METHOD FOR OPERATING A SURGICAL SYSTEM

Abstract

A method including: upon or during the insertion of an endoscope shaft into a trocar sleeve, detecting first brightness values at a distal end of the endoscope shaft by an image sensor over time and detecting a first temporal brightness profile depending on the detected first brightness values and the time, and/or upon or during the withdrawal of the endoscope shaft from the trocar sleeve, detecting second brightness values at the distal end of the endoscope shaft by the image sensor over time and detecting a second temporal brightness profile depending on the detected second brightness values and the time.

Claims

1. A method comprising one or more of: upon or during insertion of an endoscope shaft into a trocar sleeve, detecting first brightness values at a distal end of the endoscope shaft by an image sensor over time and detecting a first temporal brightness profile depending on the detected first brightness values and the time, and upon or during withdrawal of the endoscope shaft from the trocar sleeve, detecting second brightness values at the distal end of the endoscope shaft by the image sensor over time and detecting a second temporal brightness profile depending on the detected second brightness values and the time.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising determining a passage of the distal end of the endoscope shaft through a distal opening of the trocar sleeve based on the first temporal brightness profile.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the determining of the passage of the distal end of the endoscope shaft through the distal opening of the trocar sleeve comprises completely determining the passage.

4. The method according to claim 2, further comprising, when determining the passage of the distal end of the endoscope shaft through the distal opening of the trocar sleeve, generating a time stamp for the passage of the distal end of the endoscope shaft.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising, determining a withdrawal of the distal end of the endoscope shaft from a proximal opening of the trocar sleeve based on the second temporal brightness profile.

6. The method according to claim 5, further comprising, when determining the withdrawal of the distal end of the endoscope shaft from the proximal opening of the trocar sleeve, generating a time stamp for the withdrawal of the distal end of the endoscope shaft.

7. The method according to claim 5, wherein, during or after determining the withdrawal of the distal end of the endoscope shaft from the proximal opening of the trocar sleeve, turning off or dimming the light generated by the light source.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising, when inserting the distal end of the endoscope shaft into the trocar sleeve, controlling the light strength of the light source based on the first temporal brightness.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the controlling is performed using a closed loop processor.

10. The method according to claim 1, further comprising ascertaining a reduction of the degree of transmission of the optical waveguide based on one or more of: the first brightness values by a comparison with a first brightness setpoint at a first predetermined position of the distal end of the endoscope shaft in the trocar sleeve; and the second brightness values by a comparison with a second brightness setpoint at a second predetermined position of the distal end of the endoscope shaft.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the ascertaining of the reduction of the degree of transmission of the optical waveguide is performed automatically.

12. The method according to claim 10, wherein the first brightness setpoint is a predetermined first brightness setpoint and the second brightness setpoint is a predetermined second brightness setpoint

13. The method according to claim 1, further comprising ascertaining a reduction of the degree of transmission of the optical waveguide (based on one or more of: the first temporal brightness profile by a comparison with a first brightness setpoint; and the second temporal brightness profile by comparing with a second brightness setpoint at a second predetermined position of the distal end of the endoscope shaft.

14. The method according to claim 1, wherein the image sensor comprises one of a CMOS sensor and a CCD sensor and digital brightness values of at least one pixel or an array of pixels or all pixels of the image sensors are detected by the image sensor.

15. The method according to claim 1, further comprising one or more of: first processing the first brightness values when inserting the distal end of the endoscope shaft and the first temporal brightness profile by a processor and second processing the second brightness values when withdrawing the distal end of the endoscope shaft and the second temporal brightness profile by the processor.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein one or more of the first and second processing is performed using an artificial neural network or a machine learning algorithm.

17. The method according to claim 1, wherein one or more of the detecting of the first and second temporal brightness profile is performed automatically.

18. A surgical system comprising: a processor comprising hardware, the processor being configured to one or more of: upon or during insertion of an endoscope shaft into a trocar sleeve, detecting first brightness values at a distal end of the endoscope shaft by an image sensor over time and detecting a first temporal brightness profile depending on the detected first brightness values and the time, and upon or during withdrawal of the endoscope shaft from the trocar sleeve, detecting second brightness values at the distal end of the endoscope shaft by the image sensor over time and detecting a second temporal brightness profile depending on the detected second brightness values and the time.

19. Non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that cause a computer to one of: upon or during the insertion of the endoscope shaft into the trocar sleeve, detect first brightness values at the distal end of the endoscope shaft by an image sensor over time and detect a first temporal brightness profile depending on the detected first brightness values and the time, and upon or during the withdrawal of the endoscope shaft from the trocar sleeve, detect second brightness values at the distal end of the endoscope shaft by the image sensor over time and detect a second temporal brightness profile depending on the detected second brightness values and the time.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0035] Further features will become evident from the description of embodiments, together with the claims and the appended drawings. Embodiments can fulfill individual features or a combination of several features.

[0036] The embodiments are described below, without restricting the general idea of the invention, based on exemplary embodiments in reference to the drawings, whereby we expressly refer to the drawings with regard to the disclosure of all details that are not explained in greater detail in the text. In the drawings:

[0037] FIG. 1 illustrates a schematic diagram of a system;

[0038] FIG. 2 schematically illustrates a diagram with a temporal brightness profile when inserting an endoscope into a trocar sleeve;

[0039] FIG. 3 schematically illustrates a diagram with a temporal brightness profile when withdrawing an endoscope from a trocar sleeve;

[0040] FIG. 4a schematically illustrates a temporal control behavior of a pulse width modulation signal for closed-loop control of the light strength of a light source in an intact, undamped optical waveguide of an endoscope; and

[0041] FIG. 4b schematically illustrates the temporal control behavior of a pulse width modulation signal for closed-loop control of the light strength of a light source in an optical waveguide of an endoscope with a low transmission.

[0042] In the drawings, the same or similar elements and/or parts are, in each case, provided with the same reference numerals such that they are not introduced again in each case.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0043] FIG. 1 schematically shows a system 20 according to an exemplary embodiment. In the exemplary embodiment shown, the system 20 comprises an endoscope 32 which is inserted through a trocar sleeve 24 through an abdominal wall 2 into the insufflated abdominal cavity 4 of a patient. Trocars or respectively trocar sleeves are instruments with the aid of which access to the abdomen or chest area is created sharply or bluntly and held open by a tube. The means for opening the access are removed from the tube of the trocar sleeve 24 before the endoscope 32 is inserted into the abdomen from the outside through the tube of the trocar sleeve 24.

[0044] The means for insufflating the abdominal cavity 4 are not shown in FIG. 1. The endoscope 32 serves to illuminate and observe an organ 6 and has a handle 34 with which it can be grasped and operated during the examination.

[0045] In the exemplary embodiment shown, the endoscope 32 is configured as a laparoscope. On its handle 34, the laparoscope has a lateral connection for an optical waveguide 46 via which it is connected to a light source 44. In the inside of the endoscope 32, the light is conveyed to the distal tip of the endoscope 32, where it exits to illuminate the organ 6. The light source 44 can be configured so that it can also generate white illuminating light and/or excitation light in the infrared range or contains a light source for white illuminating light. Both the white illuminating light and the excitation light can then reach the endoscope 32 through the optical wave guide 46. The handle 34 of the endoscope 32 also has an activation actuation element 35, with the actuation of which a user requests that the light source 44 generates light.

[0046] On the proximal end, the endoscope 32 has an eyepiece, to which a video head 36 is connected. The video head 36 is connected via an electrical supply line 38 to the control unit 42 (processor/controller) of the control system 40, which in addition can also comprise the light source 44 and the HF generator. Many of these components can also be implemented in a control device with a common housing. The control unit 42 has an image evaluation unit (not shown), which is configured to process the images captured by the video head 36 and is connected to a display device 50 or respectively a monitor to display them.

[0047] The trocar sleeve 24 shown in FIG. 1 has an elongated hollow shaft, through which the elongated endoscope shaft of the endoscope 32 is inserted and accommodated, the distal end of which is arranged in the interior of the abdominal cavity. The proximal end of the trocar sleeve 24 is widened on the outside and is configured with a head part.

[0048] FIG. 2 schematically illustrates the temporal brightness profile when inserting an endoscope into a trocar sleeve in an exemplary diagram. Here, the relative brightness over time is shown. The brightness values measured at an image sensor 36 are shown as relative values.

[0049] When inserting the distal tip of the endoscope, the brightness initially increases, since the light from the proximal end of the trocar sleeve is reflected in the head part (cf. image a). The relative brightness then decreases until the distal tip is positioned at an elastic ring on the input side of the hollow shaft at a transition between the proximal-side head part and the distal-side hollow shaft (cf. image b)). After the distal tip of the endoscope has passed the ring, the relative brightness increases again (cf. image c)). After that, the reflection decreases for a short time (cf. image d)). Then the distal tip of the endoscope is guided through the hollow shaft of the trocar sleeve in the direction of the distal end or respectively the distal opening of the trocar sleeve so that the brightness increases (cf. image e)). When the distal tip of the endoscope enters, for example, an abdomen after the distal opening of the trocar sleeve, the brightness at the tip sinks for a short time (cf. image f)).

[0050] The temporal brightness profile shown in FIG. 2 is characteristic of the insertion of an endoscope into a trocar sleeve. Here, the relative (automatic) image brightness is shown in FIG. 2 without amplification.

[0051] FIG. 3 schematically shows the temporal brightness profile when removing or respectively withdrawing the endoscope from the trocar sleeve in an exemplary temporal brightness profile in a diagram.

[0052] After reaching a position of the distal tip of the endoscope at the distal end or respectively at the distal opening of the trocar sleeve (cf. image a)), the relative brightness initially decreases, since little light is reflected from the distal end region of the trocar sleeve (cf. image b)). When the endoscope is withdrawn further from the trocar sleeve, the brightness becomes greater until it reaches a maximum (cf. image c)) due to the reflectivity of the increasingly larger hollow space of the distal tip. After that, the relative brightness initially decreases, since a position on the ring at the transition between the distal (hollow) shaft region and the proximal head region is reached (cf. image d)). When the endoscope is withdrawn further, another minimum of the brightness in the region of the elastic ring in the transition between the hollow shaft and the head part of the trocar sleeve results due to the seal, wherein, after withdrawing the endoscope tip from the region of the seal between the proximal head region and the distal shaft region, the brightness increases again (cf. image f)). After that, the brightness decreases again due to the increasingly large distance between the distal tip and the proximal head region.

[0053] The brightness profile shown in FIG. 3 is characteristic of the automatic image brightness without amplification of the light and shows the characteristic light/dark switch when withdrawing the tip of an endoscope from a trocar sleeve.

[0054] Based on the exemplary temporal brightness profile in FIGS. 2 and 3, it can also be determined at which point in time the distal tip of the endoscope is completely inserted in the trocar sleeve and at which point in time the distal tip of the endoscope is completely withdrawn from the trocar sleeve. Due to these time stamps, the usage duration of the endoscope for a surgical procedure can then be determined exactly.

[0055] In FIG. 4a, 4b, the pulse width modulation signals (PWM signals) when inserting an endoscope tip into a trocar sleeve and when withdrawing the endoscope tip from the trocar sleeve are shown by way of example for an intact, undamped optical waveguide of the endoscope (cf. FIG. 4a) and for a defective or respectively worn optical waveguide of the endoscope with a lower transmission (cf. FIG. 4b).

[0056] The PWM signal controls the light strength of the light of a light source for the endoscope via a pulse-position ratio. The higher the pulse-position ratio is, the longer light per time is emitted and the brighter the illuminants are, e.g., LEDs of the light source. In the case of deteriorated light transmission (cf. FIG. 4b) of the optical waveguide of an endoscope, this ratio is higher because more light is required to compensate for the deteriorated transmission in the optical waveguide. It can be detected that the value of the PWM signal is higher in the case of deteriorated transmission.

[0057] When comparing the PWM signals of a light source for different optical waveguides of endoscopes shown by way of example in FIG. 4a and FIG. 4b, it can be established that, in the case of the optical waveguide with a deteriorated degree of transmission (cf. FIG. 4b), the values of the PWM signals for the light source are greater than the values of the PWM signals for the light source in the case of an intact optical waveguide (cf. FIG. 4a). This is both for the insertion of the endoscope into the trocar sleeve or respectively into the trocar and for the withdrawal of the endoscope from the trocar sleeve or respectively the trocar.

[0058] Based on the temporal curve of the light source control signal or respectively of the PWM signal as a function of time, it can be ascertained whether an optical waveguide with a high degree of transmission or with a lower degree of transmission is utilized in the endoscope.

[0059] While there has been shown and described what is considered to be embodiments of the invention, it will, of course, be understood that various modifications and changes in form or detail could readily be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. It is therefore intended that the invention be not limited to the exact forms described and illustrated, but should be constructed to cover all modifications that may fall within the scope of the appended claims.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

[0060] 2 Abdominal wall [0061] 4 Abdominal cavity [0062] 6 Organ [0063] 20 System [0064] 24 Trocar sleeve [0065] 32 Laparoscope [0066] 34 Handle [0067] 35 Activation actuation element [0068] 36 Video head [0069] 38 Supply line [0070] 40 Control system [0071] 42 Control unit [0072] 44 Light source [0073] 46 Optical waveguide [0074] 50 Display device