CONTINUOUS IMAGE INTEGRATION FOR ROBOTIC SURGERY

A robot guiding system employing an endoscope (12), a robot (11), a robot controller (21), an endoscope controller (22) and an image integration module (24). In operation, the robot controller (21) command the robot (11) to move the endoscope (12) within the anatomical region,and the endoscope controller (22) generates an endoscopic video display (15) of an intra-operative endoscopic image of the anatomical region generated by the endoscope (12). As the endoscope (12) is stationary within the anatomical region,the image integration module (24) registers a pre-operative three-dimensional image of the anatomical region to the intra-operative endoscopic image of the anatomical region. As the endoscope (12) is moving within the anatomical region subsequent to the image registration, the image integration module (24) calibrates a motion of the robot (11) relative to the endoscope (12) followed by tracking a motion of the endoscope (12) within the anatomical region.