Systems and methods for surgical navigation with a tracker instrument

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018338799-A1
Application number	US-201815991334-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 29, 2018
Priority date	May 29, 2017
Publication date	Nov 29, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

There is provided a surgical instrument for navigated surgeries and systems and methods using such a surgical instrument. The surgical tool comprises a tip; a tool interface, separate from the tip; and an optically trackable target. The tip is configured to probe positions in a space and identify the positions using optical information from the optically trackable target. The tool interface is configured to mate with a surgical tool such that the optical trackable target then provides optical information with which to determine positional information for the surgical tool in the space. In one example, the system provides navigational information during surgery using the surgical instrument, namely, a single integrated tracker instrument with two or more mechanical interfaces for coupling the tracker instrument with anatomical features and/or surgical tools.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A surgical instrument comprising:
a tip; a tool interface, separate from the tip; and an optically trackable target; wherein the tip is configured to probe positions in a space and the optically trackable target is configured to provide optical information with which to determine the positions; and wherein the tool interface is configured to mate with a surgical tool such that the optical trackable target then provides optical information with which to determine positional information for the surgical tool in the space.

2 . The surgical instrument of claim 1 wherein the tip and the tool interface are located at opposite ends of the instrument.

3 . The surgical instrument of claim 2 wherein the optically trackable target is located between the opposite ends.

4 . The surgical instrument of claim 1 wherein the tool interface is one of:
a V-channel mounting interface;
a kinematic mount;
a planar feature without a magnet; and
a planar feature with a magnet.

5 . A system to provide navigational information during a surgery comprising:
an instrument comprising:
a tip;
a tool interface, separate from the tip; and
an optically trackable target;
a computing unit configured to:
receive from a camera optical information of the optically trackable target;
calculate a pose of the instrument based on the optical information;
determine a position of the tip based on the pose of the instrument;
determine first navigational information based on the position of the tip;
determine a pose of the tool interface based on the pose of the instrument;
determine second navigational information based on the pose of the tool interface; and
provide at least one of the first and second navigational information to one or more of: a display unit for displaying to a user, computer memory for storage, and a robotic control system.

6 . The system of claim 5 wherein the instrument has two opposite ends, and the tip is on one end, the tool interface is on the other end, and the optically trackable target is between the two ends.

7 . The system of claim 5 wherein the computing unit is further configured to determine navigation context information; and provide the at least one of the first and second navigational information based on the navigation context information.

8 . The system of claim 7 wherein the computing unit determines the navigation context information based, at least in part, on the pose of the instrument.

9 . The system of claim 7 wherein the computing unit is configured to execute a software workflow comprising a series of steps, and determine the navigation context information, at least in part, based on a current step in the software workflow.

10 . The system of claim 5 , wherein the tool interface is one of:
a V-channel mounting interface; a kinematic mount; a planar feature without a magnet; and a planar feature with a magnet.

11 . The system of claim 10 wherein the planar feature, whether with or without a magnet, is configured to mate with a cutting slot of a cutting guide.

12 . The system of claim 5 wherein the computing unit is further configured to determine the position of the tip and/or the pose of the tool interface based at least in part on calibration data.

13 . The system of claim 12 wherein the calibration data is stored in memory accessible to the computing unit, and derived from manufacturing specifications of the instrument.

14 . The system of claim 12 wherein the calibration data is determined based on a calibration routine.

15 . The system of claim 5 wherein the first navigational information is limb position change and the second navigational information is implant alignment.

16 . The system of claim 15 wherein the surgery is a hip arthroplasty.

17 . The system of claim 5 wherein the instrument is pre-sterilized, single-use and disposable.

18 . The system of claim 5 wherein the first navigational information defines at least one anatomical axis of a bone and the second navigational information is the alignment of a bone cutting guide relative to the at least one anatomical axis.

19 . The system of claim 18 wherein the surgery is a knee arthroplasty.

20 . A system to provide leg position change information and acetabular implant alignment information during a hip arthroplasty surgery on a patient comprising:
an instrument comprising a tip, a tool interface separate from the tip, and an optically trackable target;
wherein the tool interface is a V-channel to mate with an axis of an acetabular implant inserter tool; and
a computing unit configured to:
receive optical information from a camera of the optically trackable target;
calculate pose information of the instrument based on the optical information;
calculate a first position of the tip when in contact with a landmark on a patient's femur, prior to arthroplasty;
calculate a second position of the tip when in contact with the landmark on the patient's femur after arthroplasty;
determine change in leg position information based on at least the first position and second position;
calculate a pose of the tool interface when mated with an acetabular implant inserter tool during acetabular implant alignment;
determine acetabular implant alignment information based on at least the pose of the tool interface; and
provide leg position change information and acetabular implant alignment information to a display unit.

21 . A system for providing navigational information during a surgery comprising:
pre-sterilized, single-use and disposable components including an instrument comprising a tip, a tool interface separate from the tip and an optically trackable target; and a tracking system comprising:
a camera to generate optical information of optically trackable targets; and
a computing unit configured to execute a computer-implemented workflow corresponding to a surgical workflow and provide navigational information to a display unit based on pose information derived from optical information received from the camera, the camera being communicatively coupled to the computing unit; and
wherein the system for providing navigational information is free from any components requiring reprocessing for sterility.

22 . The system of claim 21 wherein the pre-sterilized, single-use and disposable components further include a drape configured to provide a sterile barrier around the camera, the drape further comprising an optical window to enable the camera to generate the optical information from within the sterile barrier.

23 . A computer implemented method to perform a navigated surgical procedure comprising:
receiving, by a computing unit from a camera, first optical information of an optically trackable target, the optically trackable target comprising a component of an instrument, the instrument further comprising, separately, a tool interface and a tip, and wherein the first optical information is received when the tip is in contact with an anatomical landmark; calculating, by the computing unit, a first pose of the instrument based on the first optical information; determining, by the computing unit, a position of the tip based on the first pose of the instrument; determining, by the computing unit, first navigational information based on the position of the tip; receiving, by the computing unit, from the camera, second optical information of the optically trackable

Assignees

• Intellijoint Surgical Inc

Inventors

• Hladio Andre Novomir
• Morency Kevin
• Oprea Alina
• Mccabe Samantha

Classifications

• A61B34/20 Primary

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

• A61B2017/00725

  Calibration or performance testing · CPC title

• A61B34/30

  Surgical robots · CPC title

• A61B17/1742

  for the hip · CPC title

• G06T7/70

  Determining position or orientation of objects or cameras (camera calibration G06T7/80) · CPC title