TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates generally to systems and methods for the detection of electromagnetic (EM) distortion in robotically-enabled medical system, and more particularly to detecting EM distortions which may affect EM based navigation systems used for navigation and localization of medical instruments within a patient.

BACKGROUND

Medical procedures such as endoscopy (e.g., bronchoscopy) may involve accessing and visualizing the inside of a patient's luminal network (e.g., airways) for diagnostic and/or therapeutic purposes. Surgical robotic systems may be used to control the insertion and/or manipulation of a surgical tool, such as, for example, an endoscope during an endoscopic procedure. The surgical robotic system may comprise at least one robotic arm including a manipulator assembly used to control the positioning of the surgical tool during the procedure. The surgical tool may be navigated through the patient's luminal network based on a detected electromagnetic (EM) field.

SUMMARY

The systems, methods and devices of this disclosure each have several innovative aspects, no single one of which is solely responsible for the desirable attributes disclosed herein.

In one aspect, a system is configured to detect electromagnetic (EM) distortion. The system may comprise a first EM sensor configured to generate a first set of one or more EM sensor signals in response to detection of the EM field, the first EM sensor configured for placement, in use, on a patient; a processor; and a memory storing computer-executable instructions to cause the processor to: calculate one or more baseline values of one or more metrics indicative of a position of the first EM sensor at a first time based on EM sensor signals from the first set of one or more EM sensor signals corresponding to the first time, calculate one or more updated values of the one or more metrics during a time period after the first time based on EM sensor signals from the first set of one or more EM sensor signals corresponding to the time period after the first time, determine that a difference between the one or more updated values and the one or more baseline values is greater than a threshold value, and determine that the EM field has been distorted in response to the difference being greater than the threshold value.

In another aspect, there is provided a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having stored thereon instructions that, when executed, cause at least one computing device to: calculate one or more baseline values of one or more metrics indicative of a position of a first EM sensor at a first time based on EM sensor signals from a first set of one or more EM sensor signals corresponding to the first time, the first EM sensor configured to generate the first set of one or more EM sensor signals in response to detection of an EM field; calculate one or more updated values of the one or more metrics during a time period after the first time based on EM sensor signals from the first set of one or more EM sensor signals corresponding to the time period after the first time; determine that a difference between the one or more updated values and the one or more baseline values is greater than a threshold value; and determine that the EM field has been distorted in response to the difference being greater than the threshold value.

In yet another aspect, there is provided a method of detecting EM distortion, the method comprising: calculating one or more baseline values of one or more metrics indicative of a position of a first EM sensor at a first time based on EM sensor signals from a first set of one or more EM sensor signals corresponding to the first time, the first EM sensor configured to generate the first set of one or more EM sensor signals in response to detection of an EM field; calculating one or more updated values of the one or more metrics during a time period after the first time based on EM sensor signals from the first set of one or more EM sensor signals corresponding to the time period after the first time; determining that a difference between the one or more updated values and the one or more baseline values is greater than a threshold value; and determining that the EM field has been distorted in response to the difference being greater than the threshold value.

In still yet another aspect, there is provided a system configured to detect EM distortion, comprising: an EM sensor at a distal end of an instrument, the EM sensor configured to generate one or more EM sensor signals in response to detection of an EM field; a processor; and a memory storing computer-executable instructions to cause the processor to: calculate one or more baseline values of one or more metrics indicative of a velocity of the distal end of the instrument at a first time based on EM sensor signals from the one or more EM sensor signals corresponding to the first time, calculate one or more updated values of the one or more metrics during a time period after the first time based on EM sensor signals from the one or more EM sensor signals corresponding to the time period after the first time, determine that a difference between the one or more updated values and the one or more baseline values is greater than a threshold value, and determine that the EM field has been distorted in response to the difference being greater than the threshold value.

In yet another aspect, there is provided a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having stored thereon instructions that, when executed, cause at least one computing device to: calculate one or more baseline values of one or more metrics indicative of a velocity of a distal end of an instrument at a first time based on EM sensor signals from one or more EM sensor signals corresponding to the first time, the instrument comprising an EM sensor located at the distal end of the instrument, the EM sensor configured to generate the one or more EM sensor signals in response to detection of an EM field; calculate one or more updated values of the one or more metrics during a time period after the first time based on EM sensor signals from the one or more EM sensor signals corresponding to the time period after the first time; determine that a difference between the one or more updated values and the one or more baseline values is greater than a threshold value; and determine that the EM field has been distorted in response to the difference being greater than the threshold value.

In still yet another aspect, there is provided a method of detecting EM distortion, the method comprising: calculating one or more baseline values of one or more metrics indicative of a velocity of a distal end of an instrument at a first time based on EM sensor signals from one or more EM sensor signals corresponding to the first time, the instrument comprising an EM sensor located at the distal end of the instrument, the EM sensor configured to generate the one or more EM sensor signals in response to detection of an EM field; calculating one or more updated values of the one or more metrics during a time period after the first time based on EM sensor signals from the one or more EM sensor signals corresponding to the time period after the first time; determining that a difference between the one or more updated values and the one or more baseline values is greater than a threshold value; and determining that the EM field has been distorted in response to the difference being greater than the threshold value.

