# US 12,004,820 B2 · Systems and methods of registration for image-guided surgery

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- Number: US 12,004,820 B2
- Document ID: US12004820B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/532,369
- Filed: 2021-11-22
- Published: 2022-03-10
- Granted: 2024-06-11
- Earliest claimed: 2015-08-14
- Assignees: Intuitive Surgical Operations, Inc.
- Applicants: Intuitive Surgical Operations, Inc.
- Inventors: Caitlin Q Donhowe; Vincent Duindam; Timothy D. Soper; Tao Zhao
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12004820B2

## CPC

- A61B 34/20: Surgical navigation systems; Devices for tracking or guiding surgical instruments, e.g. for frameless stereotaxis
- A61B 1/0016: {using motor drive units}
- A61B 5/0066: {Optical coherence imaging}
- A61B 5/015: {By temperature mapping of body part}
- A61B 5/0536: Impedance imaging, e.g. by tomography
- A61B 5/062: {using magnetic field}
- A61B 5/066: {Superposing sensor position on an image of the patient, e.g. obtained by ultrasound or x-ray imaging}
- A61B 6/032: {Transmission computed tomography [CT]}
- A61B 8/0841: {for locating instruments}
- A61B 34/30: Surgical robots
- A61B 34/35: for telesurgery
- A61B 90/37: {Surgical systems with images on a monitor during operation}
- G06T 7/12: Edge-based segmentation
- G06T 7/33: using feature-based methods
- G06T 7/344: {involving models}
- A61B 2017/00699: {correcting for movement caused by respiration, e.g. by triggering}
- A61B 2017/00809: {Lung operations}
- A61B 2034/105: {Modelling of the patient, e.g. for ligaments or bones}
- A61B 2034/107: {Visualisation of planned trajectories or target regions}
- A61B 2034/2051: {Electromagnetic tracking systems}
- A61B 2034/2061: {using shape-sensors, e.g. fiber shape sensors with Bragg gratings}
- A61B 2034/2065: {Tracking using image or pattern recognition}
- A61B 2034/301: {for introducing or steering flexible instruments inserted into the body, e.g. catheters or endoscopes}
- A61B 2090/0811: {for the position of a particular part of an instrument with respect to the rest of the instrument, e.g. position of the anvil of a stapling instrument}
- A61B 2090/3937: {Visible markers}
- G06T 2200/24: involving graphical user interfaces [GUIs]
- G06T 2207/10068: Endoscopic image
- G06T 2207/10081: Computed x-ray tomography [CT]
- G06T 2207/10088: Magnetic resonance imaging [MRI]
- G06T 2207/10116: X-ray image
- G06T 2207/30061: Lung
- G06T 2207/30172: Centreline of tubular or elongated structure
- A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D)
- G06T: IMAGE DATA PROCESSING OR GENERATION, IN GENERAL

## 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.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method comprising:
receiving a set of model points of a model of one or more passageways of a patient;
receiving a set of measured points collected from within the one or more passageways of the patient, each point comprising coordinates within a medical environment occupied by the patient;
assigning weights to one or more of the measured points;
matching each measured point to a model point to generate a set of matches, a value of each of the matches depending on the assigned weight of the measured point in the match; and
moving the set of measured points relative to the set of model points based on the set of matches.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising computing a corrective motion to apply to the set of measured points, and wherein the moving the set of measured points relative to the set of model points comprises applying the corrective motion to the set of measured points.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
discarding a subset of the set of matches based on a first heuristic to generate a modified set of matches; and
computing a corrective motion to apply to the set of measured points, wherein the moving the set of measured points relative to the set of model points based on the set of matches comprises moving the set of measured points relative to the set of model points based on the modified set of matches.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The method of claim 3, wherein discarding the subset of the set of matches based on the first heuristic comprises temporarily ignoring an associated set of matches between the set of model points and the set of measured points.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the set of measured points are obtained using a catheter comprising a shape sensor extending therein or one or more electromagnetic sensors disposed thereon.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the model is generated from data obtained using at least one of one of computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), fluoroscopy, thermography, ultrasound, optical coherence tomography (OCT), thermal imaging, impedance imaging, laser imaging, or nanotube X-ray imaging.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising generating the set of model points from the model by:
generating a line corresponding to a center of each of the one or more passageways; and
generating a plurality of centerline points to provide the set of model points.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the assigning weights to one or more of the measured points comprises assigning relatively higher weights to more recently obtained points.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the assigning weights to one or more of the measured points comprises decrementing a weight of a first measured point each time a registration iteration is performed.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the assigning weights to one or more of the measured points comprises assigning a weight to each of the measured points according to a respiratory phase during which the measured point was collected.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the assigning weights to one or more of the measured points comprises assigning a weight to each of the measured points according to a match between the measured point and another measured point that was obtained at an earlier time.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the assigning weights to one or more of the measured points comprises assigning a weight to each of the measured points according to a quality of measured data that results in the measured points.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the weights are based on a position on a catheter used to collect the set of measured points.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, wherein the weights of measured points collected from a distal position on the catheter are higher than weights of measured points collected from a proximal position on the catheter.

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the weights are based on a state of a catheter used to collect the set of measured points.