Patent ID: 8615288

Claim:
A system for robotically controlling movement of a human-controllable catheter, the system comprising: a human-controllable catheter comprising a distal end and at least one position sensor for generating or receiving signals used for determining six dimensions of location and orientation information of the distal end of the catheter; a robotic control mechanism for holding and manipulating the human-controllable catheter; a computer operatively communicating with the robotic control mechanism for driving the robotic control mechanism to: (i) translationally move a distal end of the human-controllable catheter in a vicinity of a target, (ii) deflect a distal end of the human-controllable catheter, and (iii) rotate the human-controllable catheter in a vicinity of a target, the computer determining roll of the human-controllable catheter using six dimensions of location and orientation information based on signals generated or received from at least one position sensor on the human-controllable catheter.