Surgical tool including a black polymer distal portion having transverse planar surfaces with laser-marked fiducial markers

A method of endoscopic imaging comprising, at a computing system:

• receiving at least one endoscopic image that captures a surgical tool positioned in a surgical cavity, the surgical tool comprising a shaft, and a black polymer distal portion mounted to a distal end of the shaft such that the black polymer distal portion extends distally of the shaft, the black polymer distal portion comprising a plurality of planar surfaces comprising a plurality of laser-marked fiducial markers, wherein the black polymer distal portion comprises a first portion extending along a longitudinal axis and a second portion that extends transversely to the longitudinal axis, wherein the first portion comprises a first planar surface of the plurality of planar surfaces and the second portion comprises a second planar surface of the plurality of planar surfaces, the first and second portions having fixed positions with respect to each other and being positioned and oriented such that the first and second planar surfaces are capable of being shown in a common endoscopic image;
• detecting in the at least one endoscopic image at least one laser-marked fiducial marker of the plurality of laser-marked fiducial markers;
• and
• determining a position of at least a portion of the surgical tool in the surgical cavity based on the at least one laser-marked fiducial marker.

A system comprising one or more processors, memory, and one or more programs stored in the memory for execution by the one or more processors to cause the system to:

• receive at least one endoscopic image that captures a surgical tool positioned in a surgical cavity, the surgical tool comprising a shaft, and a black polymer distal portion mounted to a distal end of the shaft such that the black polymer distal portion extends distally of the shaft, the black polymer distal portion comprising a plurality of planar surfaces comprising a plurality of laser-marked fiducial markers, wherein the black polymer distal portion comprises a first portion extending along a longitudinal axis and a second portion that extends transversely to the longitudinal axis, wherein the first portion comprises a first planar surface of the plurality of planar surfaces and the second portion comprises a second planar surface of the plurality of planar surfaces, the first and second portions having fixed positions with respect to each other and being positioned and oriented such that the first and second planar surfaces are capable of being shown in a common endoscopic image;
• detect in the at least one endoscopic image at least one laser-marked fiducial marker of the plurality of laser-marked fiducial markers;
• and
• determine a position of at least a portion of the surgical tool in the surgical cavity based on the at least one laser-marked fiducial marker.