IP Library › Granted Patent US 11,883,312
Granted Patent B2
US 11,883,312 · App. 17/899,687 · Granted Jan 30, 2024

Methods and systems for using computer-vision to enhance surgical tool control during surgeries

Inventors: Andre Chow (London, GB); Danail Stoyanov (London, GB); Imanol Luengo Muntion (London, GB); Petros Giataganas (London, GB); Jean Nehme (London, GB)
Assignee: DIGITAL SURGERY LIMITED
A61F5/0076A61B1/000096A61B17/068A61B17/320016A61B17/320092A61B34/10G05B19/4155G06F18/217G06N20/00G06V10/70G06V20/41A61B2017/00061A61B2017/00119A61B2017/00199A61B2017/00212A61B2017/320082A61B2017/320095A61B2034/107G05B2219/36414G06V2201/034
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 11,883,312
App. No.
17/899,687
Granted
Jan 30, 2024
Kind
B2
Abstract

The present disclosure relates to systems and methods that use computer-vision processing systems to improve patient safety during surgical procedures. Computer-vision processing systems may train machine-learning models using machine-learning techniques. The machine-learning techniques can be executed to train the machine-learning models to recognize, classify, and interpret objects within a live video feed. Certain embodiments of the present disclosure can control (or facilitate control of) surgical tools during surgical procedures using the trained machine-learning models.

Claims (44)

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving one or more data streams, each of the one or more data streams having been generated at and received from an electronic device configured and positioned to capture live video within a field of view during a particular surgical procedure being performed using one or more surgical tools, the one or more data streams including a sequence of images of the live video within the field of view;

inputting the one or more data streams into one or more models trained to recognize surgical tools and anatomical structures from image data;

in response to inputting the one or more data streams into the one or more models, detecting a surgical tool and detecting an anatomical structure from the sequence of images of the one or more data streams, the detection of the surgical tool and the anatomical structure being performed by utilizing the one or more models from the sequence of images of the live video, and the detection of the surgical tool indicating an orientation of the surgical tool in relation to the anatomical structure;

in response to the surgical tool being in a specific articulation, position, or orientation in relation to the anatomical structure, regulating performance of at least a first function of the surgical tool; and

in response to the surgical tool not being in the specific articulation, position, or orientation in relation to the anatomical structure, ceasing regulation of the performance of the at least the first function of the surgical tool.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein regulating the surgical tool comprises causing the surgical tool to disable the first function.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the orientation of the surgical tool in relation to the anatomical structure is determined in response to detecting the anatomical structure.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the first function is a cutting function.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4 , wherein the surgical tool is an ultrasonic shears.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 4 , wherein the specific articulation, position, or orientation comprises the surgical tool being within a predetermined angle range of the anatomical structure.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the specific articulation, position, or orientation comprises the surgical tool being angled away from the anatomical structure.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:

detecting an object from the sequence of images of the live video, the object being detected by utilizing the one or more models to recognize the object from the sequence of images;

determining a distance between the surgical tool and the object;

comparing the determined distance to a threshold distance; and

regulating performance of the first function of the surgical tool based on the comparison of the determined distance and the threshold distance.

9. A system, comprising:

one or more data processors; and

a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium containing instructions which, when executed on the one or more data processors, cause the one or more data processors to perform operations comprising:

receiving one or more data streams, each of the one or more data streams having been generated at and received from an electronic device configured and positioned to capture live video within a field of view during a particular surgical procedure being performed using one or more surgical tools, the one or more data streams including a sequence of images of the live video within the field of view;

detecting, from the one or more data streams, using one or more models trained to recognize surgical tools, a surgical tool, the detection of the surgical tool indicating an orientation of the surgical tool;

in response to the surgical tool being in a specific articulation, position, or orientation, regulating performance of a first function of the surgical tool; and

in response to the surgical tool not being in the specific articulation, position, or orientation, ceasing regulation of the performance of the first function of the surgical tool.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the operations further comprising:

detecting by one or more models trained to recognize anatomical structures, an anatomical structure from the one or more data streams;

in response to detecting the anatomical structure, determining the specific articulation, position, or orientation of the surgical tool in relation to the anatomical structure; and

regulating the performance of the first function of the surgical tool based on the specific articulation, position, or orientation of the surgical tool in relation to the anatomical structure.

11. The system of claim 9 , wherein regulating the performance of the first function comprises disabling the first function.

12. The system of claim 9 , wherein the surgical tool is an ultrasonic shears.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the first function is a cutting function.

14. The system of claim 9 , wherein the specific articulation, position, or orientation of the surgical tool comprises the surgical tool being pointed upwards.

15. The system of claim 9 , wherein the operations further comprise:

identifying that the particular surgical procedure comprises a plurality of sequential phases;

determining that the first function is to be performed during a phase of the plurality of sequential phases of the particular surgical procedure;

detecting that the particular surgical procedure is in the phase of the plurality of sequential phases, the phase being detected by utilizing one or more models to recognize the phase from the sequence of images; and

in response to detecting that the particular surgical procedure is in the phase of the plurality of sequential phases, facilitating controlling the surgical tool to perform or to regulate performance of the first function.

16. A computer program product tangibly embodied in a non-transitory machine-readable storage medium, including instructions configured to cause a data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:

receiving one or more data streams, each of the one or more data streams having been generated at and received from an electronic device configured and positioned to capture live video within a field of view during a particular surgical procedure being performed using one or more surgical tools, the one or more data streams including a sequence of images of the live video within the field of view; and

in response to recognizing a surgical tool from the sequence of images of the one or more data streams of the live video, the surgical tool being within the field of view, outputting one or more commands for controlling the surgical tool to perform or to regulate performance of a first function based on an articulation, position, or orientation of the surgical tool in the field of view.

17. The computer program product of claim 16 , wherein regulating performance of the first function comprises disabling the first function in response to the surgical tool being in a specific articulation, position, or orientation.

18. The computer program product of claim 17 , wherein the surgical tool is in the specific articulation, position, or orientation in relation to an anatomical structure.

19. The computer program product of claim 18 , wherein the specific articulation, position, or orientation indicates that the surgical tool is angled away from the anatomical structure.

20. The computer program product of claim 19 , wherein performance of the first function comprises enabling the first function in response to the surgical tool being within a trocar.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 31, 2022
From: CHOW, ANDRE; STOYANOV, DANAIL V.; LUENGO MUNTION, IMANOL; GIATAGANAS, PETROS; NEHME, JEAN
To: DIGITAL SURGERY LIMITED
Reel/Frame 060946/0617 →
Continuity (3)
Continuation 16933454 · Jul 20, 2020
Continuation 16511978 · Jul 15, 2019
Related Publication 20220409285A1 · Dec 29, 2022