Multifunctional visualization instrument with orientation control

1. A steerable introducer system, comprising:

a laryngoscope comprising:

a handle comprising a proximal end and a distal end;

a display screen on the handle;

a laryngoscope camera at the distal end of the handle;

a processor within the laryngoscope; and

a steering input located on the handle or the display screen; and

an introducer coupled to the handle and comprising:

an introducer camera;

a distal steerable portion that is steerable based on the steering input;

an orientation sensor within the distal steerable portion of the introducer;

wherein the processor within the laryngoscope is programmed to execute instructions for:

receiving, from the orientation sensor, an orientation signal indicating an orientation of a distal end of the introducer; and

receiving from the steering input a steering command in a first reference frame, and mapping the steering command from the first reference frame to a second reference frame oriented to the distal end of the introducer based on the orientation signal.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further programmed to execute instructions for generating a control signal for steering the introducer according to the mapped steering command.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the second reference frame is defined by an angular offset from the first reference frame.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein mapping the steering command to the second reference frame comprises adjusting the steering command by the angular offset.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first reference frame is defined by a user input.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first reference frame is defined by automatic image recognition.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the processor is programmed to receive an image from the laryngoscope camera to identify a feature of the image to perform the automatic image recognition.

8. The system of claim 6 , wherein:

the processor is programmed to receive an image from the introducer camera at the distal end of the introducer to identify a feature of the image to perform the automatic image recognition.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the display screen displays an image from the laryngoscope camera in the first reference frame.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein:

the display screen displays an image from the introducer camera at the distal end of the introducer in the first reference frame.

11. The steerable introducer system of claim 1 , wherein the orientation sensor is an accelerometer.

12. The steerable introducer system of claim 1 , wherein the first reference frame is defined by gravity.

13. The steerable introducer system of claim 1 , wherein the first reference frame is centered on a patient.

14. The steerable introducer system of claim 5 , wherein the user input defines a custom reference frame as the first reference frame.

15. The steerable introducer system of claim 1 , wherein the introducer is a flexible endoscope.

16. The steerable introducer system of claim 1 , wherein the introducer has a tubular housing, and the orientation sensor is located within the tubular housing.

17. The steerable introducer system of claim 1 , wherein the introducer camera is co-located with the orientation sensor.

18. The steerable introducer system of claim 1 , wherein the steering command is for a first direction in the first reference frame, and movement of the distal steerable portion, in response to the steering command, is in a second direction in the first reference frame.

19. The steerable introducer system of claim 1 , wherein the orientation sensor is an inertial measurement unit.