초록 ▼

A steerable endoscope has an elongated body with a selectively steerable distal portion and an automatically controlled proximal portion. The endoscope body is inserted into a patient and the selectively steerable distal portion is used to select a desired path within the patient's body. When the en

A steerable endoscope has an elongated body with a selectively steerable distal portion and an automatically controlled proximal portion. The endoscope body is inserted into a patient and the selectively steerable distal portion is used to select a desired path within the patient's body. When the endoscope body is advanced, an electronic motion controller operates the automatically controlled proximal portion to assume the selected curve of the selectively steerable distal portion. Another desired path is selected with the selectively steerable distal portion and the endoscope body is advanced again. As the endoscope body is further advanced, the selected curves propagate proximally along the endoscope body, and when the endoscope body is withdrawn proximally, the selected curves propagate distally along the endoscope body. This creates a serpentine motion in the endoscope body that allows it to negotiate tortuous curves along a desired path through, around, and between organs within the body.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A system for controlling movement of a steerable instrument along a path, comprising: a flexible and steerable instrument;an electronic memory comprising a stored three-dimensional model, wherein the three-dimensional model is generated based on signals from the instrument as it traverses along t

1. A system for controlling movement of a steerable instrument along a path, comprising: a flexible and steerable instrument;an electronic memory comprising a stored three-dimensional model, wherein the three-dimensional model is generated based on signals from the instrument as it traverses along the path; andan electronic motion controller logically coupled to the electronic memory, wherein the electronic motion controller is configured to automatically control the instrument to traverse the path based on the three-dimensional model. 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the electronic motion controller is programmed to control a shape of the instrument to follow the three-dimensional model as the instrument is advanced along the path in a direction toward a remote location or withdrawn along the path in a direction away from the remote location. 3. The system of claim 1, further comprising a motor operatively coupled to the instrument to advance and withdraw the instrument along the path. 4. The system of claim 3, wherein the electronic motion controller is operatively coupled and configured to control the motor. 5. The system of claim 1, wherein the three-dimensional model includes a location of a feature of interest and the electronic motion controller is configured to automatically control the instrument to traverse the path based on the three-dimensional model and the location of the feature of interest. 6. The system of claim 1, wherein the instrument comprises a selectively steerable distal portion and an automatically controlled proximal portion. 7. The system of claim 6, wherein the electronic motion controller is configured to: selectively steer the distal portion of the instrument to assume a selected curve,advance the instrument distally along the path in the patient's anatomy, andcontrol the proximal portion of the instrument to assume the selected curve of the distal portion after the advancing. 8. The system of claim 7, wherein the electronic motion controller is configured to control the shape of the instrument such that the selected curve remains approximately fixed in space as the instrument is advanced distally or withdrawn proximally. 9. The system of claim 7, wherein the electronic motion controller is configured to control the shape of the instrument such that the selected curve is fixed relative to a fixed point of reference while advancing the instrument distally or withdrawing the instrument proximally. 10. The system of claim 6, wherein the proximal portion includes a plurality of segments, wherein adjacent segments of the plurality of segments are pivotally coupled to each other. 11. The system of claim 6, further comprising a steering control in signal communication with the electronic motion controller, the steering control configured to selectively steer the distal portion in response to input from a user. 12. The system of claim 11, wherein the electronic motion controller is configured to monitor control signals from the steering control and log a selected curve of the instrument in a memory of the electronic motion controller. 13. The system of claim 12, wherein the electronic motion controller is configured to log the selected curve of the instrument when a user inputs a command to record the selected curve. 14. The system of claim 12, wherein the electronic motion controller is configured to log the selected curve of the instrument automatically when a user inputs a command to advance the instrument. 15. The system of claim 1, further comprising an axial motion transducer configured to detect an axial position of the instrument, wherein the axial motion transducer is in signal communication with the electronic motion controller to provide the detected axial position to the electronic motion controller. 16. The system of claim 1, wherein the path follows at least a part of a colon. 17. The system of claim 1, wherein the instrument is an endoscope. 18. The system of claim 17, wherein the instrument is a colonoscope. 19. The system of claim 1, wherein the electronic motion controller includes three-dimensional information from an imaging modality, wherein the electronic motion controller is configured to control the instrument along a path according to the three-dimensional information. 20. The system of claim 1, further comprising imaging software for viewing the three-dimensional model on a monitor.