Surgical tool systems and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11607149-B2
Application number	US-201916433399-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 6, 2019
Priority date	Jun 21, 2012
Publication date	Mar 21, 2023
Grant date	Mar 21, 2023

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention provide a guided surgical tool assembly with a guide tube including a sensor, a surgical instrument including a detectable feature moveable within the guide tube, and the sensor capable of detecting the detectable feature when the surgical instrument is inserted in the guide tube. Some embodiments include a sensor pad, a guide stop coupled to the surgical instrument, a plunger mechanism including a compressible spring mechanism coupled to the guide tube, and a wiper capable of being sensed by the sensor pad. Some embodiments include a guided surgical tool assembly system comprising a tool sensor system including a processor and at least one data input/output interface. Some embodiments include a medical robot system with a guided surgical tool assembly and including a robot coupled to an effectuator element configured for controlled movement and positioning along one or more of an x-axis, a y-axis, and a z-axis.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A surgical robot system comprising:
a guided surgical tool assembly coupled to a robotic arm, the guided surgical tool assembly comprising:
a rigid guide tube disposed in the guided surgical tool assembly, w herein the rigid guide tube is a hollow structure including at least one sensor disposed inside the hollow structure,
a surgical instrument configured to be received within the hollow structure containing the at least one sensor, the surgical instrument including at least one detectable feature extending longitudinally along the surgical instrument; and
wherein the at least one sensor is configured and arranged to couple with the at least one detectable feature when the surgical instrument is inside the hollow structure to determine a position of the surgical instrument within the guide tube,
wherein the detectable feature includes at least one longitudinal magnetic strip and at least one radial magnetic strip, wherein the at least one longitudinal magnetic strip extends the entire length of the guide tube and the at least one radial magnetic strip is positioned proximal to a first opening and extending the entire circumference of the guide tube.

2. The surgical robot system of claim 1 , wherein the detectable feature comprises a magnetically detectable feature for generating a magnetic flux field; and wherein the at least one sensor is a position sensor for detecting the magnetic flux field.

3. The surgical robot system of claim 2 , wherein the position sensor is configured and arranged to detect insertion into and movement of the surgical instrument in the guide tube by sensing the magnetically detectable feature.

4. The surgical robot system of claim 3 , wherein a longitudinal position of the surgical instrument in the guide tube can be at least partially determined using a measurement of a magnetic field flux from the at least one longitudinal magnetic strip.

5. The surgical robot system of claim 3 , wherein a radial position of the surgical instrument in the guide tube can be at least partially determined using a measurement of a magnetic field flux from the at least one radial magnetic strip.

6. The surgical robot system of claim 2 , wherein the at least one sensor includes at least two position sensors.

7. The surgical robot system of claim 6 , wherein the at least two position sensors are configured and arranged to sense a magnetic field flux from the at least one longitudinal magnetic strip or the at least one radial magnetic strip or both.

8. The surgical robot system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one sensor is a position sensor and the position sensor is a magnetic flux field sensor selected from a group consisting of a ferrite-based magnetic material, a rare-earth based magnetic material, an aluminum-nickel-cobalt based magnetic material, and mixtures thereof.

9. The surgical robot system assembly of claim 1 , wherein the detectable feature comprises an optically detectable feature; and wherein the at least one sensor comprises at least one optical sensor.

10. The surgical robot system assembly of claim 9 , wherein the optically detectable feature comprises a high contrast marking distributed along at least a partial longitudinal length of the guided surgical tool assembly.

11. The surgical robot system of claim 10 , wherein a longitudinal position of the surgical instrument in the guide tube can be at least partially determined by optically sensing light from the high contrast marking using the at least one optical sensor.

12. The surgical robot system of claim 10 , wherein the optically detectable feature comprises a graduated coating distributed along the partial length of the guided surgical tool assembly.

13. The surgical robot system of claim 12 , wherein the graduated coating comprises a graduated reflective coating.

14. The surgical robot system of claim 12 , wherein the graduated coating comprises a graduated color coating.

15. A surgical robot system comprising:
a surgical robot having a display, a housing, and an arm;
a guided surgical tool assembly coupled to the arm of the surgical robot, the guided surgical tool assembly comprising:
a tool sensor system including at least one processor and at least one data input/output interface, the data input interface including at least one sensor;
a rigid guide tube disposed in the guided surgical tool assembly, wherein the rigid guide tube is a single hollow structure and the at least one sensor is disposed inside the single hollow structure; and
a surgical instrument configured to be received within the single hollow structure containing the at least one sensor and moveable within the guide tube, the surgical instrument including at least one detectable feature extending longitudinally along the surgical instrument;
wherein the at least one sensor is configured and arranged to couple with the at least one detectable feature w when the surgical instrument is inside the single hollow structure to determine a position of the surgical instrument within the guide tube,
wherein the detectable feature includes at least one longitudinal magnetic strip and at least one radial magnetic strip, wherein the at least one longitudinal magnetic strip extends the entire length of the guide tube and the at least one radial magnetic strip is positioned proximal to a first opening and extending the entire circumference of the guide tube.

16. A surgical robot system of claim 15 , wherein the guide tube comprises a distal guide tube end and a proximal guide tube end; and the surgical instrument includes a distal end and a proximal end; and wherein the at least one sensor comprises at least one sensor pad; and wherein the guided surgical tool assembly further comprises: a guide stop coupled to the proximal end of the surgical instrument; and a plunger mechanism including a compressible spring mechanism coupled to the distal end of the guide tube and a wiper configured and arranged to be sensed by the at least one sensor pad; and wherein the at least one processor is configured and arranged to detect the surgical instrument when at least partially inserted or moved in the guide tube.

17. The surgical robot system of claim 15 , wherein the detectable feature comprises a magnetically detectable feature configured to generate a magnetic flux field; and wherein the at least one sensor is a position sensor for detecting the magnetic flux field; and wherein the position sensor is configured and arranged to detect insertion into and movement of the surgical instrument in the guide tube by sensing the magnetically detectable feature.

18. The surgical robot system of claim 15 , wherein the detectable feature comprises an optically detectable feature; and wherein the at least one sensor comprises at least one optical sensor; and wherein the optically detectable feature comprises a high contrast marking distributed along length of the guided surgical tool assembly.

19. A surgical robot system of claim 15 , wherein the surgical instrument includes at least one tracking sensor.

20. A medical robot system, comprising:
a robot comprising a display, a housing, and an arm, the robot configured for controlled movement and positioning;
an effectuator element coupled to the arm;
a motor assembly coupled to the robot, the motor assembly being configured to move the effectuator element along one or more of an x-axis, a y-axis, and a z-axis such that movement of the effectuator element along one of the x-, y-, or z-axes occurs independently of movement of the effec

Assignees

• Globus Medical Inc

Inventors

• Crawford Neil R
• Theodore Nicholas
• Foster Mitchell A

Classifications

• A61B2090/3945

  Active visible markers, e.g. light emitting diodes · CPC title

• A61B34/20 Primary

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

• A61B5/062 Primary

  using magnetic field · CPC title

• A61B2034/2057

  Details of tracking cameras · CPC title

• A61B2017/00876

  magnetic · CPC title