US-20260124008-A1 - SYSTEMS FOR RETRACTING AND ADJUSTING ELONGATE FLEXIBLE DEVICES AND ASSOCIATED METHODS

US20260124008A1US 20260124008 A1US20260124008 A1US 20260124008A1US-20260124008-A1

Abstract

A system includes an elongate flexible device including a proximal portion, a distal portion, and a lumen extending therebetween. The system also includes a medical instrument configured to be received within the lumen of the elongate flexible device. The system also includes a processor and a memory operably coupled to the processor. The memory stores instructions that cause the system to perform operations. The operations include determining a pose of the distal portion of the elongate device based on data from a sensing system, retracting the elongate device away from a distal tip section of the instrument, and adjusting the pose of the distal portion of the elongate device based, at least in part, on the data from the sensing system such that the distal tip section of the instrument remains substantially positioned within a target during the retracting and the adjusting of the elongate device.

Inventors

Giada Gerboni
Sang Gyum Kim
Benjamin G. Cohn

Assignees

Intuitive Surgical Operations, Inc.

Dates

Publication Date: 20260507
Application Date: 20251219

Claims (20)

1 - 35 . (canceled)
36 . A system comprising: an elongate flexible device including a proximal portion, a distal portion, and a lumen extending therebetween; a medical instrument configured to be received within the lumen of the elongate flexible device; a processor operably coupled to the elongate flexible device; and a memory operably coupled to the processor, the memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the system to perform operations comprising: determining a pose of the distal portion of the elongate flexible device based on data from at least one sensing system; retracting the elongate flexible device away from a distal tip section of the medical instrument; and adjusting the pose of the distal portion of the elongate flexible device based, at least in part, on the data from the at least one sensing system such that the distal tip section of the medical instrument remains substantially positioned within a target during the retracting and the adjusting of the elongate flexible device.
37 . The system of claim 36 , wherein the operations further comprise: receiving an input command to position the distal tip section of the medical instrument within the target.
38 . The system of claim 36 , wherein adjusting the pose of the distal portion comprises adjusting a bend angle of the distal portion.
39 . The system of claim 36 , wherein the operations further comprise: predicting a change in the pose of the distal portion of the elongate flexible device during the retracting, wherein the pose of the distal portion is adjusted based, at least in part, on the predicted change.
40 . The system of claim 36 , wherein the operations further comprise: constraining the distal portion of the elongate flexible device to a movement range during at least one of the retracting or the adjusting.
41 . The system of claim 40 , wherein the movement range includes a plane aligned with the target or a range of bend angles.
42 . The system of claim 40 , wherein the movement range includes a range of bend angles for the elongate flexible device.
43 . The system of claim 36 , wherein the elongate flexible device is retracted away from the distal tip section of the medical instrument by a defined distance.
44 . The system of claim 43 , wherein the defined distance is based on positioning the medical instrument so that an antenna of the medical instrument is partially or fully extended beyond the distal portion of the elongate flexible device.
45 . The system of claim 36 , wherein the retracting and the adjusting are performed simultaneously.
46 . The system of claim 36 , wherein the adjusting is performed after the retracting.
47 . The system of claim 36 , wherein retracting the elongate flexible device comprises retracting the elongate flexible device in incremental distances until the elongate flexible device has been retracted by a defined distance.
48 . The system of claim 36 , wherein the operations further comprise: applying energy to the target with the medical instrument after retracting the elongate flexible device by a defined distance, wherein the defined distance is based on positioning the medical instrument so that an antenna of the medical instrument is partially or fully extended beyond the distal portion of the elongate flexible device.
49 . The system of claim 36 , wherein the elongate flexible device is configured to operate in a first retraction mode and a second retraction mode, and wherein the retracting is performed while the elongate flexible device is in the second retraction mode.
50 . The system of claim 49 , wherein the operations further comprise: determining a type of the medical instrument; and switching from the first retraction mode to the second retraction mode based on the type of the medical instrument.
51 . The system of claim 50 , wherein determining the type of the medical instrument is based on an input received from a user input device.
52 . The system of claim 50 , wherein switching from the first retraction mode to the second retraction mode includes changing a velocity threshold of the elongate flexible device.
53 . The system of claim 52 , wherein: the first retraction mode includes a first velocity threshold; the second retraction mode includes a second velocity threshold; and the second velocity threshold is higher than the first velocity threshold.
54 . The system of claim 50 , wherein switching from the first retraction mode to the second retraction mode includes changing the elongate flexible device from a stiff state to a passive state.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S) This patent document claims priority to and the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/119,532, filed Nov. 30, 2020, and incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. TECHNICAL FIELD The present disclosure is directed to systems for retracting and adjusting elongate flexible devices and associated methods of use. BACKGROUND Minimally invasive medical techniques are intended to reduce the amount of tissue that is damaged during medical procedures, thereby reducing patient recovery time, discomfort, and harmful side effects. Such minimally invasive techniques may be performed through natural orifices in a patient anatomy or through one or more surgical incisions. Through these natural orifices or incisions, an operator may insert minimally invasive medical tools to reach a target tissue location. Minimally invasive medical tools include instruments such as therapeutic, diagnostic, biopsy, and surgical instruments. Minimally invasive medical tools may also include ablation instruments. Ablation instruments transmit energy, e.g., in the form of electromagnetic waves to a targeted area of tissue, such as a tumor or other growth, within the patient anatomy to destroy the targeted tissue. Some minimally invasive medical tools and ablation instruments may be teleoperated or otherwise computer-assisted or delivered by a teleoperated, robotic, or otherwise computer-assisted system. Various features may improve the effectiveness of minimally invasive medical tools and ablation instruments. SUMMARY Embodiments of the present technology are best summarized by the claims that follow the description. In some embodiments, a system for performing a medical procedure comprises an elongate flexible device including a proximal portion, a distal portion, and a lumen extending therebetween. The lumen is configured to receive a medical instrument positioned within a target when the elongate flexible device is positioned toward the target. The system also comprises a sensor system configured to provide sensor data indicative of a pose of the distal portion of the elongate flexible device; a control system configured to actuate at least a portion of the elongate flexible device; a processor operably coupled to the elongate flexible device, the sensor system, and the control system; and a memory operably coupled to the processor. The memory stores instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the system to perform operations comprising: determining the pose of the distal portion of the elongate flexible device based on the sensor data from the sensor system; retracting, via the control system, the elongate flexible device relative to the medical instrument and away from the target; and adjusting, via the control system, the pose of the distal portion of the elongate flexible device so the distal portion remains oriented toward the target. In these and other embodiments, a method for performing a medical procedure using an elongate flexible device comprises receiving a medical instrument within a lumen of the elongate flexible device; receiving an input command to position a distal tip section of the medical instrument within a target near a distal portion of the elongate flexible device; determining a pose of the distal portion of the flexible elongate device based on data from at least one sensing system; retracting the elongate flexible device away from the distal tip section of the medical instrument; and adjusting the pose of the distal portion of the elongate flexible device based, at least in part, on the data from the at least one sensing system such that the distal tip section of the medical instrument remains substantially positioned within the target during the retracting and the adjusting of the elongate flexible device. In these and still other embodiments, a system for performing a medical procedure at a target site is provided. The system comprises an elongate flexible device including a distal portion configured to be positioned near the target site, the elongate flexible device including at least one sensor. The system also comprises a processor operably coupled to the at least one sensor and a memory operably coupled to the processor. The memory stores instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the system to output a user interface for providing guidance. The guidance comprises a first indicator representing a current pose of the distal portion of the elongate flexible device, the current pose being based on data from the at least one sensor. The guidance also comprises a second indicator corresponding to a target movement range for adjusting the distal portion of the elongate flexible device to remain oriented toward the target site during retraction of the elongate flexible device away from the target site. In these and other embodiments, a method for performing a medical procedure at a target site comprises determining a current