Robotic Surgery Tool Orientation Detection Patent Granted
Summary
USPTO granted patent US12605037B2 to Intuitive Surgical Operations, Inc. on April 21, 2026. The patent covers systems and methods for detecting the orientation of a robotic surgery tool within a catheter using image processing to identify viewable features and determine rotational offset. The patent contains 20 allowed claims with a filing date of September 11, 2024.
What changed
USPTO granted patent US12605037B2 titled "Systems and methods for orientation detection and tool installation" to Intuitive Surgical Operations, Inc. The patent describes an apparatus that captures images within a catheter lumen, identifies viewable features and background colors, filters pixels, and determines the angular orientation and rotational offset of a surgical tool relative to the catheter. The patent contains 20 allowed claims and has a filing date of September 11, 2024.
Medical device manufacturers and robotic surgery system developers should review this patent to assess potential licensing implications or freedom-to-operate concerns for similar orientation detection technologies in catheter-based surgical systems.
Archived snapshot
Apr 21, 2026GovPing captured this document from the original source. If the source has since changed or been removed, this is the text as it existed at that time.
Systems and methods for orientation detection and tool installation
Grant US12605037B2 Kind: B2 Apr 21, 2026
Assignee
INTUITIVE SURGICAL OPERATIONS, INC.
Inventors
Andrew J. Hazelton, Teresa G. Gadda, Changmeng Liu
Abstract
An apparatus comprises a processor and a memory having computer readable instructions stored thereon. The computer readable instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the apparatus to capture, via an image sensor of a tool installed at least partially within a catheter, a first image within a lumen of the catheter. The first image comprises a plurality of pixels. The instructions further cause the apparatus to identify a first subset of the pixels comprising a viewable feature, and a second subset of the pixels comprising a background color. The instructions further cause the apparatus to adjust the second subset to a neutral color, create a modified image by filtering the pixels to remove the second subset, determine an angular orientation of the viewable feature in the modified image, and determine a rotational offset of the tool relative to the catheter based on the angular orientation of the viewable feature.
CPC Classifications
A61B 1/000095 A61B 34/20
Filing Date
2024-09-11
Application No.
18882529
Claims
20
Mentioned entities
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