Abstract: A flexible needle comprises a flexible body, an optical fiber, and a connector adapted for connecting the optical fiber to a processor. The flexible body comprises a wall including an interior surface defining a lumen. The wall further defines a securing feature. The securing feature is one of a channel within the wall, an external groove on an exterior surface of the wall, or an interior groove on an interior surface of the wall. The optical fiber is positioned at least partially within the securing feature. The flexible body further comprises a distal tip portion configured to pierce or puncture tissue.

Abstract: A method comprises receiving a set of model points of a model of one or more passageways of a patient. The set of model points comprises a plurality of model segments. The method further comprises receiving a set of measured points collected from within the patient passageways. Each point comprises coordinates within a surgical environment occupied by the patient. The method further comprises: matching each measured point to a model point to generate a set of matches; identifying a particular model segment from the plurality of model segments that includes fewer than a threshold quantity of measured points matched thereto; discarding matches that include a model point of the particular model segment to provide a modified set of matches; and moving the set of measured points relative to the set of model points based on the modified set of matches.

Abstract: Methods and systems of registering a model of one or more anatomic passageways of a patient to a patient space are provided herein. An exemplary method may include accessing a set of model points of the model of the passageways, the model points being associated with a model space, collecting measured points along a length of a catheter inserted into the passageways of the patient, the measured points determined by a shape of the catheter, and assigning points of the first set to a plurality of subsets. The exemplary method may further include registering each of the subsets with the model points to produce a plurality of registration candidates, comparing the candidates to identify an optimal subset associated with an optimal registration of the plurality of candidates that translates the set of model points and at least one set of the sets of measured points into a common space.

Abstract: A method of registering sets of anatomical data for use during a surgical procedure is provided herein. The method may include segmenting a set of first modality image data representing a model of one or more passageways within a patient and generating a first set of points based on the segmented set of first modality image data representing the model of the one or more passageways. The method may further include determining a set of matches between a second set of points and the first set of points, wherein the second set of points is obtained by a second modality and discarding a subset of the set of matches based on a first heuristic to generate a modified set of matches. The second set of points may then be moved relative to the first set of points based on the modified set of matches and displayed on a display.

Abstract: A medical system includes an elongate device including a flexible body, a tracking system disposed along at least a portion of the flexible body, a display device, and one or more processors coupled to the tracking system. The one or more processors are configured to: receive data from the tracking system; based on the received data, determine a bending condition at a distal portion of flexible body; and display a bend indicator on the display device, wherein the bend indicator visually indicates a direction and a degree of the bending condition of the distal portion of the flexible body.

Abstract: A method comprises tracking a set of optical fiducials positioned on a reference portion of a medical instrument. The medical instrument includes an elongated flexible body with a distal end and a rigid proximal body which includes the reference portion. The method further comprises receiving shape information from a shape sensor extending within the medical instrument between the reference portion and the distal end and determining a pose of a portion of the elongated flexible body with respect to the patient anatomy.

Abstract: A system comprises a display system, a user input device, and one or more processors. The one or more processors are configured to perform operations including receive an anatomical model, receive a user input via the user input device associated with a target relative to the anatomical model, determine an uncertainty zone associated with the target, and display the target relative to the anatomical model via the display system. The uncertainty zone is displayed as at least partially surrounding the target.

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.

Abstract: A method for displaying guidance information during an image-guided surgical procedure comprises receiving, by one or more hardware processors, data from a tracking system associated with an elongate device comprising a flexible body and calculating, by the one or more hardware processors, at least one condition along a length of the flexible body based on the data. The method further comprises determining, by the one or more hardware processors, supplemental guidance information based on the at least one condition and augmenting, by the one or more hardware processors, one or more images with the supplemental guidance information to produce one or more augmented images. The method further comprises displaying the one or more augmented images on a display device at a surgeon console.

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.