System and method for positioning a tracking device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10932840-B2
Application number	US-201815886439-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 1, 2018
Priority date	Feb 1, 2018
Publication date	Mar 2, 2021
Grant date	Mar 2, 2021

Abstract

Disclosed is a system and method for tracking an instrument. The instrument may be tracked with one or more trackable members. The trackable members may be held relative to a handle to which the instrument is attached.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for tracking an instrument, comprising:
a tracking member holder extending along a longitudinal axis from a proximal end to a distal end, including (i) a trackable member engagement portion, (ii) a handle engaging portion at the proximal end, (iii) an instrument guiding portion at the distal end having an internal wall defining an instrument passage, and (iv) an extension region axially positioned between the instrument guiding portion and the handle engaging portion;
an instrument handle; and
an instrument configured to be held relative to the instrument handle and moved with the instrument handle;
wherein the handle engaging portion is spaced apart from the instrument guiding portion with the extension region;
wherein the instrument handle is configured to rotate the instrument within the instrument passage and along the longitudinal axis;
wherein the trackable member engagement portion includes,
a first trackable member engagement post attached to and extending from the instrument guiding portion configured to hold a first trackable member;
a second trackable member engagement post attached to and extending from the extension region configured to hold a second trackable member; and
a third trackable member engagement post attached to and extending from the handle engageable portion configured to hold a third trackable member;
wherein the first second and third trackable member engagement posts are spaced apart on the tracking member holder.

2. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
the first, second and third trackable members;
wherein the first, second and third trackable members are fixed to the trackable member engagement portion.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the first, second and third trackable members are positioned on a selected side of a plane defined by at least a portion the tracking member holder.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the tracking member holder is formed of a one-piece unitary rigid material including at least one of a polymer, a filled polymer, or a metal.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the handle engaging portion includes an end wall having at least one indent to engage a projection from the instrument handle to rotationally hold the tracking member holder relative to the instrument handle around the longitudinal axis extending through the instrument handle.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the handle engaging portion further includes a friction member;
wherein the friction member is compressed between the handle engaging portion and the instrument handle to fix the tracking member holder relative to the instrument handle along the axis.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the handle engaging portion is annularly shaped to engage the instrument handle.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the handle engaging portion further includes an O-ring to provide a frictional engagement with the instrument handle.

9. The system of claim 7 , wherein the annularly shaped handle engaging portion includes a plurality of indentations formed in an end wall to engage at least one projection from the instrument handle to rotationally hold the tracking member holder relative to the instrument handle.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the extension region is generally U-shaped.

11. A system for tracking an instrument, comprising:
a tracking member holder extending along a longitudinal axis from a proximal end to a distal end, including
an instrument guiding portion at the distal end having an internal wall defining an instrument passage along the longitudinal axis;
a handle engageable portion at the proximal end configured to hold the tracking member holder relative to a handle;
an extension region axially positioned between the instrument guiding portion and the handle engageable portion;
a first trackable member engagement post attached to and extending from the instrument guiding portion configured to hold a first trackable member;
a second trackable member engagement post attached to and extending from the extension region configured to hold a second trackable member; and
a third trackable member engagement post attached to and extending from the handle engageable portion configured to hold a third trackable member;

wherein the first, second and third trackable member engagement posts are spaced apart on the tracking member holder;
wherein the handle engageable portion is spaced apart from the instrument guiding portion with the extension region.

12. The system of claim 11 , further comprising:
the first, second and third trackable members;
an instrument handle; and
an instrument configured to be held relative to the instrument handle and moved with the instrument handle.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the instrument handle includes an external wall configured to be engaged by the handle engageable portion.

14. The system of claim 13 , further comprising:
a projection extending from the external wall of the handle;
an indent formed in the handle engageable portion and configured to receive the projection to limit rotation of the tracking member holder relative to the handle.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the indent extends from an end terminal wall of the tracking member holder at the proximal end.

16. The system of claim 11 , wherein the trackable member engagement portion fixes all of the first, second and third trackable members on a single side of a plane.

17. The system of claim 11 , wherein the tracking member holder is formed of a one-piece unitary rigid material including at least one of a polymer, a filled polymer, or a metal.

18. The system of claim 11 , wherein the handle engagable portion is annularly shaped to engage the handle.

19. The system of claim 18 , wherein the handle engagable portion further includes an O-ring to provide a frictional engagement with the handle.

20. The system of claim 18 , wherein the annularly shaped handle engagable portion includes a plurality of indentations formed in an end wall to engage at least one projection from the handle to rotationally hold the tracking member holder relative to the handle.

21. The system of claim 11 , wherein the extension region is generally U-shaped.

Assignees

• Medtronic Navigation Inc

Inventors

• Dicorleto Matthew F

Classifications

• A61B34/20 Primary

  Surgical navigation systems; Devices for tracking or guiding surgical instruments, e.g. for frameless stereotaxis · CPC title

• A61B17/1622

  Drill handpieces (A61B17/1626, A61B17/1628 take precedence) · CPC title

• A61B17/8886

  holding the screw head · CPC title

• A61B2090/3983

  Reference marker arrangements for use with image guided surgery · CPC title

• A61B2090/3762

  using computed tomography systems [CT] · CPC title