Systems And Methods For Interventional Procedure Planning

1 . A method of planning a procedure to deploy an interventional instrument, the method performed by a processing system, the method comprising:

receiving a model of an anatomic structure, the anatomic structure including a plurality of passageways;

identifying a target structure in the model;

receiving information about an operational capability of the interventional instrument within the plurality of passageways; and

identifying a planned deployment location for positioning a distal tip of the interventional instrument to perform the procedure on the target structure based upon the operational capability of the interventional instrument.

2 . The method of claim 1 wherein identifying the planned deployment location includes receiving data representing one or more characteristics of the interventional instrument, the one or more characteristics including a tool deployment length.

3 . The method of claim 1 wherein identifying the planned deployment location includes receiving data representing one or more characteristics of the interventional instrument, the one or more characteristics including the bending capability of the interventional instrument.

4 . The method of claim 1 wherein identifying the planned deployment location includes receiving data representing one or more characteristics of the interventional instrument and wherein the interventional instrument includes a catheter body and an interventional tool, the one or more characteristics including movement characteristics of the interventional tool relative to the catheter body.

5 . The method of claim 1 wherein identifying the planned deployment location includes receiving data representing a characteristic of the plurality of passageways.

6 . The method of claim 5 wherein the characteristic of the plurality of passageways includes the size of the plurality of passageways nearest the target structure.

7 . The method of claim 5 wherein the characteristic of the plurality of passageways includes the location of a carina between two of the plurality of passageways.

8 . The method of claim 5 wherein the characteristic of the plurality of passageways includes the elasticities of the plurality of passageways.

9 . The method of claim 1 wherein identifying the planned deployment location includes receiving data representing a characteristic of the target structure.

10 . The method of claim 1 wherein the characteristic of the target structure includes a location of a calcification.

11 . The method of claim 1 wherein identifying a planned deployment location includes identifying a preliminary deployment location in one of the plurality of passageways and revising the preliminary deployment location to the planned deployment location based upon receipt of sensor data indicating a revised location of the target structure.

12 . The method of claim 11 wherein the sensor data includes ultrasound sensor data representing the location of the target structure relative to the distal end of the interventional instrument.

13 . The method of claim 11 wherein the sensor data includes OCT sensor data representing the location of the target structure relative to the distal end of the interventional instrument.

14 . The method of claim 1 further comprising identifying a plurality of optional deployment locations on walls of the plurality of passageways, the plurality of optional deployment locations coded to provide information about the relative quality of the plurality of planned deployment locations for deploying the interventional instrument to perform the procedure, wherein the plurality of optional deployment locations includes the planned deployment location.

15 . The method of claim 1 wherein the procedure is a biopsy procedure.

16 . The method of claim 1 wherein identifying a planned deployment includes receiving a clinician-identified deployment location.

17 . The method of claim 16 further comprising providing an alert indicating that the clinician-identified deployment location is objectionable.

18 . The method of claim 1 wherein at the planned deployment location an approach angle between a distal tip of the interventional instrument and a passageway wall is between approximately 30 and 90 degrees.

19 . A system comprising:

non-transitory computer readable media containing computer executable instructions for planning a procedure to deploy an interventional instrument including

instructions for receiving a model of an anatomic structure, the anatomic structure including a plurality of passageways;

instructions for identifying a target structure in the model;

instructions for receiving information about an operational capability of the interventional instrument within the plurality of passageways; and

instructions for identifying a planned deployment location for positioning a distal tip of the interventional instrument to perform the procedure on the target structure based upon the operational capability of the interventional instrument.

20 . The system of claim 19 further comprising the interventional instrument.

21 . The system of claim 19 wherein identifying the planned deployment location includes receiving data representing one or more characteristics of the interventional instrument, the one or more characteristics including a tool deployment length.

22 . The system of claim 19 wherein identifying the planned deployment location includes receiving data representing one or more characteristics of the interventional instrument, the one or more characteristics including the bending capability of the interventional instrument.

23 . The system of claim 19 wherein identifying the planned deployment location includes receiving data representing one or more characteristics of the interventional instrument and wherein the interventional instrument includes a catheter body and an interventional tool, the one or more characteristics including movement characteristics of the interventional tool relative to the catheter body.

24 . The system of claim 19 wherein identifying the planned deployment location includes receiving data representing a characteristic of the plurality of passageways.

25 . The system of claim 24 wherein the characteristic of the plurality of passageways includes the size of the plurality of passageways nearest the target structure.

26 . The system of claim 24 wherein the characteristic of the plurality of passageways includes the location of a carina between two of the plurality of passageways.

27 . The system of claim 24 wherein the characteristic of the plurality of passageways includes the elasticities of the plurality of passageways.

28 . The system of claim 19 wherein identifying the planned deployment location includes receiving data representing a characteristic of the target structure.

29 . The system of claim 19 wherein the characteristic of the target structure includes a location of a calcification.

30 . The system of claim 19 wherein identifying a planned deployment location includes identifying a preliminary deployment location in one of the plurality of passageways and revising the preliminary deployment location to the planned deployment location based upon receipt of sensor data indicating a revised location of the target structure.

31 . The system of claim 30 wherein the sensor data includes ultrasound sensor data representing the location of the target structure relative to the distal end of the interventional instrument.

32 . The system of claim 30 wherein the sensor data includes OCT sensor data representing the location of the target structure relative to the distal end of the interventional instrument.

33 . The system of claim 30 further comprising instructions for identifying a plurality of optional deployment locations on walls of the plurality of passageways, the plurality of optional deployment locations coded to provide information about the relative quality of the plurality of planned deployment locations for deploying the interventional instrument to perform the procedure, wherein the plurality of optional deployment locations includes the planned deployment location.

34 . The system of claim 19 wherein the procedure is a biopsy procedure.

35 . The system of claim 19 wherein identifying a planned deployment includes receiving a clinician-identified deployment location.

36 . The system of claim 35 further comprising instructions for providing an alert indicating that the clinician-identified deployment location is objectionable.

37 . The system of claim 19 wherein at the planned deployment location an approach angle between a distal tip of the interventional instrument and a passageway wall is between approximately 30 and 90 degrees.

38 . A method of planning a interventional procedure using an interventional tool deployed from a catheter, the method performed by a processing system, the method comprising:

receiving a model of an anatomic structure, the anatomic structure including a plurality of passageways;

identifying a target structure in the model;

receiving information about the extension length of the interventional tool relative to a distal tip of the catheter; and

based upon the received information about the extension length of the interventional tool, identifying a planned deployment location for positioning the distal tip of the catheter to perform the interventional procedure on the target structure.

40 . A method of performing an interventional procedure, the method performed by a processing system, the method comprising:

receiving a model of an anatomic structure, the anatomic structure including a plurality of passageways;

identifying a target structure in the model;

identifying a planned deployment location for positioning a distal tip of the interventional instrument;

operating a sensor to generate an operative image of the target structure; and

identifying a revised deployment location for positioning a distal tip of the interventional instrument to perform the interventional procedure on the target structure, based at least in part on the operative image of the target structure.