Endoscope structures and techniques for navigating to a target in a branched structure

Abstract

Systems and methods employing a small gauge steerable catheter including a locatable guide with a sheath, particularly as an enhancement to a bronchoscope. A typical procedure is as follows. The location of a target in a reference coordinate system is detected or imported. The catheter is navigated to the target which tracking the distal tip of the guide in the reference coordinate system. Insertion of the catheter is typically via a working channel of a convention bronchoscope. Once the tip of the catheter is positioned at the target, the guide is withdrawn, leaving the sheath secured in place. The sheath is then used as a guide channel to direct a medical tool to target.

1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 . A method for navigating a tool through a branched structure, comprising:
 determining a geometric shape of an interior space of a section of the branched structure by:
 recording real-time location data of a locatable probe moving through the interior space; and 
 processing the recorded real-time location data to create the geometric shape; 
   correlating the geometric shape with a data set representative of the branched structure; and   providing an indication of a real-time location of the locatable probe within a three-dimensional frame of reference based on the correlating.   
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 2 , wherein recording real-time location data of the locatable probe moving through the interior space includes recording real-time location data of a sensor operably coupled to the locatable probe. 
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 2 , wherein recording real-time location data of the locatable probe moving through the interior space includes recording real-time location data of a sensor operably coupled to a distal portion of the locatable probe. 
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 2 , wherein correlating the geometric shape with the data set representative of the branched structure includes conducting a best fit correlation between the geometric shape and corresponding features within the data set. 
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 2 , wherein determining the geometric shape of the interior space of the section of the branched structure includes determining a geometric shape of an interior space of a section of airways in a lung. 
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 2 , wherein determining the geometric shape of the interior space of the section of the branched structure includes recording the real-time location data of the locatable probe moving past a bifurcation within the branched structure. 
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 2 , wherein determining the geometric shape of the interior space of the section of the branched structure includes recording the real-time location data of the locatable probe moving through connected branches of the branched structure. 
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 2 , wherein providing the indication of the real-time location of the locatable probe includes displaying the real-time location of the locatable probe via a computer tomography display. 
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 2 , wherein providing the indication of the real-time location of the locatable probe includes displaying the real-time location of the locatable probe via a virtual display. 
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 2 , further comprising importing a pre-planned route map to a target within the branched structure into the three-dimensional frame of reference based on the data set representative of the branched structure. 
     
     
         12 . A method for navigating a tool through a branched structure, the method comprising:
 acquiring a plurality of images of anatomical features in a branched structure;   compiling a data set based on the plurality of images of the anatomical features in the branched structure;   defining a three-dimensional frame of reference including at least a portion of the branched structure;   recording location data of a locatable probe advancing through the branched structure relative to the three-dimensional frame of reference to develop a geometric model of a section of the branched structure containing the locatable probe;   processing the recorded location data to create a geometric shape;   correlating the geometric shape to corresponding data in the data set by comparing the geometric model to the data set; and   aligning the three-dimensional frame of reference with the data set based on the correlating.   
     
     
         13 . The method according to  claim 12 , further comprising providing an indication of a real-time location of the locatable probe within the three-dimensional frame of reference based on the aligning. 
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 13 , wherein providing the indication of the real-time location of the locatable probe within the three-dimensional frame of reference based on the aligning includes displaying the real-time location of the locatable probe via a computer tomography display. 
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 13 , wherein providing the indication of the real-time location of the locatable probe within the three-dimensional frame of reference based on the aligning includes displaying the real-time location of the locatable probe via a virtual display. 
     
     
         16 . The method according to  claim 13 , wherein providing the indication of the real-time location of the locatable probe within the three-dimensional frame of reference based on the aligning occurs after the aligning the three-dimensional frame of reference with the data set based on the correlating. 
     
     
         17 . The method according to  claim 12 , further comprising importing a pre-planned route map to a target within the branched structure into the three-dimensional frame of reference based on the data set. 
     
     
         18 . A method for navigating a tool through a branched structure, the method comprising:
 deriving and recording first position data of a position sensor in a three-dimensional frame of reference moving along a first branch portion of a branched structure;   processing the first position data to develop a first geometric model of the branched structure;   deriving and recording second position data of the position sensor in the three-dimensional frame of reference moving along a second branch portion of the branched structure;   processing the second position data to develop a second geometric model of the branched structure; and   correlating the first position data and the second position data with three-dimensional imaging data by calculating a best fit match between the first geometric model, the second geometric model, and the three-dimensional imaging data to derive a registration between the three-dimensional imaging data and the three-dimensional frame of reference.   
     
     
         19 . The method according to  claim 18 , further comprising providing an indication of a real-time location of the position sensor within the three-dimensional frame of reference based on the registration between the three-dimensional imaging data and the three-dimensional frame of reference. 
     
     
         20 . The method according to  claim 18 , further comprising:
 acquiring a plurality of images of anatomical features along the first and second branch portions of the branched structure;   deriving a feature position for each anatomical feature along the first and second branch portions of the branched structure; and   correlating the feature position for each anatomical feature with the corresponding first and second data of the position sensor in the three-dimensional frame of reference.   
     
     
         21 . The method according to  claim 18 , wherein the position sensor is disposed on a distal portion of a locatable probe.