Flow control in computer-assisted surgery based on marker position

A navigation system for computer-assisted surgery, comprising:

• a computer comprising a processor and a non-transitory computer readable storage medium;
• a single marker device;
• a detection device for detecting the position of the single marker device;
• and
• a program stored in the non-transitory computer readable storage medium, the program being executable by the computer to perform a method directing a control flow of the navigation system responsive to direct manual manipulation of the single marker device, the method comprising:
• providing marker data which describe a temporal series of positions of the single marker device detected by the detection device as a temporal and spatial movement pattern of the detected positions of the single marker device, wherein the movement pattern is generated by the manipulation of the single marker device, wherein the detected positions of the single marker device are defined in an associated grid divided into a plurality of delineated predetermined geometric divisions in which the single marker device can lie;
• providing condition data comprising an instruction pattern defining one or more predetermined conditions of the temporal and spatial movement pattern of the detected positions of the single marker device, wherein the one or more predetermined conditions of the temporal and spatial movement pattern comprises a condition defining a predetermined sequence of the delineated predetermined geometric divisions through which the single marker device is to pass in order to create the instruction pattern;
• determining, based on the marker data and the condition data, whether the temporal and spatial movement pattern of the detected positions of the single marker device fulfill the one or more predetermined conditions;
• and
• in accordance with determining the fulfillment of the one or more predetermined conditions, selectively generating a first control flow instruction to control the control flow of the navigation system, wherein the navigation system is responsive to the selectively generated first control flow instruction to modify an order in which steps of the control flow are executed by the computer of the navigation system to initiate following a first sequence of steps of the control flow, or
• in accordance with determining the non-fulfillment of the one or more predetermined conditions, selectively generating a second control flow instruction to control the control flow of the navigation system, wherein the navigation system is responsive to receiving the selectively generated second control flow instruction to modify the order in which the steps of the control flow are executed by the computer of the navigation system to initiate following a second sequence of steps of the control flow, the second sequence of steps of the control flow being different than the first sequence of steps of the control flow.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a program which, when running on a computer or when loaded onto a computer, causes the computer to perform a data processing method for use in computer-assisted surgery, for directing a control flow of an associated navigation system responsive to direct manual manipulation of a single marker device, comprising:

• providing marker data which describe a temporal series of detected positions of the single marker device as a temporal and spatial movement pattern of the detected positions of the single marker device, wherein the movement pattern is generated by the direct manual manipulation of the single marker device, wherein the detected positions of the single marker device are defined in an associated grid divided into a plurality of delineated predetermined geometric divisions in which the single marker device can lie;
• providing condition data comprising an instruction pattern defining one or more predetermined conditions of the temporal and spatial movement pattern of the detected positions of the single marker device, wherein the one or more predetermined conditions of the temporal and spatial movement pattern comprises a condition defining a predetermined sequence of the delineated predetermined geometric divisions through which the single marker device is to pass in order to create the instruction pattern;
• determining, based on the marker data and the condition data, whether the temporal and spatial movement pattern of the detected positions of the single marker device fulfill the one or more predetermined conditions;
• and
• in accordance with determining the fulfillment of the one or more predetermined conditions, selectively generating a first control flow instruction for use by the associated navigation system to control the control flow of the associated navigation system, wherein the associated navigation system is responsive to receiving the selectively generated first control flow instruction to modify an order in which steps of the control flow are executed by a computer of the associated navigation system to initiate following a first sequence of steps of the control flow, or
• in accordance with determining the non-fulfillment of the one or more predetermined conditions, selectively generating a second control flow instruction for use by the associated navigation system to control the control flow of the associated navigation system, wherein the associated navigation system is responsive to receiving the selectively generated second control flow instruction to modify the order in which the steps of the control flow are executed by the computer of the associated navigation system to initiate following a second sequence of steps of the control flow, the second sequence of steps of the control flow being different than the first sequence of steps of the control flow.

A computer comprising:

• a processor;
• and
• a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a program, the program being executable by the processor to perform a method directing a control flow of an associated navigation system responsive to direct manual manipulation of a single marker device, the method executable by the processor comprising:
• providing marker data which describe a temporal series of detected positions of the single marker device as a temporal and spatial movement pattern of the detected positions of the single marker device, wherein the movement pattern is generated by the manipulation of the single marker device, wherein the detected positions of the single marker device are defined in an associated grid divided into a plurality of delineated predetermined geometric divisions in which the single marker device can lie;
• providing condition data comprising an instruction pattern defining one or more predetermined conditions of the temporal and spatial movement pattern of the detected positions of the single marker device, wherein the one or more predetermined conditions of the temporal and spatial movement pattern comprises a condition defining a predetermined sequence of the delineated predetermined geometric divisions through which the single marker device is to pass in order to create the instruction pattern;
• determining, based on the marker data and the condition data, whether the temporal and spatial movement pattern of the detected positions of the single marker device fulfill the one or more predetermined conditions;
• and
• in accordance with determining the fulfillment of the one or more predetermined conditions, selectively generating a first control flow instruction for use by the associated navigation system to control the control flow of the associated navigation system, wherein the associated navigation system is responsive to receiving the selectively generated first control flow instruction to modify an order in which steps of the control flow are executed by a computer of the associated navigation system to initiate following a first sequence of steps of the control flow, or
• in accordance with determining the non-fulfillment of the one or more predetermined conditions, selectively generating a second control flow instruction for use by the associated navigation system to control the control flow of the associated navigation system, wherein the associated navigation system is responsive to receiving the selectively generated second control flow instruction to modify the order in which the steps of the control flow are executed by the computer of the associated navigation system to initiate following a second sequence of steps of the control flow, the second sequence of steps of the control flow being different than the first sequence of steps of the control flow.

A method of directing a control flow of an associated navigation system in computer-assisted surgery responsive to manipulation of a single marker device, the method comprising:

• providing marker data which describes detected positions of the single marker device as a spatial and/or temporal movement pattern of positions of the single marker device, the detected positions of the single marker device being defined relative to an associated grid divided into a plurality of delineated predetermined geometric divisions in which the single marker device can lie;
• providing condition data which describe a predetermined condition for the spatial and/or temporal movement pattern of positions of the single marker device relative to the plurality of delineated predetermined geometric divisions of the associated grid, wherein the predetermined condition for the spatial and/or temporal movement pattern of positions of the single marker device comprises a condition defining a predetermined sequence of the delineated predetermined geometric divisions through which the single marker device is to pass in order to create the predetermined condition;
• determining, based on the marker data and the condition data, whether the spatial and/or temporal movement pattern of the detected positions of the single marker device fulfill the predetermined condition;
• and
• responsive to determining the fulfillment of the predetermined condition, selectively generating a first control flow instruction for use by the associated navigation system to control the control flow of the associated navigation system, wherein the associated navigation system is responsive to receiving the selectively generated first control flow instruction to modify an order in which steps of the control flow are executed by a computer of the associated navigation system to initiate following a first sequence of steps of the control flow;
• or
• responsive to determining the non-fulfillment of the predetermined condition, selectively generating a second control flow instruction for use by the associated navigation system to control the control flow of the associated navigation system, wherein the associated navigation system is responsive to receiving the selectively generated second control flow instruction to modify the order in which the steps of the control flow are executed by the computer of the associated navigation system to initiate following a second sequence of steps of the control flow, the second sequence of steps of the control flow being different than the first sequence of steps of the control flow.

A navigation system for computer-assisted surgery, comprising:

• a computer comprising a processor and a non-transitory computer readable storage medium;
• a single marker device;
• a detection device for detecting the position of the single marker device;
• and
• a program stored in the non-transitory computer readable storage medium, the program being executable by the computer to perform a method directing a control flow of the navigation system responsive to direct manual manipulation of the marker device, the method comprising:
• providing marker data which describes detected positions of the single marker device as a spatial and/or temporal movement pattern of positions of the single marker device, the detected positions of the single marker device being defined relative to an associated grid divided into a plurality of delineated predetermined geometric divisions in which the single marker device can lie;
• providing condition data which describe a predetermined condition for the spatial and/or temporal movement pattern of positions of the single marker device relative to the plurality of delineated predetermined geometric divisions of the associated grid, wherein the predetermined condition for the spatial and/or temporal movement pattern of positions of the single marker device comprises a condition defining a predetermined sequence of the delineated predetermined geometric divisions through which the single marker device is to pass in order to create the predetermined condition;
• determining, based on the marker data and the condition data, whether the spatial and/or temporal movement pattern of the detected positions of the single marker device fulfill the predetermined condition;
• and
• responsive to determining the fulfillment of the predetermined condition, selectively generating a first control flow instruction for use by the associated navigation system to control the control flow of the associated navigation system, wherein the associated navigation system is responsive to receiving the selectively generated first control flow instruction to modify an order in which steps of the control flow are executed by a computer of the associated navigation system to initiate following a first sequence of steps of the control flow;
• or
• responsive to determining the non-fulfillment of the predetermined condition, selectively generating a second control flow instruction for use by the associated navigation system to control the control flow of the associated navigation system, wherein the associated navigation system is responsive to receiving the selectively generated second control flow instruction to modify the order in which the steps of the control flow are executed by the computer of the associated navigation system to initiate following a second sequence of steps of the control flow, the second sequence of steps of the control flow being different than the first sequence of steps of the control flow.