Method for guiding flexible instrument procedures

1. A method for handling a flexible endoscope comprising the steps of:

parameterizing the flexible endoscope according to a plurality of parameters for handling the endoscope given a desired task;

determining, pre-operatively, at least one endoscope configuration of the parameters, based on a predetermined patient model;

determining instructions for handling the endoscope according to the configuration;

handling the endoscope according to the instructions.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining a digital model of a flexible endoscope.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of registering a patient to the predetermined patient model.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of identifying a mutual landmark visible in a patient and in the predetermined patient model.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the landmark is a carina of a tracheobronchial tree.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of determining a configuration relative to a landmark.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of parameterizing further comprises determining an endoscope length parameter.

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising the steps of:

inserting the endoscope to a landmark; and

inserting the endoscope to a target site, wherein a distance to the target site from the landmark is a difference between a total distance from a reference point to the target site and an intermediate distance from the reference point to the landmark.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of parameterizing further comprises the step of determining a shaft-rotation of the endoscope according to a landmark.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein determining a shaft-rotation comprises determining an angle between a bending plane of a tip of the endoscope and a target.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of parameterizing further comprises the step of determining a bending angle of the endoscope.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein determining the bending angle comprises the steps of:

approximating a bending movement by a semi-circle with a given center;

determining a first vector between the center and a tip of the endoscope;

determining a second vector between the center and a target; and

determining the angle between the first vector and the second vector.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein parameterizing further comprises the steps of:

determining a tool length, wherein the tool is coupled to a tip of the endoscope; and

determining a distance between the tip of the endoscope and a target.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein determining the tool length comprises determining the distance between an aligned tip of the endoscope and a target.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining instructions for handling the endoscope according to the configuration are determined prior to inserting the flexible endoscope into a patient.