Robotic catheter system and methods

A robotic instrument system, comprising:

• an elongate flexible instrument;
• a display;
• and
• a controller in communication with the display and configured to selectively actuate one or more motors operatively coupled to the instrument to thereby selectively move a distal end portion of the instrument,
• wherein the controller is further configured to determine a reach of the instrument distal end portion within an anatomical workspace in which the instrument is located, based on a present relative position of the instrument distal end portion, a kinematic model of the instrument, and one or more of
• a likelihood that some portion of the instrument will get hung up into tissue or some other structure in an attempted move from its present position to other potential locations and positions in the anatomical workspace,
• a relative ease or difficulty in reaching respective locations and positions in the workspace,
• a relative instrument performance in reaching respective locations and positions in the workspace, locations of sensitive tissue structures in the workspace to be avoided,
• locations of target tissue structures in the workspace to be reached,
• planned trajectories of the instrument distal end portion, and
• planned end points of the instrument distal end portion,
• wherein the controller is further configured to determine, based on the determined reach, a plurality of location zones and a reachability of each of the location zones,
• wherein the controller causes the plurality of location zones and the reachability of each of the location zones to be indicated on the display, the reachability of each of the location zones being displayed in a manner that indicates which areas of the workspace may be reached by the instrument distal end portion from the present position of the instrument, and which areas cannot be reached by the instrument distal end portion from the present position of the instrument;
• and
• wherein the plurality of location zones include a first location zone highlighted on the display to indicate that the first location zone can be reached by the instrument distal end portion from the present position of the instrument by normal maneuvering, a second location zone highlighted on the display to indicate the second location zone may possibly be reached by the instrument distal end portion from the present position of the instrument by using additional or special maneuvering, and a third location zone highlighted on the display to indicate that the third location zone cannot be reached by the instrument distal end portion from the present position of the instrument.