Shape estimation of the anterior part of a flexible ureteroscope for intraoperative navigation.

Based on data from two EM sensors mounted at the tip and base of the anterior part of a flexible ureteroscope, the proposed algorithm adaptively selects a cubic or quartic Bézier curve to fit the shape of the anterior part. Experimental results prove the feasibility of our shape estimation method over a broad bending range. The proposed method demonstrates significant potential for use in ureteroscopic navigation systems and robot-assisted surgery.