Medical robotic system providing an auxiliary view of articulatable instruments extending out of a distal end of an entry guide

Abstract

A medical system may comprise a display system and a processor. The processor may be configured to generate a computer model of a plurality of instruments. The plurality of instruments may extend through and out of a distal end of an entry guide and may include an image capturing instrument. The processor may be further configured to cause an image of the computer model to be displayed on the display system and determine from a configuration of the plurality of instruments in the computer model if an event alert threshold associated with an event has been reached. If a determination is made that the event alert threshold has been reached, an event indicator may be displayed on the display system at a portion of the image of the computer model associated with the event.

1 - 9 . (canceled) 
     
     
         10 . A medical system comprising:
 a display system; and   a processor configured to:
 generate a computer model of a plurality of instruments, wherein the plurality of instruments extends through and out of a distal end of an entry guide and includes an image capturing instrument; 
 cause an image of the computer model to be displayed on the display system; 
 determine from a configuration of the plurality of instruments in the computer model if an event alert threshold associated with an event has been reached; and 
 if a determination is made that the event alert threshold has been reached, cause an event indicator to be displayed on the display system at a portion of the image of the computer model associated with the event. 
   
     
     
         11 . The medical system of  claim 10 , wherein the event is an impending instrument collision. 
     
     
         12 . The medical system of  claim 10 , wherein the event is an impending limit of a range of motion of an instrument of the plurality of instruments. 
     
     
         13 . The medical system of  claim 10 , wherein the event is an optimal configuration of the plurality of instruments for performing a medical procedure. 
     
     
         14 . The medical system of  claim 10 , wherein the event is an optimal configuration of the plurality of instruments for viewing a medical procedure with the image capturing instrument. 
     
     
         15 . The medical system of  claim 10 , wherein the event indicator includes a highlighted portion of at least one of the plurality of instruments. 
     
     
         16 . The medical system of  claim 10 , wherein the event indicator includes a bubble displayed over the portion of the image of the computer model associated with the event. 
     
     
         17 . The medical system of  claim 10 , wherein an image captured by the image capturing instrument is displayed on the display system concurrently with the image of the computer model. 
     
     
         18 . The medical system of  claim 10 , wherein the event alert threshold is based on a distance between a first instrument of the plurality of instruments and a second instrument of the plurality of instruments. 
     
     
         19 . The medical system of  claim 10 , wherein the event alert threshold is based on a range of motion of a first instrument of the plurality of instruments. 
     
     
         20 . The medical system of  claim 10 , further comprising
 determine from a configuration of the plurality of instruments in the computer model if an event occurrence threshold associated with the event has been reached; and   if a determination is made that the event occurrence threshold has been reached, cause the event indicator to change from a first state to a second state.   
     
     
         21 . The medical system of  claim 20 , wherein the first state includes a first color and the second state includes a second color, different from the first color. 
     
     
         22 . A method performed by a processor, the method comprising:
 generating a computer model of a plurality of instruments, wherein the plurality of instruments extends through and out of a distal end of an entry guide and includes an image capturing instrument;   causing an image of the computer model to be displayed on a display system;   determining from a configuration of the plurality of instruments in the computer model if an event alert threshold associated with an event has been reached; and   if a determination is made that the event alert threshold has been reached, causing an event indicator to be displayed on the display system at a portion of the image of the computer model associated with the event.   
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the event is an impending instrument collision. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the event is an impending limit of a range of motion of an instrument of the plurality of instruments. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the event is an optimal configuration of the plurality of instruments for performing a medical procedure. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the event is an optimal configuration of the plurality of instruments for viewing a medical procedure with the image capturing instrument. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the event indicator includes a highlighted portion of at least one of the plurality of instruments. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the event indicator includes a bubble displayed over the portion of the image of the computer model associated with the event. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein an image captured by the image capturing instrument is displayed on the display system concurrently with the image of the computer model.