System and method for detecting critical structures using ultrasound

1. A system comprising:

a laparoscopic surgical instrument including at least one ultrasound transducer; and

a processor adapted to receive acoustic data from the ultrasound transducer and process the acoustic data from the ultrasound transducer to produce a graphical representation of the acoustic data, the graphical representation depicting echoic attributes of tissue substantially axially aligned with a transmission path of the at least one ultrasound transducer, and the distance of at least one tissue type having different echoic attributes from surrounding tissue form a distal tip of the laparoscopic surgical instrument;

wherein the graphical representation includes a real-time visual ruler displaying dynamically changing data corresponding to changing depictions of the graphical representation.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the graphical representation depicts a location of one or more lumens in axial alignment with the transmission path of the at least one ultrasound transducer.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the graphical representation depicts a lumen with flowing blood.

4. The system of claim 2 , wherein the graphical representation depicts a fluid filled lumen.

5. The system of claim 2 , wherein Doppler ultrasound is employed to identify a direction of flow in the one or more lumens.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor employs at least one of an A-mode, B-mode, or M-mode ultrasound to generate the graphical representation.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one ultrasound transducer is integrated into the laparoscopic surgical instrument.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the visual ruler provides a macro-shape and a position of one or more lumens in axial alignment with the transmission path of the at least one ultrasound transducer.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor employs Color Doppler ultrasound.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor employs Power Doppler ultrasound.

11. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a tracking element, wherein the tracking element provides data to the processor enabling the processor to determine a location, speed and direction data of the laparoscopic surgical instrument.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the tracking element is selected from the group consisting of a robotic system, a strobe, a static fiducial element, a trackball affixed to the distal end of the laparoscopic surgical instrument, and an optical motion sensor.

13. The system of claim 11 , further comprising an optical imaging element outputting an optical image to a display.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the processor incorporates the location, speed, and direction data received from the tracking element and outputs to the display the visual ruler.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein an area of the visual ruler representing movement of the laparoscopic surgical instrument across the optical image is shown in a first color.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein an area of the visual ruler representing a detected fluid filled lumen is depicted in a second color.

17. The system of claim 13 , wherein the display further comprises an ultrasound image depicting a cross-sectional view of tissue across which the laparoscopic surgical instrument has been drawn.

18. The system of claim 17 , wherein the visual ruler is incorporated into a graphical user interface (GUI) of an electrosurgical generator.

19. The system of claim 18 , wherein the dynamically changing data relates to pulsing of one or more lumens depicted in the graphical representation.