IP Library Granted Patent US 12,283,062
Granted Patent B2
US 12,283,062 · App. 17/099,761 · Granted Apr 22, 2025

Method and system for providing surgical site measurement

Inventors: Kevin Andrew Hufford (Cary, NC); Tal Nir (Haifa, IL); Lior Alpert (Haifa, IL); Gal Wiezman (Haifa, IL); Alexander John Maret (Apex, NC); Mohan Nathan (Raleigh, NC)
Assignees: Asensus Surgical US, Inc.; Asensus Surgical Europe S.àR.L.
G06T7/529A61B90/06A61B90/361A61B90/37G06T7/0012G06T7/70G06T11/00A61B2090/061A61B2090/364G06T2207/20092G06T2207/30004
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,283,062
App. No.
17/099,761
Granted
Apr 22, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

A system for measuring distances within a surgical site includes a camera positionable to capture 3D image data corresponding to a treatment site. Using the image data, the system determines the relative 3D positions of identified measurement points at the treatment site captured in the images, and it estimates or determines the distance between the measurement points. Output is generated communicating the measured distances to the user. The measurement taken follows the 3D topography of the tissue positioned between the measurement points.

Claims (32)

1. A system for measuring distances within a surgical site, comprising:

a camera positionable in a body cavity to capture real time 3D images corresponding to a treatment site, the treatment site including a tissue surface having a topography;

a display configured to display the real time 3D images in real time with the tissue surface and topography visible on the display;

at least one processor and at least one memory, the at least one memory storing instructions executable by said at least one processor to:

identify, using computer vision analysis of the images, a predetermined portion of a first surgical instrument that is positioned in the body cavity at the treatment site and determine a 3D position of said predetermined portion of the first surgical instrument,

display a first overlay on the display in known proximity to the predetermined part of the first surgical instrument, such that the first overlay moves on the display to track movement of the predetermined part of the first surgical instrument, wherein a 3D position of the first overlay comprises a first measurement point;

determine a 3D position of a second measurement point in the treatment site captured in the images,

receive, while displaying the first overlay, input from a user observing the displayed real time images in real time, the input instructing the system to display a plane containing the first measurement point and the second measurement point,

display a graphical plane overlay over the displayed real time 3D images, the graphical plane overlay graphically representing the plane containing the first measurement point and the second measurement point, the displayed graphical plane overlay transecting the topography of the tissue surface visible on the display, and graphically depicting a measurement pathway where the plane transects the tissue surface,

estimate or determine a distance between the first measurement point and the second measurement point along the measurement pathway, and

generate output communicating the distance to the user.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the distance is a geodesic distance following the topography of tissue surfaces between the first measurement point and the second measurement point.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the output includes generating an overlay displaying the measured distances.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein:

the processor is further configured to

identify, using computer vision analysis of the images, a predetermined part of a second surgical instrument positioned at the treatment site and determine a 3D position of said predetermined part of the second surgical instrument,

display a second overlay on the display in known proximity to the predetermined part of the second surgical instrument, such that the second overlay moves on the display to track movement of the predetermined part of the second surgical instrument, wherein a 3D position of the second overlay comprises the second measurement point.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the instructions are executable by said at least one processor to:

receive user input to rotate the graphical plane overlay along a line extending between the first measurement point and the second measurement point;

rotate the displayed graphical plane overlay relative to the displayed real time 3D image to a rotated orientation on the display in response to the user input to rotate the graphical plane, and graphically depict a second measurement pathway on the rotated plane along the tissue surface where the graphical plane overlay in the rotated orientation transects the tissue surface; and

estimate or determine the distance between the first measurement point and the second measurement point along the tissue surface where the graphical plane overlay in the rotated orientation transects the tissue.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions are further executable by said at least one processor to receive input from the user identifying the second measurement point using a user input device.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions are further executable by said at least one processor to identify the second measurement point using computer vision.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first measurement point is on or a predetermined distance from the predetermined part of the surgical instrument disposed at the treatment site.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the first measurement point is a point offset from a distal end of the first surgical instrument by a predetermined distance.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions are executable by said at least one processor to:

receive user input to rotate the graphical plane overlay along a line extending between the first measurement point and the second measurement point;

rotate the displayed graphical plane overlay relative to the displayed real time 3D image to a rotated orientation on the display in response to the user input to rotate the graphical plane, and graphically depict a second measurement pathway on the rotated plane along the tissue surface where the graphical plane overlay in the rotated orientation transects the tissue surface; and

estimate or determine the distance between the first measurement point and the second measurement point along the tissue surface where the graphical plane overlay in the rotated orientation transects the tissue.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the instructions are executable by said at least one processor to display an overlay showing points of transection between the graphical plane overlay and the tissue surface.

12. The system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions are executable by said at least one processor to receive user input specifying a location for the second measurement point.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the instructions are executable by said at least one processor to display a second overlay on the display at a location corresponding to the 3D location of the second measurement point.

Assignments (3)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 4, 2025
From: ASENSUS SURGICAL US, INC.
To: KARL STORZ SE & CO. KG
Reel/Frame 073841/0423 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Dec 31, 2024
From: ASENSUS SURGICAL, INC.; ASENSUS SURGICAL US, INC.; ASENSUS SURGICAL EUROPE S.À R.L.; ASENSUS SURGICAL ITALIA S.R.L.
To: KARL STORZ SE & CO. KG
Reel/Frame 069795/0381 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 22, 2024
From: HUFFORD, KEVIN ANDREW; NIR, TAL; ALPERT, LIOR; WIEZMAN, GAL; MARET, ALEXANDER JOHN; NATHAN, MOHAN
To: ASENSUS SURGICAL US, INC.
Reel/Frame 066526/0476 →
Continuity (3)
Provisional Application 63088409 · Oct 6, 2020
Provisional Application 62935585 · Nov 14, 2019
Related Publication 20210256719A1 · Aug 19, 2021
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