Controlling a surgical navigation system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9542001-B2
Application number	US-201013519400-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 14, 2010
Priority date	Jan 14, 2010
Publication date	Jan 10, 2017
Grant date	Jan 10, 2017

Abstract

The invention relates to a control system for a surgical navigation system, wherein the navigation system is associated with a detection unit for detecting system control inputs made by a user, and wherein the navigation system is controlled in accordance with the control inputs and the detection unit comprises a gesture detection for detecting user gestures. The invention also relates to a method for controlling a surgical navigation system, wherein a detection unit for detecting system control inputs made by a user is associated with the surgical navigation system, the navigation system is controlled in accordance with the control inputs, and user gestures are used as said control inputs.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A control system for a surgical navigation system, the control system comprising:
a detection unit operably coupled with the surgical navigation system, the detection unit configured to detect system control inputs made by an associated user, and the detection unit comprising:
a gesture detection system configured to detect user gestures as control inputs; and
a hand-held gesture support comprising a shaft and a tip, the hand-held gesture support being freely movable within three dimensional space, wherein the gesture detection system is adapted to:
detect gestures augmented by the hand-held gesture support in a first mode when the hand-held gesture support is moved, the movements being recognized by the gesture detection system as a first type of control inputs:
detect gestures augmented by the hand-held gesture support in a second mode being different from the first mode, when the hand-held gesture support is moved in a manner of joystick movements, the joystick movements being made with the tip of the hand-held gesture being fixed at a point while moving the shaft of the hand-held gesture support, the joystick movements being recognized by the gesture detection system as a second type of control inputs being different from the first type of control inputs; and
process the first and the second types of detected gestures in order to control operation of the surgical navigation system.

2. The control system for the surgical navigation system according to claim 1 , wherein the hand-held gesture support is a device which is manipulated by the associated user.

3. The control system for the surgical navigation system according to claim 1 , wherein the hand-held gesture support comprises at least one feature selected form the group consisting of:
a medical instrument bearing markings or identifications which can be detected by the gesture detection system;
an acceleration sensor or gyro-sensor;
markings or identifications such as codes, patterns, colorings or tracking markers which can be detected by the gesture detection system, wherein said hand-held gesture support is a hand-held display unit which is separately provided for displaying the markings and identifications, or an instrument which is used in the surgical environment and additionally bears such markings or identifications.

4. The control system for the surgical navigation system according to claim 1 , wherein the detection unit comprises at least one feature selected from the group consisting of:
a camera system for visible light;
a camera system for the invisible light spectrum;
a tracking system such as a time-of-flight camera, a laser scanner, a heat tracking system or heat camera system or a magnetic or electromagnetic tracking system.

5. A computer implemented method for controlling a surgical navigation system, the method comprising:
associating a detection unit for detecting system control inputs made by an associated user with the surgical navigation system by a computer;
receiving a first type of control inputs at one or more input ports of the computer, wherein the control inputs are in a form of a first type of user gestures, wherein a hand-held gesture support is moved by the associated user in order to augment the first type of user gesture, the movement being recognized as a first type of control inputs by the gesture detection system:
receiving a second type of control inputs, being different from the first type of control inputs, at one or more input ports of the computer, wherein the control inputs are in a form of a second type of user gestures, wherein the hand-held gesture support, comprising a tip and a shaft, that is freely movable within three dimensional space and which is moved by the associated user in order to augment a second type of user gesture, being different from the first type of user gesture, and wherein a gesture detection system is adapted to detect gestures augmented by the hand-held gesture support when the hand-held gesture support is moved in a manner of joystick movement, the joystick movement being made with the hand-held gesture support tip being fixed and moving the hand-held gesture support shaft, the joystick movement being recognized as the second type of control inputs by the gesture detection system; and
processing the first and second types of control inputs in order to control the surgical navigation system.

6. The method according to claim 5 , wherein augmented user gestures are detected by the detection unit while the detection unit performs computer-assisted gesture detection.

7. The method according to claim 5 , wherein the hand-held gesture support is a device configured to be manipulated by the associated user.

8. The method according to claim 5 , wherein the hand-held gesture support comprises at least one feature selected form the group consisting of:
a medical instrument bearing markings or identifications which can be detected by the gesture detection system;
an acceleration sensor or gyro-sensor;
markings or identifications such as codes, patterns, colorings or tracking markers which can be detected by the gesture detection system, wherein said hand-held gesture support is a hand-held display unit which is separately provided for displaying the markings and identifications, or an instrument which is used in the surgical environment and additionally bears such markings or identifications.

9. The method according to claim 5 , wherein a gesture is made using a combination of the hand-held gesture support and a marking attached to or associated with the associated user's hand, wherein the combined location or movement of the markings on the hand-held gesture support and the attached markings constitute the gesture.

10. The method according to claim 5 , further comprising detecting the gestures by the detection unit, wherein the detection unit comprises at least one feature selected from the group consisting of:
a camera system for visible light;
a camera system for the invisible light spectrum;
a tracking system such as a time-of-flight camera, a laser scanner, a heat tracking system or heat camera system or a magnetic or electromagnetic tracking system.

11. The method according to claim 5 , further comprising detecting, by the gesture detection system, an initiating user gesture, carried out with the hand-held gesture support, the initiating user gesture comprising drawing a certain shape which is recognized by the navigation system, whereupon
the control input is associated with the user gesture, or
an interaction mode is started on the surgical navigation system in which at least one further user gesture is identified.

12. The method according to claim 5 , further comprising defining, by the gesture or the initiating user gesture, a virtual volume surrounding limits of the initiating gesture, and wherein further predetermined gestures made in the virtual volume are recognized as a control input.

13. The method according to claim 12 , further comprising defining the virtual volume in a sterile working field of the associated user.

14. The method according to claim 5 , further comprising augmenting the user gesture with a user support comprising an elongate navigated medical instrument.

15. The method according to claim 5 , further comprising distinguishing the control inputs by their angle of inclination with respect to a defined virtual plane including the hand-held gesture support tip.

16. The method according to claim 5 , further comprising starting or initiating a joystick interaction mode on the navigation system when th

Assignees

• Birkenbach Rainer
• Urban Alexander
• Druse Alexander
• Christian Georg
• Lechner Christian
• Besinger Axel
• Schaal Alexander
• Gerken Till
• Brainlab Ag

Inventors

• Birkenbach Rainer
• Urban Alexander
• Druse Alexander
• Christian Georg
• Lechner Christian
• Besinger Axel
• Schaal Alexander
• Gerken Till

Classifications

• G06F3/0325

  using a plurality of light emitters or reflectors or a plurality of detectors forming a reference frame from which to derive the orientation of the object, e.g. by triangulation or on the basis of reference deformation in the picked up image · CPC title

• A61B2034/741

  Glove like input devices, e.g. "data gloves" · CPC title

• A61B2017/00207

  with hand gesture control or hand gesture recognition · CPC title

• G06F3/017 Primary

  Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures (interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883) · CPC title

• A61B2017/00115

  with audible or visual output · CPC title