# US 10,441,366 B2 · Actively controlled optical tracker with a robot

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- Number: US 10,441,366 B2
- Document ID: US10441366B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/505,205
- Filed: 2015-10-22
- Published: 2017-08-31
- Granted: 2019-10-15
- Earliest claimed: 2014-10-22
- Assignees: Think Surgical, Inc.
- Applicants: Think Surgical, Inc.
- Inventors: Saleh Tabandeh; Joel Zuhars; Daniel Patrick Bonny
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10441366B2

## CPC

- A61B 34/20: Surgical navigation systems; Devices for tracking or guiding surgical instruments, e.g. for frameless stereotaxis
- A61B 34/30: Surgical robots
- A61B 34/32: operating autonomously
- A61B 90/37: {Surgical systems with images on a monitor during operation}
- A61B 2034/2048: {using an accelerometer or inertia sensor}
- A61B 2034/2055: {Optical tracking systems}
- A61B 2034/2057: {Details of tracking cameras}
- A61B 2034/2059: {Mechanical position encoders}
- A61B 2090/502: {Headgear, e.g. helmet, spectacles}
- A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D)

## Abstract

Systems and processes are provided that utilize the accuracy and adaptability of an optical tracking system to track an object by maintaining a line of sight (LOS) between the optical signals from the tracked object and the optical receivers regardless of the position and orientation of the object being tracked. LOS is maintained without having to manually adjust a tracked device or the optical receivers, or be limited to a specified working volume. Instead, whenever the tracked device moves, an active controller device calculates new values for the degrees of freedom of a series of joints holding a tracking array to the tracked object to position and orient the tracking array to maintain visibility to the optical receivers. A computer-assisted or robotic device that decreases operating times, and improves surgical accuracy, without additional user requirements or adjustments to maintain the LOS of the optical tracking system is provided.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A system comprising:
a fiducial marker array;
an optical tracking system with one or more optical receivers configured for line of sight (LOS) communication with said fiducial marker array;
a robot comprising an end effector, a plurality of links and joints, and the fiducial marker array, wherein the end-effector is articulated by the plurality of links and joints;
one or more movable joints in mechanical communication with said fiducial marker array said one or more movable joints provide degrees of freedom of movement to articulate said fiducial marker array independent of how the end-effector is articulated by the plurality of links and joint; and
one or more controllers configured to actuate said one or more movable joints to cause the fiducial marker array to move relative to the end-effector in order to maintain LOS between said fiducial marker array and said one or more optical receivers.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1 wherein said fiducial marker array comprises a plurality of markers, where each marker of said plurality of markers is an individual optical emitter or reflector.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1 wherein said one or more movable joints are in mechanical communication with the robot.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1 wherein said one or more movable joints are incorporated with an end of an effector flange.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1 wherein said fiducial marker array further comprises an inertial measurement units (IMU).

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1 wherein said robot is a hand-held robot.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1 wherein said one or more moveable joints further comprise one or more encoders to measure positions and orientations of said one or more moveable joints.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1 wherein said fiducial marker array further comprises emitting light emitting diode (LED) markers, said emitting LED markers actuated by a processor to transmit data to said one or more optical receivers.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1 wherein kinematics define a position and a location of the end effector during movement of said robot; and
wherein kinematics are used with said one or more controllers controlling the one or more movable joints to re-locate the fiducial marker array.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

A process of using the system of claim 1 to maintain a line of sight (LOS) between said fiducial marker array and said one or more optical receivers, said process comprising:
positioning said one or more optical receivers in an initial location that minimizes LOS disruption within said system;
positioning said fiducial marker array manually or with said one or more movable joints to an initial position and orientation (POSE) that optimizes said fiducial marker array within a field of view of said one or more optical receivers;
recording an initial POSE of said fiducial marker array;
calculating a change in the POSE of said fiducial marker array;
determining a difference between the calculated change in the POSE and the initial POSE of said fiducial marker array; and
articulating said one or more movable joints based on said determining to re-orient said fiducial marker array relative to the end-effector to maintain the LOS independent of a position or orientation of the end-effector.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The process of claim 10 wherein the calculating of the change in the POSE is based on forward kinematics.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The process of claim 11 wherein the forward kinematics are determined with a set encoder values incorporated with said one or more movable joints.

### Claim 13 (depends on 10)

The process of claim 10 wherein said one or more controllers are configured to actuate said one or more movable joints to maintain LOS between said fiducial marker array and said one or more optical receivers.

### Claim 14 (depends on 10)

The process of claim 10 wherein said fiducial marker array further comprises emitting light emitting diode (LED) markers, said emitting LED markers actuated by a processor to transmit data to said one or more optical receivers.

### Claim 15 (depends on 10)

The process of claim 10 wherein the calculating of the change in the POSE is based on forward kinematics, where the forward kinematics define a position and a location of the end effector during movement of said robot and the forward kinematics are used with said one or more controllers controlling the one or more movable joints to re-locate the fiducial marker array.