Robotic system and method for spinal and other surgeries

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9833292-B2
Application number	US-201514824602-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 12, 2015
Priority date	Apr 1, 2011
Publication date	Dec 5, 2017
Grant date	Dec 5, 2017

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method, such as a surgical method for assisting a surgeon for placing screws in the spine using a robot attached to a passive structure. The present invention also related to a method, such as a surgical method for assisting a surgeon for removing volumes in the body of a patient using a robot attached to a passive structure and to a device to carry out said methods.
The present invention further concerns a device suitable to carry out the methods according to the present invention.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. A robotic surgical system for assisting a surgeon in preparing a hole in a spine of a patient and placing a screw in the hole during an operation, the system comprising:
a robot comprising an end-effector for holding a surgical tool for use in drilling the hole and placing the screw in a vertebra of the patient;
a controller for controlling the position of the end-effector, wherein the end-effector can be manually and freely positioned by the surgeon during the operation; and
a measurement system with a computer processor for:
measuring, by the processor, a position of the vertebra of the patient;
determining, by the processor, a change in the position of the vertebra; and
automatically adjusting, via the robot, the position of the end-effector based at least in part on a change in the position of the vertebra determined by the processor such that a spatial relationship between the end-effector and the vertebra remains substantially unaltered as at least a portion of the operation is performed, thereby ensuring the surgical tool remains aligned with a trajectory as a hole in the vertebra is prepared and a screw is placed in the hole.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the robot allows positioning of the surgical tool by the surgeon with at least four degrees of freedom.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the position of the vertebra is a position of a marker placed in spatial relation to the vertebra.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the measurement system is an optical tracking system comprising a camera; an electro-magnetic tracking system; fixed measurement system; or template-based tracking system.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the measurement system comprises a first marker attached to the robotic surgical system and a second marker configured to attach to the patient.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the measurement system is the optical tracking system and the optical tracking system comprises a pointer that can be used to measure a single point in space.

7. The system of claim 1 , comprising a force sensor for measuring forces on the surgical tool.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the force sensor is mounted on the end-effector.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the robotic surgical system comprises a display for providing graphical feedback to the surgeon.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the surgical tool is a tube.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the robotic surgical system comprises a passive structure that rigidly holds the robot in place.

12. The system of claim 1 , wherein the measurement system is configured to provide real-time patient and robot position measurements and position tracking.

13. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is arranged such that the surgeon can manually and freely position the robot in space using hands-on control.

14. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller permits gross manual positioning of the end-effector.

15. The system of claim 1 , wherein the robot comprises a passive structure.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the passive structure can be manually and freely positioned by the surgeon during the operation.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the passive structure can be blocked by the surgeon such that the robot is rigidly held in place.

Assignees

• KB Medical SA
• Globus Medical Inc

Inventors

• Kostrzewski Szymon
• Berard Philippe
• Baur Charles
• Duff John Michael
• Sandu Kishore

Classifications

• A61B2017/00694

  with means correcting for movement of or for synchronisation with the body · CPC title

• A61B34/76

  Manipulators having means for providing feel, e.g. force or tactile feedback · CPC title

• A61B34/20 Primary

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

• A61B2034/107

  Visualisation of planned trajectories or target regions · CPC title

• A61B90/57

  Accessory clamps · CPC title