Parameter-based navigation by a lumen traveling device

摘要

Methods of controlling the operation of a device traveling in a body tube tree, including sensing parameters from possible directions of travel and selecting the direction of travel based on the sensed parameters, implemented with a control system located partially or fully on the lumen traveling device. Various actions can be performed by the device for, e.g., medical or therapeutic purposes. Machine-readable media including instructions for performing the methods are also described.

主权项

1. A method of operating a lumen traveling device with a lumen traveling device control system, comprising:
identifying at least two possible directions of travel of an untethered lumen traveling device through a body tube tree with control circuitry in the lumen traveling device control system located at least in part on the lumen traveling device, the body tube tree including a plurality of branched, interconnected channels, and the at least two possible directions of travel corresponding to at least two of the branched, interconnected channels; receiving data with the control circuitry, the data representing at least one parameter value sensed with a sensor within the body tube tree on the lumen traveling device from at least one of the at least two possible directions of travel of the lumen traveling device through the body tube tree; selecting a direction of travel with the control circuitry, the direction of travel selected from the at least two directions of travel based at least in part on the data representing at least one parameter value sensed with the sensor from at least one of the at least two possible directions of travel of the lumen traveling device through the body tube tree; anddirecting at least one of a steering mechanism and a propelling mechanism within the body tube tree on the lumen traveling device with the control circuitry to cause the lumen traveling device to move through the body tube tree in the selected direction of travel;wherein selecting the direction of travel with the control circuitry from the at least two directions of travel based at least in part on the data representing at least one parameter value sensed with the sensor from at least one of the at least two possible directions of travel of the lumen traveling device through the body tube tree includes selecting a direction of travel from the at least two directions of travel based at least in part on the data representing parameter values sensed at two or more times by comparing a rate of change of at least one parameter from the at least two possible directions of travel and selecting the direction of travel from the group consisting of the direction of travel having a lowest rate of change of the at least one parameter and the direction of travel having a highest rate of change of the at least one parameter.