King's College London

Koninklijke Philips Corporation N.V.

Kawaldeep Singh Rhode

Volker Rasche

Robert Manzke

Pascal Yves Francois Cathier

Tobias Richard Schaeffter

Nicolas Francois Villain

Kaspar Althoefer

Asghar Ataollahi

Patrick Etyngier

Embodiments of the present invention provide a continuum manipulator that can be used, for example, as a steerable catheter tip. The manipulator of the embodiments comprises a plurality of segments arranged in a stack, which is then able to bend in a range of directions away from the long axis of the stack. In one embodiment the segments include a helical portion which winds in the direction of the long axis of the stack, and can thus bend away from the long axis in any direction. In some embodiments a carbon fiber rod is included as a backbone for the stack, to minimize hysteresis and improve repeatability of bending. In addition, in embodiments of the invention tendon control channels are provided formed within the segments, through which tendon control wires extend to apply compression and/or bending forces to the stack.

Continuum manipulator

The present invention relates to visualizing information of an object. In order to provide spatial information and in addition situation specific data to the user while ensuring an effective perceptibility, a method () is provided comprising the steps of: a) providing () pre-navigation data () of a region of interest of an object (); wherein the pre-navigation data comprises spatial geometrical data () and a functional parameter surface () in correspondence to the spatial geometrical data; b) acquiring () live image data () of the region of interest; c) detecting () an element () in the live image data; d) determining () spatial relation () of the pre-navigation data and the live image data; e) determining ()the position () of the detected element in the spatial geometrical data, which determining is based on the spatial relation, and computing () a predetermined related point of location () on the functional parameter surface; f) generating () a combination () of a simplified surface representation () of the region of interest, which simplified surface representation is based on a visualization of the functional parameter surface, and a marker () indicating the computed predetermined related point of location; and g) displaying () the combination as navigation guidance ().

Visualization for navigation guidance

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Croydon, United Kingdom

Kawaldeep Singh Rhode