Patent ID: 8041413

Claim:
An automated medical system, comprising: a first instrument assembly including a first robotically-controlled flexible guide catheter having an interior lumen and a distal end opening in communication with the interior lumen, and an imaging instrument positioned in and axially movable relative to, the interior lumen of the first guide catheter, wherein the ultrasound imaging instrument is configured to be extended out the distal end opening of the first guide catheter, the ultrasound imaging instrument carrying a first ultrasound imaging transducer having a first field of view and configured to transmit and receive ultrasound signals in imaging planes disposed circumferentially about the first robotically-controlled guide catheter; a second instrument assembly including a second robotically-controlled flexible guide catheter having an interior lumen and a distal end opening in communication with the interior lumen, a working instrument positioned in the interior lumen of the second guide catheter, and a second ultrasound imaging transducer coupled to one of the second guide catheter and the working instrument, the second ultrasound imaging transducer having a second field of view; and a computing system operatively coupled to the first and second ultrasound imaging transducers, wherein the computing system is configured to control and process ultrasound signals transmitted and received by the first and second ultrasound imaging transducers, and wherein the computing system is configured to determine a relative spatial orientation of the first and second ultrasound imaging transducers based at least in part on detecting a signal transmitted by one of the first and second ultrasound imaging transducers and received by the other of the first and second ultrasound imaging transducers and a determined position of the transmitting one of the ultrasound imaging transducers, the computing system configured to utilize a magnitude of an amplitude of a signal detected by the receiving one of the transducers to determine a transmission orientation of the transmitting one of the ultrasound imaging transducers relative to the receiving one of the ultrasound imaging transducers.