Continuum Robot MIS Navigation — PatSnap Eureka
Continuum Robot Navigation for Minimally Invasive Surgery
Patent and literature records spanning 2007–2026 identify four interacting technology layers shaping continuum robot MIS navigation. At least 12 distinct assignees across 7 jurisdictions are active in this dataset.
Flexible Robotics Meet Intraoperative Navigation
Continuum robots are defined across retrieved records as systems without discrete rigid joints, where compliance and curvature arise from continuous deformation of the robot body. Key sub-domains include tendon-driven multi-segment designs, concentric tube robots, notched tube hybrids, and magnetically actuated variants enabling millimeter-scale operation in confined anatomical spaces.
Navigation subsystems in this dataset span optical tracking, electromagnetic tracking, vision-based markerless methods, and machine-learning-augmented tactile sensing. The field encompasses four interacting technology layers: flexible robot structural design and kinematics, remote center of motion constraint mechanisms, intraoperative tracking and registration, and autonomous path planning and obstacle avoidance.
The earliest foundational activity is evident from 2007, with the densest filing cluster occurring between 2018 and 2026. At least 8 patents in this dataset were published in 2023 or later, indicating continued high-velocity innovation. Jurisdictional distribution among retrieved patent records shows US (~30%), CN (~28%), JP (~18%), WO (~16%), and EP (~6%), with minor representation from AU, IN, and LU.
In this dataset, Koninklijke Philips N.V. is the single most prolific assignee with at least 8 patent records across WO, US, EP, CN, and JP jurisdictions. The 2025–2026 frontier filers in retrieved records include Canon U.S.A., Covidien, Globus Medical, Zeta Surgical, Mazor Robotics, and the People’s Liberation Army General Hospital.
Filing Trends and Technology Cluster Distribution
Among retrieved records, four primary technology clusters drive patent activity in continuum robot MIS navigation: structural kinematics, RCM constraint mechanisms, intraoperative tracking, and autonomous path planning. Jurisdictional filing patterns reveal a US-CN duopoly reflecting both the largest clinical robotics markets and the most active R&D ecosystems.
Patent Records by Technology Cluster (Dataset Snapshot)
In this dataset, RCM constraint and control is the most densely documented cluster, driven primarily by Koninklijke Philips N.V. and Auris Health filings across multiple jurisdictions.
↗ Click bars to exploreJurisdictional Distribution of Retrieved Patent Records
In this dataset, the US (~30%) and CN (~28%) together account for the majority of retrieved records, followed by JP (~18%) and WO (~16%), reflecting the dominant R&D activity in these markets.
↗ Click bars to exploreKey Surgical Domains for Continuum Robot Navigation
Retrieved records identify five primary surgical application domains for continuum robot MIS navigation, spanning endoscopic luminal procedures, neurosurgery, orthopedic and spine surgery, percutaneous interventional procedures, and cranio-maxillofacial surgery.
Endoscopic and Luminal Surgery
The largest single domain in this dataset, covering bronchial, gastrointestinal, colonic, and urological lumens. Canon U.S.A.’s 2025 WO patent enumerates gastrointestinal, cardiac, and bronchial targets for autonomous continuum robot navigation. Covidien’s 2026 WO filing introduces a joint coordinate system fusing endoluminal catheter navigation with laparoscopic overlay for hidden target visualization.
Endoluminal RoboticsNeurosurgery Navigation
Academic literature documents the first in-vivo continuum needle deployment in neurosurgical MIS using an ovine model (2022). Endonasal pituitary tumor resection using teleoperated continuum robots with virtual fixtures is reported in 2021 collaborative robotic assistant trials. Steerable needle delivery, drug infusion, and laser ablation to deep-seated brain targets are the primary clinical objectives.
Neurosurgical RoboticsOrthopedic and Spine Surgery
Robot-assisted pedicle screw placement, arthroplasty, and anterior lumbar disc replacement are documented across multiple literature records. KB Medical SA holds active US patents (2024) on robotic navigation with intraoperative re-registration, and Mako Surgical Corporation has a 2024 JP patent on tracker-based surgical navigation optimization. Navigation integration with intraoperative 3D imaging is the defining feature of this sub-domain.
Orthopedic NavigationPercutaneous Interventional Procedures
CT-guided puncture, biopsy, radiofrequency ablation, and radioactive seed implantation are addressed by Chinese assignees in this dataset. Zhejiang Ganavey Medical Technology’s 2020 CN patent covers a puncture navigation robot system integrating preoperative CT planning, automated arm positioning, and real-time video verification. The University of Maryland’s 2013 US patent establishes real-time tracking and navigation for percutaneous MIS procedures.
Interventional NavigationLeading Patent Assignees in Continuum Robot MIS Navigation (Dataset Snapshot)
In this dataset, Koninklijke Philips N.V. is the most prolific assignee with at least 8 patent records across WO, US, EP, CN, and JP jurisdictions. Covidien LP is the most active 2025–2026 filer in retrieved records, with two WO patents covering endoluminal-laparoscopic joint navigation.
Top Assignees by Filing Count in Retrieved Records (Dataset Snapshot)
↗ Click bars to exploreKoninklijke Philips N.V.
In this dataset, Koninklijke Philips N.V. is the single most prolific assignee with at least 8 patent records filed across WO (2017–2018), US (×2, 2020), EP (2018), CN (×3, 2018–2021), and JP (2018) jurisdictions. Their portfolio concentrates on RCM optical registration, virtual RCM controller definition, continuous image integration, and markerless landmark-based robot tracking. Active filings extend into the Chinese market via CN patents dated as recently as 2021.
NetherlandsCovidien LP
Covidien LP is the most active 2025–2026 filer in this dataset, with two WO patents published in 2026 covering joint coordinate system endoluminal-laparoscopic navigation and hidden target anatomy depiction on live imaging. An earlier 2023 WO patent addresses real-time RCM monitoring using cameras and electromagnetic sensors without physical port-latch constraints, and a 2016 WO patent covers software-defined guide tube RCM control. Patent status includes active and pending records across WO jurisdictions.
United States / IrelandFrontier Signals in Continuum Robot MIS Navigation (2024–2026)
The most recent filings in this dataset (2024–2026) signal five distinct emerging directions, from endoluminal-laparoscopic fusion to AI-driven semantic path planning, representing a shift from teleoperated to supervised-autonomous continuum robotics.
Endoluminal-Laparoscopic Fusion Navigation
Covidien’s pair of 2026 WO patents introduce joint coordinate systems that simultaneously register a flexible endoluminal navigation catheter and a rigid laparoscopic arm. This fusion enables visualization of targets hidden from either modality alone, covering lung, GI, and liver interventions. The approach is identified in the dataset as the most strategically disruptive emerging IP cluster.
Autonomous Navigation for Continuum Robots
Canon U.S.A.’s 2025 WO patent is described in the dataset as the most comprehensive autonomous navigation system specifically targeting continuum robots. It covers movement detection, follow-the-leader smoothing, target-directed planning, and state-change control across gastrointestinal, cardiac, bronchial, and ophthalmic applications. This signals a shift from teleoperated toward supervised-autonomous continuum endoscopy.
RCM Constraint Approaches: Hardware vs. Software-Defined Virtual RCM
Click any row to explore further.
| Dimension | Hardware-Constrained RCM | Software-Defined Virtual RCM |
|---|---|---|
| Mechanism | Physical port-latch or mechanical linkage enforces pivot point | Controller computes and enforces RCM mathematically without physical constraint |
| Key Assignees in Dataset | Covidien LP (2016 WO guide tube RCM); KB Medical SA | Koninklijke Philips N.V. (CN active filings 2015–2018); Covidien LP (2023 WO real-time monitoring) |
| Tracking Modality | Mechanical linkage; optical end-effector alignment | Cameras, electromagnetic sensors, multiple modalities simultaneously |
| Physical Port Constraint | Required — instrument physically latched at incision port | Not required — continuous real-time incision point monitoring without latch |
| Workspace Optimization | Fixed by mechanical configuration | Auris Health: workspace overlap optimization selects configuration maximizing target anatomy access |
| Force Sensing Integration | Passive — forces absorbed by mechanical constraint | Active — force sensing during teleoperation documented in Auris Health 2021 US patent |
| Jurisdiction Spread | WO, US filings; limited multi-jurisdiction spread | WO, US, EP, CN, JP — broadest multi-jurisdiction coverage in dataset |
Frequently Asked Questions: Continuum Robot MIS Navigation
Based on retrieved records, the four interacting layers are: (1) flexible robot structural design and kinematics, (2) remote center of motion (RCM) constraint mechanisms, (3) intraoperative tracking and registration systems, and (4) autonomous path planning and obstacle avoidance.
In this dataset, Koninklijke Philips N.V. (Netherlands) is the single most prolific assignee, with at least 8 patent records identified across WO, US, EP, CN, and JP jurisdictions, concentrating on RCM optical registration, virtual RCM controller definition, and markerless tracking.
Covidien LP’s 2026 WO patent covers a combined multi-port and endoluminal robotic surgical procedure using a joint 3D coordinate system that simultaneously registers a flexible navigation catheter and a laparoscopic arm, enabling guidance to a shared target and visualization of anatomy hidden from either modality alone.
Canon U.S.A.’s 2025 WO patent provides a comprehensive autonomous navigation framework covering target-directed planning, follow-the-leader smoothing, movement detection, and state-change control, with explicit application to gastrointestinal, cardiac, bronchial, and ophthalmic procedures.
Among retrieved patent records, the US accounts for approximately 30%, CN approximately 28%, JP approximately 18%, WO approximately 16%, and EP approximately 6%, with minor representation from AU, IN, and LU.
Mazor Robotics’ 2026 US active patent mounts miniature 3D tracking cameras directly on the robot end-effector to track both the surgical tool and anatomy markers at close range, eliminating the line-of-sight dependency of conventional remote optical navigation cameras.
Data and insights on this page are based on a limited patent and literature dataset and are for reference only. Figures may not represent the complete technology landscape.