Patent ID: 7627361

Claim:
A method of operating a navigation system that can orient the distal end of a medical device in a selected direction at a plurality of intervals along a portion of a body lumen, to navigate the medical device through a portion of a body lumen in an operating region in a subject, the method comprising: using a computer to perform the following steps: identifying a plurality of spaced apart nodes that define a centerline along a desired path through a portion of the body lumen in the operating region; selecting a node from the plurality of spaced apart nodes as a desired target location on the identified path; backtracking at least a predetermined distance from the selected node, such that a length of the centerline is chosen for calculation of a deflection angle; selecting a set of nodes within the predetermined distance preceding the selected node; determining the distal end location of the medical device; determining a distal end deflection angle at which to orient the distal end of the medical device based on the selected set of nodes, to obtain a good alignment of the distal end with the centerline of the path; and computing control variables, based on the determined distal end deflection angle, that are applied to the navigation system to operate the navigation system to orient the distal end of the medical device in a direction along the path and advancing the distal end of the medical device; and repeating the steps of determining the distal end location, determining a distal end deflection angle, and computing control variables for operating the navigation system for orienting the distal end at a plurality of intervals along the body lumen, to navigate the medical device through the body lumen.