Systems and methods for aligning surgical devices

A medical apparatus, comprising:

• a surgical device having at least one target feature, wherein the at least one target feature has a first feature end and a second feature end and a target axis therebetween;
• and
• a shape sensing element having a first element end and a second element end and a plurality of nodes dispersed therein, the first element end connectable to an interrogator, wherein the shape sensing element is operable to receive an interrogation signal from the interrogator and return a modified signal to the interrogator related to the position and orientation of each node in a coordinate system;
• wherein a first node is coupled in communication with a surgical tool and least a second node is coupled in communication with the at least one target feature, wherein the surgical tool comprises a first tool end and a second tool end and a tool axis therebetween,
• wherein the position and orientation of the first node in the coordinate system defines a tool reference frame and the position and orientation of the at least second node in the coordinate system defines a target reference frame,
• wherein a tool datum is definable in the tool reference frame and at least one target datum is definable in the target reference frame,
• wherein the pose of the tool datum with respect to the at least one target datum is related to the pose of the tool axis with respect to the target axis of the at least one target feature.

A method of aligning a tool to a target feature on a surgical device, comprising:

• coupling a first node of a shape sensing element in communication with a surgical tool, the surgical tool having a first tool end and a second tool end and a tool axis therebetween, the shape sensing element having a first element end and a second element end and a plurality of nodes therebetween, the first element end coupled to an interrogator, the interrogator operable to provide an interrogation signal to the shape sensing element and receive a modified signal from the shape sensing element to provide information related to the position and orientation of each node in a coordinate system and transmit the interrogation information to a data processing system, the data processing system operable to interpret the interrogation information and compare the pose of the first node with respect to at least a second node in a coordinate system, wherein the position and orientation of the first node in the coordinate system defines a tool reference frame, wherein a tool datum is definable in the tool reference frame;
• coupling a second node of the shape sensing element in communication with at least one target feature on a surgical device, the at least one target feature having a first feature end and a second feature end and a target axis therebetween, wherein the position and orientation of the second node in the coordinate system defines a target reference frame, wherein a target datum is definable in the target reference frame;
• and
• providing information to the user comparing the pose of the tool axis with respect to the target axis;
• wherein the pose of the tool axis with respect to the target axis is related to the pose of the tool datum with respect to the target datum.