Patent ID: 8845524
Filing Date: 2014-09-30
Classification: A61B

Abstract:
1. A system for determining the shape of an instrument during or after insertion of the instrument into a body cavity, comprising: an instrument having an elongate body comprising a selectively steerable distal tip, and a plurality of automatically controlled segments proximal to said selectively steerable distal tip; at least one motor in each segment of the plurality of automatically controlled segments; a segment controller associated with each of said plurality of automatically controlled segments, wherein each segment controller provides angular position data for the at least one motor in the segment with which it is associated and controls the at least one motor in each segment; a controller in communication with each segment controller using a communication channel; and an axial motion transducer that provides axial position data of said elongate body to said controller; wherein said controller in communication with each segment controller generates a three dimensional model of the shape of said instrument within said body cavity using information from the axial motion transducer and angular position data of each segment controller.