IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,582,475
Granted Patent B2
US 12,582,475 · App. 17/254,906 · Granted Mar 24, 2026

Hybrid simulation model for simulating medical procedures

Inventors: Prasad V. Upadrasta (San Jose, CA); Joey Chau (Cupertino, CA); May Quo-Mei Liu (Hillsborough, NC)
Assignee: INTUITIVE SURGICAL OPERATIONS, INC.
A61B34/10A61B34/25A61B2034/104A61B2034/105A61B2034/107A61B2034/256
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,582,475
App. No.
17/254,906
Granted
Mar 24, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method and apparatus for simulating a medical procedure to be performed on a patient. Patient-specific data that is specific to the patient on whom the medical procedure is to be performed is received. A generic model is modified using the patient-specific data to generate a hybrid simulation model that is customized to the patient. A simulation of the medical procedure is performed using the hybrid simulation model and dynamic simulation information corresponding to at least one of the medical procedure or the patient. The simulation is customized to both the patient and the medical procedure.

Claims (61)

1 . A method for simulating a medical procedure to be performed on a patient, the method comprising:

receiving patient-specific data that is specific to the patient on whom the medical procedure is to be performed;

modifying a generic model using the patient-specific data to generate a hybrid simulation model that is customized to the patient; and

performing a simulation of the medical procedure prior to the medical procedure using the hybrid simulation model and dynamic simulation information, wherein the dynamic simulation information includes information about one or more parameters expected to change during the medical procedure and corresponds to at least one of the medical procedure or the patient, wherein the simulation is customized to both the patient and the medical procedure,

wherein performing the simulation comprises:

simulating, dynamically, the medical procedure using the hybrid simulation model and the dynamic simulation information such that a patient anatomy of the patient is represented with a gradient of levels of fidelity, wherein a level of fidelity of anatomical structures in the hybrid simulation model decreases during the simulation as a distance from a surgical path of the medical procedure increases.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein performing the simulation comprises:

rendering a first portion of the hybrid simulation model representing a patient anatomy of the patient that interacts with the medical procedure at a level of fidelity that is higher than a level of fidelity at which a second portion of the hybrid simulation model representing the patient anatomy that does not interact with the medical procedure at any step of the medical procedure.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein performing the simulation comprises:

adjusting a visualization of the hybrid simulation model during the simulation to account for effects of simulated interactions between anatomical structures and instruments based on the dynamic simulation information.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein performing the simulation comprises:

rendering the hybrid simulation model to provide a visualization of the hybrid simulation model on a display system;

receiving input during the simulation; and

updating the hybrid simulation model and the dynamic simulation information based on the input.

5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein performing the simulation further comprises:

controlling the visualization of the hybrid simulation model during the simulation of the medical procedure based on the updated hybrid simulation model and the updated dynamic simulation information.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the dynamic simulation information includes physiological parameter data, instrument position information, field of view information, and patient pose information.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the patient-specific data includes patient diagnostic data that includes at least one of preoperative imaging data, physical exam data, a geometry of a set of target areas, or a geometry of anatomical structures adjacent to the set of target areas.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the patient-specific data includes anthropometric data that includes a height measurement, a weight measurement, and anatomical landmark measurements.

9 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

selecting the generic model from a database system, wherein the generic model is of either a representative patient or a representative group of patients.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the generic model is of a representative patient having anthropometric measurements within a selected range of the patient.

11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein performing the simulation comprises:

adjusting how one or more anatomical structures of a patient anatomy of the patient deform in response to changes to a pose of the patient during the simulation of the medical procedure.

12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein performing the simulation comprises:

adjusting a visualization of the hybrid simulation model during the simulation to represent changes in a position of an imaging instrument relative to one or more anatomical structures of a patient anatomy of the patient to assist with training for or rehearsing the medical procedure.

13 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

computing simulation data based on the simulation of the medical procedure.

14 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising:

modifying the hybrid simulation model based on the simulation data computed to form an updated hybrid simulation model; and

modifying the dynamic simulation information based on the simulation data computed to form updated dynamic simulation information.

15 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising:

performing a new simulation of the medical procedure using the updated hybrid simulation model and the updated dynamic simulation information.

16 . The method of claim 1 , wherein modifying the generic model using the patient-specific data comprises:

modifying a representation of each of a plurality of anatomical structures in the generic model along a surgical path along which the medical procedure is to be performed based on the patient-specific data received to thereby generate the hybrid simulation model.

17 . A simulation system comprising:

a processor configured to:

receive patient-specific data that is specific to a patient on whom a medical procedure is to be performed;

modify a generic model using the patient-specific data to generate a hybrid simulation model that is customized to the patient; and

perform a simulation of the medical procedure prior to the medical procedure using the hybrid simulation model and dynamic simulation information, wherein the dynamic simulation information includes information about one or more parameters expected to change during the medical procedure and corresponds to at least one of the medical procedure or the patient, wherein the simulation is customized to both the patient and the medical procedure,

wherein performing the simulation comprises:

adjusting how one or more anatomical structures of a patient anatomy of the patient deform in response to changes to a pose of the patient during the simulation of the medical procedure.

18 . The simulation system of claim 17 , wherein the processor is further configured to dynamically simulate the medical procedure using the hybrid simulation model and the dynamic simulation information to represent a patient anatomy of the patient with a gradient of levels of fidelity, and wherein a level of fidelity of anatomical structures in the hybrid simulation model decreases during the simulation as a distance from a surgical path of the medical procedure increases.

19 . The simulation system of claim 17 , wherein the processor is further configured to adjust a visualization of the hybrid simulation model during the simulation to account for effects of simulated interactions between anatomical structures and instruments used in the medical procedure based on the dynamic simulation information.

20 . The simulation system of claim 17 , wherein the dynamic simulation information includes physiological parameter data, instrument position information, field of view information, and patient pose information.

21 . The simulation system of claim 17 , wherein the patient-specific data includes patient diagnostic data that includes at least one of preoperative imaging data, physical exam data, a geometry of a set of target areas, or a geometry of anatomical structures adjacent to the set of target areas.

22 . The simulation system of claim 17 , wherein the patient-specific data includes anthropometric data that includes a height measurement, a weight measurement, and anatomical landmark measurements.

23 . The simulation system of claim 17 , wherein the processor is further configured to retrieve the generic model from a database system and wherein the generic model is of either a representative patient or a representative group of patients.

24 . The simulation system of claim 17 , wherein the generic model is of a representative patient having anthropometric measurements within a selected range of the patient.

25 . The simulation system of claim 17 , wherein the processor is further configured to adjust how one or more anatomical structures of a patient anatomy of the patient deform in response to changes to a pose of a patient bed during the simulation of the medical procedure.

26 . The simulation system of claim 17 , wherein the processor is further configured to adjust a visualization of the hybrid simulation model to represent changes in a location of an endoscope relative to one or more anatomical structures of a patient anatomy of the patient during the simulation of the medical procedure.

27 . A method for simulating a medical procedure to be performed on a patient, the method comprising:

receiving anthropometric data and patient diagnostic data for the patient;

selecting a generic model of a representative patient from a database system;

modifying the generic model based on the anthropometric data and the patient diagnostic data to generate a hybrid simulation model that is customized to the patient; and

performing a simulation of the medical procedure prior to the medical procedure using the hybrid simulation model and dynamic simulation information, wherein the dynamic simulation information includes information about one or more parameters expected to change during the medical procedure and corresponds to at least one of the medical procedure or the patient,

wherein the simulation is customized to both the patient and the medical procedure,

wherein the simulation accounts for effects of simulated interactions between anatomical structures of the patient and instruments used in the medical procedure,

wherein the simulation dynamically adapts to each step of the medical procedure such that a portion of a patient anatomy of the patient that interacts with the medical procedure at the each step of the medical procedure is rendered at a higher level of fidelity, and

wherein performing the simulation comprises:

simulating, dynamically, the medical procedure using the hybrid simulation model and the dynamic simulation information such that a patient anatomy of the patient is represented with a gradient of levels of fidelity, wherein a level of fidelity of anatomical structures in the hybrid simulation model decreases during the simulation as a distance from a surgical path of the medical procedure increases.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 22, 2020
From: UPADRASTA, PRASAD V.; CHAU, JOEY; LIU, MAY QUO-MEI
To: INTUITIVE SURGICAL OPERATIONS, INC
Reel/Frame 054718/0329 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 62689584 · Jun 25, 2018
Related Publication 20210259776A1 · Aug 26, 2021
References Cited (11)
US 20170209071A1 · Zhao et al. · 2017 [cited by applicant]
US 20170216121A1 · White · 2017 [cited by examiner]
US 20170312031A1 · Amanatullah et al. · 2017 [cited by applicant]
CN 102346811A · 2012 [cited by applicant]
WO WO2016018646A1 · 2016 [cited by applicant]
WO WO2019119297A1 · 2019 [cited by examiner]
Pettersson et al. Simulation of patient specific cervical hip fracture surgery with a vol. haptic interface. IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Engineering, vol. 55, pp. 1255-1265. (Year: 2008). [cited by examiner]
English machine translation of WO 2019/119297A1. (Year: 2025). [cited by examiner]
International Preliminary Report on Patentability for Application No. PCT/2019/038911, mailed on Jan. 7, 2021, 09 pages. [cited by applicant]
International Search Report and Written Opinion for Application No. PCT/US2019/038911. mailed on Sep. 23, 2019, 14 pages. [cited by applicant]
Vertut, Jean and Phillipe Coiffet, Robot Technology: Teleoperation and Robotics Evolution and Development, English translation, Prentice-Hall, Inc., Inglewood Cliffs, NJ, USA 1986, vol. 3A, 332 pages. [cited by applicant]