected from within the one or more passageways of the patient. Each point comprises coordinates within a medical environment occupied by the patient. The method further comprises matching each measured point to a model point to generate a set of matches. The method further comprises assigning a weight to each of the measured points based on the set of matches to generate a weighted set of matches. The method further comprises moving the set of measured points relative to the set of model points based on the weighted set of matches.