US 12,274,413 B2
Autonomous robotic catheter for minimally invasive interventions
Pierre E. Dupont, Boston, MA (US); Georgios Fagogenis, Athens (GR); Benoit Rosa, Sarrebourg (FR); Margherita Mencattelli, Brooklyn, NY (US); and Zurab Machaidze, Lexington, MA (US)
Assigned to Children's Medical Center Corporation, Boston, MA (US)
Filed by Children's Medical Center Corporation, Boston, MA (US)
Filed on Jan. 21, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/154,486.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/965,554, filed on Jan. 24, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2021/0236773 A1, Aug. 5, 2021
Int. Cl. A61B 1/00 (2006.01); A61M 25/01 (2006.01)
CPC A61B 1/00006 (2013.01) [A61B 1/000094 (2022.02); A61B 1/000096 (2022.02); A61B 1/00097 (2022.02); A61M 25/0116 (2013.01); A61M 2205/332 (2013.01); A61M 2205/3327 (2013.01); A61M 2205/583 (2013.01)] 31 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A robotic system, comprising:
a robotic catheter steerable by a motorized drive system;
an imaging device positioned on a distal end of the robotic catheter; and
a controller configured to:
process one or more images captured by the imaging device to identify an anatomical feature, implanted device, or medical instrument in the one or more images,
estimate a location of the imaging device in a body based on the identified anatomical feature, implanted device, or medical instrument,
determine, based on the estimated location of the imaging device, a direction in which to steer the robotic catheter for advancement towards an interventional site, and
monitor at least one of (i) a stream of images captured by the imaging device and (ii) force or distance measurements captured by the imaging device or by a sensor proximate the imaging device, to adjust the direction in which to steer the robotic catheter during advancement towards the interventional site,
wherein monitoring a stream of images captured by the imaging device to adjust the direction in which to steer the robotic catheter includes identifying whether the imaging device is contacting the anatomical feature, implanted device, or medical instrument based on whether at least a portion of an image of the stream of images is unobstructed by bodily fluid.