Catheter with removable vision probe

1. A medical system comprising:

a catheter having a main lumen and a distal tip configured to be positioned in a working configuration at a working location;

a sensor system coupled to the catheter to generate measurement signals associated with the catheter;

a control system, wherein the control system is configured to receive the measurement signals from the sensor system, wherein the control system is operable to identify from the received measurement signals the working configuration of the distal tip of the catheter; and

wherein the control system is configured to control at least one degree of freedom of the distal tip of the catheter to maintain the working configuration of the distal tip of the catheter based on a selected stiffness mode and the received measurement signals, and wherein the selected stiffness mode determines the at least one degree of freedom of the distal tip of the catheter to be controlled by the control system.

2. The medical system of claim 1 wherein the distal tip of the catheter is steerable to adjust the working configuration of the distal tip.

3. The medical system of claim 1 wherein the catheter includes an isolated bend section.

4. The medical system of claim 3 wherein the isolated bend section is formed with Nitinol.

5. The medical system of claim 1 wherein the catheter includes a mechanical system connected to control the working configuration of the distal tip.

6. The medical system of claim 1 wherein the sensor system includes at least one of an electromagnetic sensor or an optical fiber shape sensor.

7. The medical system of claim 1 further comprising a probe sized to extend within the main lumen, wherein the control system includes at least one of an electrical or a mechanical system configured to identify the probe.

8. The medical system of claim 7 wherein the probe is removable from the main lumen.

9. The medical system of claim 7 , further comprising a keying system configured to fix the probe in a known orientation relative to the catheter, wherein the keying system is configured to maintain the probe in the known orientation when the probe is extended beyond the distal tip of the catheter.

10. The medical system of claim 9 , wherein the keying system includes at least one of a spring, a fixed protrusion, a latch, or a notch associated with the probe and configured to cooperate with a corresponding complementary notch or feature associated with the catheter to fix the probe into the known orientation relative to the catheter.

11. The medical system of claim 1 wherein the sensor system includes a sensor component extending within a sensor lumen of the catheter, the sensor lumen spaced apart from the main lumen.

12. The medical system of claim 1 , wherein actuation tendons of the catheter are mechanically coupled with a transmission of a drive interface, wherein the transmission converts movements of actuators into movements of the actuation tendons.

13. The medical system of claim 1 , wherein the selected stiffness mode includes at least one of:

a position stiffness mode configured to cause the control system to control the at least one degree of freedom of the distal tip of the catheter based on a comparison of a measured position of the distal tip of the catheter and a desired tip position of the distal tip of the catheter;

an orientation stiffness mode configured to cause the control system to control the at least one degree of freedom of the distal tip of the catheter based on a comparison of a measured orientation of the distal tip of the catheter to a desired orientation of the distal tip of the catheter;

a target position stiffness mode configured to cause the control system to control the at least one degree of freedom of the distal tip of the catheter based on the measured position of the distal tip of the catheter and the measured orientation of the distal tip of the catheter; or

a target axial motion stiffness mode configured to cause the control system to control the at least one degree of freedom of the distal tip of the catheter based on the measured position of the distal tip of the catheter and the measured orientation of the distal tip of the catheter.

14. A method for operating a medical system, the method comprising:

positioning a catheter in a working configuration at a working location, wherein the catheter has a main lumen and a distal tip;

receiving, by a control system, measurement signals from a sensor system coupled to the catheter and in communication with the control system;

selecting a stiffness mode, wherein the selected stiffness mode determines at least one degree of freedom of the distal tip to be controlled by the control system;

identifying, by the control system, from the received measurement signals the working configuration of the distal tip;

removing a first probe from the main lumen of the catheter;

inserting a second probe into the main lumen vacated by the first probe; and

controlling, by the control system, at least one degree of freedom of the distal tip of the catheter to maintain the working configuration of the distal tip of the catheter based on the selected stiffness mode and the received measurement signals.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising operating a mechanical system to control the working configuration of the distal tip.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein receiving measurement signals from the sensor system includes receiving the measurement signals from at least one of an electromagnetic sensor or an optical fiber shape sensor.

17. The method of claim 14

wherein the first probe

comprises a vision probe.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising:

holding, by the control system, based on the selected stiffness mode and the received measurement signals, the working configuration during removal of the first probe and insertion of the second probe.

19. The method of claim 17 , further comprising fixing, by a keying system, the second probe in a known orientation relative to the catheter, wherein the keying system is configured to maintain the second probe in the known orientation when the second probe is extended beyond the distal tip of the catheter.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the keying system includes at least one of a spring, a fixed protrusion, a latch, or a notch associated with the second probe and configured to cooperate with a corresponding complementary notch or feature associated with the catheter to fix the second probe in the known orientation relative to the catheter.

21. The method of claim 14 , further comprising mechanically coupling actuation tendons of the catheter with a transmission of a drive interface, wherein the transmission converts movements of actuators into movements of the actuation tendons.

22. The method of claim 14 , wherein selecting the stiffness mode includes selecting at least one of:

a position stiffness mode configured to cause the control system to control the at least one degree of freedom of the distal tip of the catheter based on a comparison of a measured position of the distal tip of the catheter and a desired tip position of the distal tip of the catheter;

an orientation stiffness mode configured to cause the control system to control the at least one degree of freedom of the distal tip of the catheter based on a comparison of a measured orientation of the distal tip of the catheter to a desired orientation of the distal tip of the catheter;

a target position stiffness mode configured to cause the control system to control the at least one degree of freedom of the distal tip of the catheter based on the measured position of the distal tip of the catheter and the measured orientation of the distal tip of the catheter; or

a target axial motion stiffness mode configured to cause the control system to control the at least one degree of freedom of the distal tip of the catheter based on the measured position of the distal tip of the catheter and the measured orientation of the distal tip of the catheter.