System and method for 3-D tracking of surgical instrument in relation to patient body

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9636188-B2
Application number	US-38875606-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 24, 2006
Priority date	Mar 24, 2006
Publication date	May 2, 2017
Grant date	May 2, 2017

Abstract

A system and method for tracking the three-dimensional position and orientation of a surgical instrument as the instrument is being utilized within the interior of a patient body. A stereoscopic camera system generates a stereoscopic image of the patient body which is subsequently rendered on a display device. A wireless signal transmitted by an electromagnetic field generator is received by a sensor on the surgical instrument. Utilizing this sensor data, a processor calculates the position and orientation of the surgical instrument and then superimposes upon the rendered stereoscopic image of the patient body a graphical representation indicative of the position and orientation of the surgical instrument.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for tracking the three-dimensional position of a flexible surgical instrument while the instrument is being utilized within a patient body during a surgery, comprising the steps of:
providing a flexible surgical instrument;
capturing a stereoscopic image of an exterior of the patient body during the surgery;
wirelessly determining the three-dimensional position of the patient body relative to a first reference point;
wirelessly determining the three-dimensional position of the flexible surgical instrument disposed within the patient body relative to the first reference point;
calculating the three-dimensional position of the flexible surgical instrument disposed within the patient body relative to the patient body;
obtaining a graphical representation of the flexible surgical instrument disposed within the patient body;
superimposing the graphical representation of the flexible surgical instrument disposed within the patient body and its three-dimensional position upon the captured stereoscopic image of the exterior of the patient body; and
displaying the stereoscopic image of the exterior of the patient body and the graphical representation of the flexible surgical instrument on a display device,
wherein the step of displaying the stereoscopic image of the exterior of the patient body on the display device comprises displaying two 2-D graphical representations of the exterior of the patient body taken from significantly different perspectives, and the step of superimposing a graphical representation of the flexible surgical instrument upon the stereoscopic image comprises graphically displaying the graphical representation of the flexible surgical instrument on each of the two graphical representations of the exterior of the patient body so that a user can determine the location of the flexible surgical instrument within the patient body.

2. The method according to claim 1 , including the steps of:
wirelessly determining the three-dimensional orientation of the patient body and a distal tip of the flexible surgical instrument disposed within the patient body relative to the first reference point; and
calculating the three-dimensional orientation of the distal tip of the flexible surgical instrument disposed within the patient body relative to the patient body,
wherein the displayed stereoscopic image of the two graphical representations of the exterior of the patient body and the superimposed graphical representation of the flexible surgical instrument disposed within the patient body displayed on each of the two graphical representations on the display device indicates the three-dimensional position and orientation of the distal tip of the flexible surgical instrument relative to the patient body.

3. The method according to claim 1 , comprising the further steps of:
establishing an external electromagnetic field utilizing an electromagnetic field generator;
associating at least one electromagnetic field sensor with the stereoscopic camera system;
disposing at least one electromagnetic field sensor at a distal tip of the flexible surgical instrument;
detecting the electromagnetic field orientation and intensity at the stereoscopic camera system using the associated electromagnetic field sensor; and
detecting the electromagnetic field orientation and intensity at the distal tip of the flexible surgical instrument disposed within the patient body using the associated electromagnetic field sensor.

4. The method according to claim 3 , wherein the location of the electromagnetic field generator represents the first reference point.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the graphical representation of the flexible surgical instrument is manually selected by a user.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the graphical representation of the flexible surgical instrument is automatically selected based upon identification data retrieved from the flexible surgical instrument.

7. The method according to claim 3 , wherein the superimposed graphical representation of the flexible surgical instrument displayed on each of the two graphical representations of the exterior of the patient body indicates a current position of the at least one electromagnetic field sensor that is disposed at the distal tip of the flexible surgical instrument.

8. The method according to claim 3 , wherein the superimposed graphical representation of the flexible surgical instrument displayed on each of the two graphical representations of the exterior of the patient body simultaneously indicates a former position as well as a current position of the at least one electromagnetic field sensor disposed at the distal tip of the flexible surgical instrument.

9. The method according to claim 1 , comprising the further steps of:
transmitting a time-encoded wireless signal from each of at least three wireless transmitters having a known three-dimensional position;
associating at least one wireless signal receiver with the stereoscopic camera system;
disposing at least one wireless signal receiver at a distal tip of the flexible surgical instrument;
detecting the three time-encoded wireless signals at the stereoscopic camera system using the associated wireless signal receiver; and
detecting the three time-encoded wireless signals at the distal tip of the flexible surgical instrument using the associated wireless signal receiver.

10. The method according to claim 9 , wherein the three wireless transmitters represent the first reference point.

11. The method according to claim 1 , including the steps of:
wirelessly determining the orientation of the patient body;
wirelessly determining the orientation of a distal tip of the flexible surgical instrument disposed within the patient body; and
the step of superimposing the graphical representation of the flexible surgical instrument upon each said graphical representation of the exterior of the patient body includes displaying the two graphical representations of the exterior of the patient body in a determined orientation and a superimposed graphical representation of the distal tip of the flexible surgical instrument disposed within the patient body in a determined orientation on the two graphical representations.

12. A method of tracking the position of a flexible surgical instrument as the instrument is being utilized within a patient body during a surgery, comprising the steps of:
capturing a stereoscopic image of an exterior of the patient body during the surgery from at least one perspective with a stereoscopic camera;
wirelessly determining the position of a distal tip of the flexible surgical instrument located within the patient body;
obtaining a graphical representation of the distal tip of the flexible surgical instrument disposed within the patient body;
superimposing the graphical representation of the flexible surgical instrument located within the patient body upon the stereoscopic image of the exterior of the patient body indicating the three-dimensional position of the distal tip of the surgical instrument located within the patient body relative to the patient body; and
displaying the stereoscopic image of the exterior of the patient body and the superimposed graphical representation of the flexible surgical instrument on a display device.

13. The method according to claim 12 , including the steps of:
wirelessly determining the three-dimensional position and orientation of the patient body relative to a first reference point;
wirelessly determining the three-dimensional position and orientation of the distal tip of the flexible surgical instrument located with

Assignees

• Gattani Abhishek
• Hameed Salmaan
• Stryker Corp

Inventors

• Gattani Abhishek
• Hameed Salmaan

Classifications

• A61B2090/372

  Details of monitor hardware · CPC title

• A61B2090/368

  changing the image on a display according to the operator's position · CPC title

• A61B90/361

  Image-producing devices, e.g. surgical cameras · CPC title

• A61B90/36 Primary

  Image-producing devices or illumination devices not otherwise provided for · CPC title

• A61B34/20 Primary

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