Surgical robotic automation with tracking markers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12329593-B2
Application number	US-202418438549-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 12, 2024
Priority date	Jun 21, 2012
Publication date	Jun 17, 2025
Grant date	Jun 17, 2025

Abstract

Devices, Systems, and Methods for detecting a 3-dimensional position of an object, and surgical automation involving the same. The surgical robot system may include a robot having a robot base, a robot arm coupled to the robot base, and an end-effector coupled to the robot arm. The end-effector, surgical instruments, the patient, and/or other objects to be tracked include active and/or passive tracking markers. Cameras, such as stereophotogrammetric infrared cameras, are able to detect the tracking markers, and the robot determines a 3-dimensional position of the object from the tracking markers.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A surgical robot system comprising:
a robot having a robot base, a robot arm coupled to the robot base, and an end-effector coupled to the robot arm, the end-effector having a base and a tool holder adapted to be coupled to a surgical instrument;
a plurality of fixed tracking markers rigidly affixed to the base of the end-effector;
a plurality of repositionable tracking markers rigidly affixed to the tool holder of the end-effector, wherein the tool holder is repositionable between a first position and a second position relative to the base of the end-effector, the plurality of fixed tracking markers together with the plurality of repositionable tracking markers in the first position defining a first array template and the plurality of fixed tracking markers together with the plurality of repositionable tracking markers in the second position defining a second array template; and
a camera configured to detect the plurality of fixed tracking markers and the plurality of repositionable tracking markers in the first and second positions, wherein the robot is configured to determine a 3-dimensional position of the end-effector based on determining whether the detected plurality of fixed tracking markers and the detected plurality of repositionable tracking markers define the first or the second array template.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the tool holder is pivotally coupled to the base of the end-effector, and the tool holder is configured to swivel between the first and second positions.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the tool holder defines a longitudinal axis and the longitudinal axis of the tool holder in the first position is at an angle to the longitudinal axis of the tool holder in the second position.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the number of the plurality of fixed tracking markers is two and two only.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the number of the plurality of repositionable tracking markers is two and two only.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the number of the plurality of fixed tracking markers is two and two only, and number of the plurality of repositionable tracking markers is two and two only.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of fixed tracking markers and the plurality of repositionable tracking markers attached to the end-effector are passive markers.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of fixed tracking markers and the plurality of repositionable tracking markers in the end-effector are active markers having an active state and an inactive state, the active state emitting an infrared signal detected by the camera, and the inactive state not emitting the infrared signal such that the tracking markers are not detected by the camera.

9. The system of claim 1 , further comprising the surgical instrument having a plurality of instrument tracking markers to be tracked by the camera, the surgical instrument configured to be positioned in the tool holder in order to align the surgical instrument along a given trajectory for a surgical procedure.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the tool holder includes a guide tube adapted to slidably receive the surgical instrument.

11. A surgical robot system comprising:
a robot having a robot base, a robot arm coupled to the robot base, and an end-effector coupled to the robot arm, the end-effector having a first plurality of tracking markers affixed to a base of the end-effector and a second plurality of tracking markers affixed to a guide tube of the end-effector, wherein the second plurality of tracking markers are moveable relative to the first plurality of tracking markers from a first configuration to a second configuration; and
at least one camera able to detect the first and second plurality of tracking markers in the first configuration and the second configuration, wherein the robot determines a 3-dimensional position of the end-effector from at least one template corresponding to the first configuration or the second configuration of the first and second plurality of tracking markers.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the guide tube is connected to the base of the end-effector with a hinge, and the guide tube is configured to swivel about the hinge between the first and second configurations.

13. The system of claim 11 , wherein the guide tube has a longitudinal axis positioned vertically in the first configuration, and the guide tube is pivoted such that the longitudinal axis is angled in the second configuration.

14. The system of claim 11 , wherein the at least one camera is not able to detect the first and second plurality of tracking markers if the first or second configuration does not match the at least one template.

15. The system of claim 11 , wherein one or more of the first plurality of tracking markers attached to the end-effector are passive, reflective markers.

16. The system of claim 11 , wherein one or more of the first plurality of tracking markers in the end-effector are active markers having an active state and an inactive state, the active state emitting an infrared signal detected by the at least one camera, and the inactive state not emitting the infrared signal such that the one or more of the first plurality of tracking markers are not detected by the at least one camera.

17. The system of claim 11 further comprising a surgical instrument having one or more tracking markers to be tracked by the robot system, the surgical instrument configured to be positioned in the end-effector in order to align the surgical instrument along a given trajectory for a surgical procedure.

18. The system of claim 11 , wherein the number of the first plurality of tracking markers is two and two only.

19. The system of claim 11 , wherein the number of the second plurality of tracking markers is two and two only.

20. The system of claim 11 , wherein the number of the first plurality of tracking markers is two and two only, and number of the second plurality of tracking markers is two and two only.

Assignees

• Globus Medical Inc

Inventors

• Crawford Neil R
• Cicchini Stephen
• Johnson Norbert

Classifications

• A61B2034/2057

  Details of tracking cameras · CPC title

• A61B90/96

  using barcodes · CPC title

• A61B34/32

  operating autonomously · CPC title

• A61B2034/2072

  Reference field transducer attached to an instrument or patient · CPC title

• A61B5/064 Primary

  using markers (A61B5/062 takes precedence) · CPC title