System, apparatus, and method for navigating to a medical target

A system for monitoring an approach to a target, the system comprising:

• a luminal device including a distal end and configured to be inserted into a patient, the distal end of the luminal device configured to be guided proximate the target and including a sensor;
• a surgical instrument configured to be guided through the luminal device, the surgical instrument including one or more indicators having a detectable property located along at least a portion of the surgical instrument;
• and
• a computing device operably coupled to the sensor and including a processor and a memory storing instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the computing device to:
• receive a signal from the sensor corresponding to a magnitude of distortion in an electromagnetic field;
• convert the signal to a distance between the sensor and the one or more indicators;
• and
• calculate a location of the one or more indicators based on the distance between the sensor and the one or more indicators.

A system for monitoring an approach to a target, the system comprising:

• a luminal device including a distal end and configured to be inserted into a patient, the distal end of the luminal device configured to be guided proximate the target and including a sensor defining a lumen;
• a surgical instrument configured to be guided through the luminal device and the lumen of the sensor, the surgical instrument including one or more indicators having a detectable property located along at least a portion of the surgical instrument;
• and
• a computing device operably coupled to the sensor and including a processor and a memory storing instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the computing device to:
• determine a distance between the sensor and the one or more indicators;
• and
• calculate a location of the one or more indicators based on the distance between the sensor and the one or more indicators.

A system for monitoring an approach to a target, the system comprising:

• a luminal device including a distal end and configured to be inserted into a patient, the distal end of the luminal device configured to be guided proximate the target and including a first sensor and a second sensor;
• a surgical instrument configured to be guided through the luminal device, the surgical instrument including one or more indicators having a detectable property located along at least a portion of the surgical instrument, wherein the second sensor is configured to sense the detectable property of the one or more indicators;
• and
• a computing device including a processor and a memory storing instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the computing device to:
• determine a distance between the first sensor and the one or more indicators;
• and
• calculate a location of the one or more indicators based on the distance between the first sensor and the one or more indicators.