Workflow systems and methods for enhancing collaboration between participants in a surgical procedure

A method of operating a surgical workflow system to aide different participants in performing a surgical procedure with a plurality of surgical objects, the surgical workflow system comprising one or both of:

• a surgical navigation system comprising a localizer and trackers to determine locations of the plurality of surgical objects;
• and a machine vision system comprising at least one camera to determine locations of the plurality of surgical objects;
• the surgical workflow system comprising a plurality of displays configured to convey information, and a workflow controller, the method comprising the steps of:
• determining locations of a plurality of surgical objects using one or both of the surgical navigation system and the machine vision system;
• assigning each one of the displays to a different one of the participants in the surgical procedure;
• accessing, with the workflow controller, a pre-scripted workflow having a plurality of workflow steps associated with the surgical procedure;
• identifying, with the workflow controller and based on data from the one or both of the surgical navigation system and the machine vision system, a first change event that indicates a first deviation from the pre-scripted workflow;
• determining, with the workflow controller, first event information specifically tailored to workflow responsibilities of a first one of the participants based on the first change event and the first event information comprising a first action to be taken with respect to the one or more of the plurality of surgical objects;
• and
• transmitting, with the workflow controller, the first event information to the first one of the participants through the display assignable to the first one of the participants so that the first event information can be conveyed to the first one of the participants as computer-generated images overlaid onto a transparent lens or as computer-generated images overlaid onto real-world video images;
• identifying, with the workflow controller and based on data from one or both of the surgical navigation system and the machine vision system, a second change event different from the first change event and that indicates a second deviation from the pre-scripted workflow;
• determining, with the workflow controller, second event information specifically tailored to workflow responsibilities of a second one of the participants based on the second change event and the second event information comprising a second action to be taken with respect to the one or more of the plurality of surgical objects;
• and
• transmitting, with the workflow controller, the second event information to the second one of the participants through the display assignable to the second one of the participants so that the second event information can be conveyed to the second one of the participants as computer-generated images overlaid onto a transparent lens or as computer-generated images overlaid onto real-world video images.

A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon computer-executable instructions, which when executed by one or more processors are configured to implement a surgical workflow system to aide different participants in performing a surgical procedure, the surgical workflow system being utilized with a plurality of surgical objects and comprises one or both of:

• a surgical navigation system comprising a localizer and trackers to determine locations of the plurality of surgical objects;
• and a machine vision system comprising at least one camera to determine locations of the plurality of surgical objects;
• the surgical workflow system comprising a plurality of displays configured to convey information, the computer-executable instructions when executed are configured to:
• assign each one of the displays to a different one of the participants in the surgical procedure;
• access a pre-scripted workflow having a plurality of workflow steps associated with the surgical procedure;
• identify, based on data from the one or both of the surgical navigation system and the machine vision system, a first change event that indicates a first deviation from the pre-scripted workflow;
• determine first event information specifically tailored to workflow responsibilities of a first one of the participants based on the first change event and the first event information comprising a first action to be taken with respect to the one or more of the plurality of surgical objects;
• transmit the first event information to the first one of the participants through the display assignable to the first one of the participants so that the first event information can be conveyed to the first one of the participants as computer-generated images overlaid onto a transparent lens or as computer-generated images overlaid onto real-world video images;
• identify, based on data from one or both of the surgical navigation system and the machine vision system, a second change event different from the first change event and that indicates a second deviation from the pre-scripted workflow;
• determine second event information specifically tailored to workflow responsibilities of a second one of the participants based on the second change event and the second event information comprising a second action to be taken with respect to the one or more of the plurality of surgical objects;
• and
• transmit the second event information to the second one of the participants through the display assignable to the second one of the participants so that the second event information can be conveyed to the second one of the participants as computer-generated images overlaid onto a transparent lens or as computer-generated images overlaid onto real-world video images.